The article reflects on the personal and collective trauma experienced by Hmong people, particularly in the context of the Laotian Civil War and the subsequent American withdrawal from Vietnam. Through a personal narrative of a soul-calling ceremony for the author's son, insights into the significance of cultural rituals are intertwined with conversations about loss and identity. The shaman's reflections on the Hmong struggle echo a broader narrative of exile and the continual impact of historical events on contemporary life, marking fifty years of struggle since the US withdrawal from Southeast Asia.
"The Americans, he said, tore the country apart and we Hmong could no longer live there as a result. There is no country for us to return to, no homeland in which to belong."
"Fifty years to contend and reckon with the fallout of American foreign policy - and yet it seems the chasm only deepens."
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