The recent tragedy in Wiscosin makes many people think: is there some cultural confliction in this incidence?

I am a Chinese, not a Hmong. But history has told me that Hmong is closely related to Chinese and Chinese blood has some Hmong blood (but probably not vice versa). Nevertheless, I plan to write some history of Hmong from a common Chinese point of view. A little warning: I was trained in China and my history knowledge is biased (surely towards Chinese). Chinese history literature always used humilating words when discribing Hmong. And indeed Chinese called Hmong Miao, a probably insulting word historically, and was also probably derived from the pronunciation of how Hmong called themselves.

About 5~6000 years ago, Hmong, then called Jiu Li (nine rice eating groups), were living happily in one of the best soil in China– the downstream of Yellow River and close to the Yellow sea, i.e., places like He Nan and Shan Dong provinces. They were arguably the first people using iron or bronze in cultivation. They were led by a giant called Ci You (who was pictured as monster like human being in ancient Chinese literature). The good life of Hmong were envied by other Chinese tribes, espcially those living in the upstream of yellow river, called Emperor Huang. Later joined by Emperor Yan from south who was also a rice eating tribe, they formed a strategic ally and invaded Hmong area. After over ten year’s fight, Yan and Huang finally conquered Hmong area. Please note, when I talk about tribe, they are actually tribe groups, more or less like earlier version of country. In addition, there were several groups and all of them were fighting each other. Finally Huang won by conquering or merging with other groups.

As all of us can imagine, life in old time was brutal and bloody. All Hmong people were killed if they refused to surrender, and those who surrended were slaved, or absorbed into Yan and Huang tribes (to say it nicely). This war is the start of grand Han tribe, and arguably the start of Chinese history. The war is thought a real war and even a place called Zhu Lu in He Bei province is associated with it. A side note, Chinese in the middle land had to wait till about 4000 years later to officially call themselves Han people. At that time, all different Chinse countries were unified into one big country.

One more word about Ci You. He was viewed as the ancestor of Hmong, and was once the ” military god” in China during old time. It was Confucius that thought Ci You was a rebellion and treated him low.

However, there were some brave Hmong people fled from their birth area, thus starting a harsh journey which lasted till today.

to be continued….