The Hmong People: An Ethnic Group Without a Nation-State

The Hmong are a distinct ethnic group originating from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand in Southeast Asia.

• No sovereign country: They have never had an independent nation-state in modern history.
• Diaspora: Large communities exist in the above countries plus the United States (especially Minnesota, California, Wisconsin), France, French Guiana, Australia, and Argentina—largely due to displacement after the Vietnam War/Secret War in Laos (1975).
• Culture: Rich traditions in textiles (story cloths), oral poetry (kwv txhiaj), animist/shamanic spirituality, and clan-based social structure.
• Language: Hmong-Mien family (Hmong Daw, Mong Njua dialects).

While they lack political sovereignty, the Hmong maintain a strong collective identity across borders.