Chapter 14 Summary and Analysis

On October 18, 1980 the Lee family arrived in America. At that time they had six surviving children. They had traveled from Laos to Thailand, where they flew on to Hawaii and then Oregon. The Lees sought help from their family members who had settled in Oregon a few months previously. They were instructed about the purpose and use of electricity. The refrigerator, television, and toilet were new concepts. The Lees lived in Portland for two years before relocating to Merced, California. After seventeen years of living in America, Foua and Nao Kao became accustomed to electricity but still felt as though they were living in a foreign land. Foua relied on her children to shop at the local market because she never learned English. They kept the Hmong language, religion, food, and holidays alive within their home.

Historically, the Hmong have always...