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STAGES OF HMONG CULTURAL ADAPTATION 19has been the most traumatic stage of all. This is thestage, of course, in which many Americans have come toknow the Hmong. The attempt to understand something ofwhat is behind the adaptations emerging in the UnitedStates requires us to look at the innovations which tookplace in the camps and, before that, in the resettlementconglomerations, in addition to examining traditionallife. Adaptation to life in America continues the processwhich has been going on through the lifetimes of theHmong who are here.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis work was aided by National Endowment for theHumanities grant #R0-20310-82 to the Southeast AsianRefugee Studies program of the University of Minnesota.I have profited by comments on an earlier draft fromBruce Downing, Lysao Lyfoung, Vang Vang and Yang Dao.NOTESII am here concerned only with modern history of theHmong, and only with developments which took place inLaos and among Hmong who were dispersed from Laos since1975. The centuries-long experience of the Hmong inChina is not included.2This is probably a Hmong pronunciation of the Lao MuongMai. The Hmong name is Zos Key Xov Hlau. The villageswere located about one third of the way between MuongSai and Muong Ngoi. Principal informant on theexperience of the Moos Plais people was Vam NtxhaisXyooj (Vas Say Xiong), headman of one of the villagesthroughout the total experienced described. His informationwas supplemented by that provided by other membersof the group.3This date is estimated by working back from Vam NtxhaisXyooj's memory of approximate times spent in subsequentlocations.4A move of about one hundred direct-line miles.31