A Minnesota PBS Initiative
PTSD in the Hmong Community
Arriving in the US as refugees brought one level of relief, but it also awakened other tensions. The absence of immediate trauma released long-suppressed fears and emotions. Without a direct translation for “mental health” in the Hmong language, it becomes even harder to talk about PTSD and the lingering trauma of war.
This excerpt is from Twin Cities PBS's documentary Minnesota Remembers Vietnam: America's Secret War.
Learn more at the bottom of the page.
They are still living with a war that hasn't ended for them.
Biographical Details
Submitted From: St. Paul, MN
Story Subject: Family
This story is part of the Hmong in America and
Mental Health Awareness story collections.
About Minnesota Remembers Vietnam: America's Secret War
In the shadows of the Vietnam War, the CIA conducted a secret war in Laos that relied on Hmong soldiers to prevent the threat of communism from spreading deeper into Southeast Asia. Tens of thousands died, both in the fight and in the escape. Minnesota Remembers Vietnam: America's Secret War explores the untold, turbulent history.
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Story Themes: America's Secret War, Combat, Depression, Hmong, Hmong Culture, Lee Pao Xiong, Mai Na Lee, Mental Health, PTSD, Refugee, Saint Paul, Samao Xiong, Secret War, Sia Her, St Paul
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