Chapter 16 Summary and Analysis

In Merced, California, one out of every six residents is Hmong. Yet if one were to drive around Merced, you wouldn't necessarily run into them. California's Central Valley has attracted immigrants from many other ethnicities as well as Hmong. The Hmong community can be found by crossing the tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad, moving in a direction away from the tree lined residential streets of the town. Ironically, prior to the railroad's existence, the area now inhabited by Hmong was known as Chinatown. The Hmong resided in two story apartment buildings. The front doors overflowed with children. The parking lots were home to more herb gardens than cars and the grocery store's staple item for sale was rice. Merced housed the largest percentage of Hmong per area in California. This dense cluster of Hmong ensured the vitality of their culture...