Culture

Culture plays an important role in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Aspects of Hmong culture discussed in this book include language, foods, and religion. The Hmong language has eight distinctive tones. Its words often include onomatopoeia. The Hmong people traditionally live off of the land which they inhabit. Thus, they have many words used to describe noises and actions that relate to nature. Ailments are discussed in terms of the spirit, not the physical body. Their diet is also closely related to their way of life. In their homeland, the Hmong farm rice and opium. Rice is their staple diet and is infused irregularly with meat. The meat of choice, when available, is from a pig or chicken. The Hmong also enjoy vegetables and herbs. The herbs used in cooking are home grown by Hmong families. After immigrating to the United States, many Hmong families...