The Latehomecomer

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Who are the Hmong as a people? What is their history? What cultural traditions do they have?

Teaching Suggestion: Readers may have learned about the Hmong people during social studies class units on the Vietnam War or from their own reading or history interests. If students do not recall learning about the Hmong, the prompt might be introduced through brief general discussion of the theme of Cultural and Familial Ties as a Source of Resilience, followed by investigation of these and similar resources for greater context before addressing the questions.

• “Who Are the Hmong?” is a short article with statistics and history from the Hmong American Peace Academy.
• “10 Things About Hmong Culture, Food, and Language You Probably Didn’t Know” from Minnesota Public Radio may serve as a brief overview for those unfamiliar with the Hmong. Hmong background, history, and connection to Minnesota are presented along with cultural details and other resources.
• This detailed timeline from the Minnesota Historical Society explores Hmong history from ancient times to the early 21st century.