Hmong a Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness

Hmong a Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness

Mary Reigel

University of Phoenix

Health Assessment and Promotion of Vulnerable Population

NUR 440

The Hmong is a United States, refugee population from Southeast Asia. The Hmong people resided in Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. During the Vietnam War, the Hmong worked closely with the United States military. "When the United States withdrew from Vietnam, the Hmong experienced severe retaliation and were "targets of genocide" from the North Vietnamese and Laos Communists for their partnership with the United States" (Tatman, 2004, p. 1) . Because of the retaliation, a majority of the Hmong population tried to escape to the United States. The Hmong are often and suffer from depression. They have many mental health problems when they relocate to the United States (Toosi, 2004). The perception of many of the people in the United States is that the Hmong are coming to this country to obtain free health care as they are all eligible for medical assistant and monthly welfare payments. The Hmong have moves to a new country in which they do not speak the language and the customs and cultural beliefs are totally different from their own. The Hmong head to the United States with the dreams of obtaining an education, thereby being able to obtain a decent job and a chance for citizenship (Toosi, 2004). Significant prejudice toward the Hmong in the United States continues to be prevalent, as some people continue to see them as threats due do their customs and beliefs (Lindsay, 2008).

The Hmong have come to the new country and brought all of their customs and beliefs with them. They have their own language and it has many dialects. The Hmong language was not a written language until the late and it has very few medical terms. Therefore, it is very difficult for the non-Hmong to gain knowledge and learn the language (Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 2010). The Hmong have many verbal and nonverbal communications. They believe that direct eye contact is considered rude. This makes it very difficult for health care professionals; they find it difficult to know if the Hmong understand the instructions and information being given (Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 2010).

Hmong are organized into clans, determined by ancestral linage. Each clan has a leader whose job is to help with problems, including illnesses, divorce, and deaths in the family. The father is always the head of the household and he makes all of the decisions for the family, including those that deal with health and illness.

Hmong have a life that is "centered on family, community, and daily routines of work and recreation" (Toosi, 2004, p. 1). They believe in a shaman, and herbals for their health care needs. Hmong practice spiritual healing. "Good health comes from souls living within each person. Illness or an invasive procedure can cause soul loss. Spiritual healing involves retrieving the lost soul from another plane of existence. Hmong will conduct healing ceremonies in the hospital or in the home" (Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 2010). Because health prevention was not available for the older generation of Hmong in Laos, many of the older Hmong that have relocated to the Unites States have not practiced it and dealt with illnesses as it occurred, therefore, they and had not encouraged it to the succeeding generations. Therefore, it is necessary that the younger generations to become interested in the importance of preventive healthcare. As the Hmong do not belief that it is good to put something foreign into their bodies, they do not believe in immunizations. It is the Hmong belief that by introducing something in their body that then they will be reincarnated with less than a complete body (Children's