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Background

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The Hmong is an ethnic group originating from Southern China. They have been slowly relocating to Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Northern Vietnam, and Burma since the 1700s ( Tapp ). Historically, the Hmong were farmers that cultivated crops like buckwheat, barley, and millet, which are grown in high altitudes ( Tapp ). They have never had their own country but have made their own communities around the world.

Immigration

At the moment, Minnesota has one of the highest Hmong population in the United States. At the beginning of their stay in Minnesota in 1976, the Hmong people were having a bit of a problem in deciding where to relocate after they had arrived in Minnesota. Since the Hmong were used to farming, they considered moving to the rural areas of Minnesota. The only problem with that is the most likely would have been isolated there. Another option was to move to the cities where they wouldn’t really be able to farm due to the lack of land, but they would be able to receive more community support. Eventually, more immigrants who have settled in the rural areas decided to come to the Twin Cities. As younger generations start to grow and take in American culture, Hmong culture also starts to shift. For example, it was very common for them to get married at a young age but as their stay in the U.S grew, more of them waited until they were older to get married. Since the culture is constantly chang...

Why They Relocated to Minnesota

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The Hmong relocated to Minnesota as refugees of the Vietnam war in the 1970s. Many chose the Twin Cities in particular because of their education and job opportunities, and their welcoming attitudes toward immigrants in general. Since the Twin Cities started to have an influx in Hmong population, other Hmong families decided to immigrate here, to maintain a sense of community (Lee).

Charts/Graphs

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