The Latehomecomer

The book, The Latehomecomer, is a fascinating story about a Hmong family and their struggle to get out of Laos and come to America as refugees. The Hmong people are a very proud people and they do not want to forget their culture. One can clearly see that the Hmong people hold close their identity and do not want to conform to the Vietnamese way. They take pride in their culture, their society, and the way they view how government should run. Hmong people did not agree with the Vietnamese communist government and were willing to join forces and help the United States as much as possible so that they could fight for what they believed in. Even though most of the young men and boys that fought in the war died in battle or were tortured and killed after the war they still wanted to fight for their way of life and for the Hmong people. The family’s journey to the United States was not an easy one and once the family arrived here they faced much adversary as well. Once the family arrived in the United States they still faced hardships. Being away from their homeland and in an unfamiliar place was a very tough thing to adjust to. When the family was finally settled they still had to try and conform to the American lifestyle. Even though America has no laws against keeping your religion, values, and identity all people who come to America have to Americanize to a certain extent. This is good and bad. It is tough for groups, such as the Hmong to get used to living as American’s do and learning new ways, but it is also a good thing that in America people can keep most of their values and their cultural identity. I am sure it was tough for the Hmong people that were being sent here, as well as other peoples that were so culturally proud and set in their ways to have to adjust and conform a bit. The refugees coming to the United States had to learn to get jobs and speak the English Language. Even though it was tough for them to make the journey I think