On Traditional Hmong Discipline
Conforming to Life in America
Conforming to Life in America
By Brandon Wagner
Change is never easy, but often necessary in the world we live in today. Most of us have become acclimated with
change, and how to deal with it, since our lives are constantly being changed by the influence of the fast-paced
American life, but what about those who are new to our society and have to adjust to a new culture?
In the 1970s and 1980s the United States saw a substantial increase in Asian immigrants being admitted into the
country and in particular, large numbers of Hmong people coming from the heavily populated refugee camps of
Thailand. It is estimated that close to 90 percent of Hmong refugees who originally came from Laos have now
settled in the United States, with Wisconsin having the third largest Hmong population: close to 50,000 according
to the 2010 US census. Like so many of the diverse groups of immigrants that have made the journey to the US,
assimilating to the American lifestyle can be even more challenging than the road traveled to get here.
One of the larger, socially noticed, issues within the Hmong community, which has sparked the interest of local
communities and state governments, has been how families within the community are handling child discipline.
Traditionally, discipline within Hmong families is similar to the stories many of us may have heard from our
parents and how they were disciplined: tough, authoritative discipline handed down by a harsh hand from their
fathers and mothers. In Hmong tradition, physical discipline is accepted, and to a certain extent expected, at home
and at school. This is far from the socially, and legally, acceptable norm here in Wisconsin.
After speaking with several Hmong college students and young professionals, it had become clear that physical
discipline was something that was prevalent in their families, and the families of their Hmong friends and relatives.
Both Suzie Chang, an Edgewood College student, and Pa Vang, a UW-Madison student, stated that they would
joke amongst their siblings and Hmong friends asking, “What did you get hit with?”, when they would get into
trouble. It wasn’t uncommon for these students, and many other Hmong children living in the states, to get “the
belt” or “the cord” when they did something wrong. Despite this, they all expressed that they didn’t find this form of
discipline to be unethical or detrimental.
Many of the students expressed that they had felt, in large part, that the sometimes “extreme” discipline was a
result of not only Hmong tradition, but that of Hmong values and the high expectations that were put on them to
succeed in America.
“My parents told me I have to get a high school degree, no matter what; you need one in America," George Thao
recalled. "Whenever I messed up in school, I knew what was coming, and why.”
Several reported that they took their punishment as learning experience as opposed to a situation that left them
bitter and disgruntled. Instead, they learned to do whatever it would take to make sure they would not end up in a
similar situation again. All of the students recalled how their parents were the most influential part of who they are
today and attributed how their parents handled their discipline to their own successes in life.
Unfortunately, no matter how effective and "undamaging" these forms of discipline may have been, it’s something
the United States has taken a particular interest in stopping. Physical punishment is something that may have
been normal in past generations in the states, but over the past 50 years the view on this has changed drastically.
Current Wisconsin law pertaining to child discipline, or child abuse, is rather vague and complicated in explaining
what is and is not acceptable. Wisconsin law on child abuse states that discipline turns to abuse when “there is
an intentional causation of bodily harm or a reckless causation of bodily harm," and defines 'recklessly' as
"conduct which creates a situation of unreasonable risk of harm to and demonstrates a conscious disregard for
the safety of the child.”
While most Hmong parents’ intentions are not to truly harm their children, but rather enforce their standards
through methods that have been a part of their culture for generations, from the view of Child Protection Services,
local school districts, and law enforcement, it can be classified as child abuse. According to the Wisconsin
Department of Children and Families, in 2010 there were 4,839 cases of child abuse reported in Wisconsin with 2
percent of these cases involving Asian Americans, who account for 3 percent of the total population. It is
impossible to determine the number of cases that involved Hmong children, but studies conducted by University of
Minnesota graduate students have suggested that there are a large percentage of Hmong families that use
physical punishment.
There have been many efforts within Wisconsin, and throughout the nation, to lower the number of instances of
child abuse amongst Hmong families. Since the majority of the cases result from parents not having proper
education and information on American law, most of the efforts have aimed to inform Hmong parents of what is
acceptable in the United States. After speaking with The Hmong American Community Association, which was
developed by Child’s Service Society of Wisconsin, and the Hmong American Friendship Association, it is clear
that organizations like these are beginning to take a major role in the education of Hmong parents. This has
involved members of the organizations collaborating with Hmong community and clan leaders, to go into the
community and educate both parents and children on what are acceptable forms of discipline and the possible
consequences they may face if they choose to continue practicing traditional discipline. Dr. Phillip Yang, a Hmong
Professor at Edgewood College, generously took the time to share his story with our class and also expressed
that the process of stopping Hmong discipline will take both understanding from people outside the community
and an effort to educate the ones in the community.
Like any process, the time it will take to change discipline within the Hmong community could be extensive, but the
people and organizations involved in the effort are making the transition from traditional to socially acceptable
discipline obtainable for Hmong parents and families. Regardless of how long the transition may take, and how
effective it will eventually be, from the people I had the pleasure of speaking with and from the stories I heard,
Hmong children are living up to their parents expectations.
Brandon Wagner is a student at Edgewood College. This article was submitted as a project for an Asian American
course under Prof. Jinxing Chen.
Change is never easy, but often necessary in the world we live in today. Most of us have become acclimated with
change, and how to deal with it, since our lives are constantly being changed by the influence of the fast-paced
American life, but what about those who are new to our society and have to adjust to a new culture?
In the 1970s and 1980s the United States saw a substantial increase in Asian immigrants being admitted into the
country and in particular, large numbers of Hmong people coming from the heavily populated refugee camps of
Thailand. It is estimated that close to 90 percent of Hmong refugees who originally came from Laos have now
settled in the United States, with Wisconsin having the third largest Hmong population: close to 50,000 according
to the 2010 US census. Like so many of the diverse groups of immigrants that have made the journey to the US,
assimilating to the American lifestyle can be even more challenging than the road traveled to get here.
One of the larger, socially noticed, issues within the Hmong community, which has sparked the interest of local
communities and state governments, has been how families within the community are handling child discipline.
Traditionally, discipline within Hmong families is similar to the stories many of us may have heard from our
parents and how they were disciplined: tough, authoritative discipline handed down by a harsh hand from their
fathers and mothers. In Hmong tradition, physical discipline is accepted, and to a certain extent expected, at home
and at school. This is far from the socially, and legally, acceptable norm here in Wisconsin.
After speaking with several Hmong college students and young professionals, it had become clear that physical
discipline was something that was prevalent in their families, and the families of their Hmong friends and relatives.
Both Suzie Chang, an Edgewood College student, and Pa Vang, a UW-Madison student, stated that they would
joke amongst their siblings and Hmong friends asking, “What did you get hit with?”, when they would get into
trouble. It wasn’t uncommon for these students, and many other Hmong children living in the states, to get “the
belt” or “the cord” when they did something wrong. Despite this, they all expressed that they didn’t find this form of
discipline to be unethical or detrimental.
Many of the students expressed that they had felt, in large part, that the sometimes “extreme” discipline was a
result of not only Hmong tradition, but that of Hmong values and the high expectations that were put on them to
succeed in America.
“My parents told me I have to get a high school degree, no matter what; you need one in America," George Thao
recalled. "Whenever I messed up in school, I knew what was coming, and why.”
Several reported that they took their punishment as learning experience as opposed to a situation that left them
bitter and disgruntled. Instead, they learned to do whatever it would take to make sure they would not end up in a
similar situation again. All of the students recalled how their parents were the most influential part of who they are
today and attributed how their parents handled their discipline to their own successes in life.
Unfortunately, no matter how effective and "undamaging" these forms of discipline may have been, it’s something
the United States has taken a particular interest in stopping. Physical punishment is something that may have
been normal in past generations in the states, but over the past 50 years the view on this has changed drastically.
Current Wisconsin law pertaining to child discipline, or child abuse, is rather vague and complicated in explaining
what is and is not acceptable. Wisconsin law on child abuse states that discipline turns to abuse when “there is
an intentional causation of bodily harm or a reckless causation of bodily harm," and defines 'recklessly' as
"conduct which creates a situation of unreasonable risk of harm to and demonstrates a conscious disregard for
the safety of the child.”
While most Hmong parents’ intentions are not to truly harm their children, but rather enforce their standards
through methods that have been a part of their culture for generations, from the view of Child Protection Services,
local school districts, and law enforcement, it can be classified as child abuse. According to the Wisconsin
Department of Children and Families, in 2010 there were 4,839 cases of child abuse reported in Wisconsin with 2
percent of these cases involving Asian Americans, who account for 3 percent of the total population. It is
impossible to determine the number of cases that involved Hmong children, but studies conducted by University of
Minnesota graduate students have suggested that there are a large percentage of Hmong families that use
physical punishment.
There have been many efforts within Wisconsin, and throughout the nation, to lower the number of instances of
child abuse amongst Hmong families. Since the majority of the cases result from parents not having proper
education and information on American law, most of the efforts have aimed to inform Hmong parents of what is
acceptable in the United States. After speaking with The Hmong American Community Association, which was
developed by Child’s Service Society of Wisconsin, and the Hmong American Friendship Association, it is clear
that organizations like these are beginning to take a major role in the education of Hmong parents. This has
involved members of the organizations collaborating with Hmong community and clan leaders, to go into the
community and educate both parents and children on what are acceptable forms of discipline and the possible
consequences they may face if they choose to continue practicing traditional discipline. Dr. Phillip Yang, a Hmong
Professor at Edgewood College, generously took the time to share his story with our class and also expressed
that the process of stopping Hmong discipline will take both understanding from people outside the community
and an effort to educate the ones in the community.
Like any process, the time it will take to change discipline within the Hmong community could be extensive, but the
people and organizations involved in the effort are making the transition from traditional to socially acceptable
discipline obtainable for Hmong parents and families. Regardless of how long the transition may take, and how
effective it will eventually be, from the people I had the pleasure of speaking with and from the stories I heard,
Hmong children are living up to their parents expectations.
Brandon Wagner is a student at Edgewood College. This article was submitted as a project for an Asian American
course under Prof. Jinxing Chen.