Hmong Americans

Hmong Americans
š–¬Œš–¬£š–¬µ š–¬‰š–¬²š–¬¦ š–¬—š–¬² / Hmoob Mes Kas
Total population
363,565 (2023)[1]
0.11% of the U.S. population (2022)
Regions with significant populations
California (Fresno, Sacramento, Stockton, Merced[2]), Oklahoma (Tulsa), Wisconsin (Wausau, Sheboygan, Green Bay, Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee), Minnesota (Minneapolisā€“St. Paul), North Carolina (Charlotte, Raleigh, Hickory), New York (New York City), Alaska (Anchorage)
Languages
Hmong, American English, some Mandarin, some Lao, some Thai, some Vietnamese
Religion
Miao folk religion, Buddhism, Shamanism, Christianity[3]
Related ethnic groups
Miao people
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This article contains Pahawh Hmong Unicode characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of the Pahawh Hmong characters.

Hmong Americans (RPA: Hmoob Mes Kas, Pahawh Hmong: "š–¬Œš–¬£š–¬µ š–¬‰š–¬²š–¬¦ š–¬—š–¬²", 苗ꗏ) are Americans of Hmong ancestry. Many Hmong Americans immigrated to the United States as refugees in the late 1970s, with a second wave in the 1980s and 1990s. Over half of the Hmong population from Laos left the country, or attempted to leave, in 1975, at the culmination of the Laotian Civil War.

During this period, thousands of Hmong were evacuated or escaped on their own to Hmong refugee camps in neighboring Thailand.[4] About 90% of those who made it to refugee camps in Thailand were ultimately resettled in the United States. The rest, about 8 to 10%, resettled in countries including Canada, France, the Netherlands, and Australia.

According to the 2021 American Community Survey by the US Census Bureau, the population count for Hmong Americans was 368,609.[5] As of 2019, the largest community in the United States was in the Minneapolisā€“St. Paul metropolitan area.[6] Hmong Americans face disparities in healthcare, and socioeconomic challenges that lead to lower health literacy, median life expectancy, and per capita income.[7]

  1. ^ "US Census Data". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  2. ^ "Top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas by Hmong population, 2019". Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Hmong Americans". Cultural Aspects of Healthcare. The College of St. Scholastica. 1996. Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 15 February 2013. Primary religious/spiritual affiliation. A recent study found that 75% of Hmong people practiced traditional religion which is animistic. Many Hmong also practice Buddhism or Christianity with membership to various churches such as Catholic, Missionary Alliance, Baptist, Mormon, and others.
  4. ^ "Hmong Timeline". Minnesota Historical Society.
  5. ^ "B02018 ASIAN ALONE OR IN ANY COMBINATION BY SELECTED GROUPS ā€“ 2021: 1-year estimates Detailed Tables ā€“ United States". United States Census Bureau.
  6. ^ Budiman, Abby (April 29, 2021). "Hmong: Data on Asian Americans". Pew Research Centerā€™s Social & Demographic Trends Project. Archived from the original on 2021-06-13. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  7. ^ Vang, Kao Kang Kue M. (2019-07-28). "Culture and Health Disparities: Hmong Health Beliefs and Practices in the United States". STTI. Archived from the original on 2021-03-21. Retrieved 2020-04-23. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)