The Miao of Southeast Guizhou called themselves multiple names; Hmub, Hmongb, Ghab Nus, Hmeb. Miao is an ascribed ethnic name. Hmong is an asserted ethnic name. All Hmong are Miao. Just like Cantonese people called themselves as Tang nin, but in China, they are simply Han.
@@markii5591 the Huangping Miao called themselves as Hmeb but it's pronounced as Pho. While Zhengfeng Hmub actually pronounced it as Hmub. M=B is consonant shift. Dream in Mandarin in mengxia. In Minnan, it's Biong Sang. In Hmong, it's Bo Swa (Npau Suav). mingzi becomes npe.
@@AsianAmericanGuy yes, in history... They were known mostly as Heh Miao or blk Miao, but they also were known as Qing Miao or Green Hmong too. it was latter that they were primarily labeled as black Miao due to their black clothes. These Hmub we're also known as Raw Miao in ancient China.
@@niamtxiv I don't know too much about the hmub or even of my own hmong green traditions since parents don't tend to teach and nothing is written down as I was raised in america. All I really know about the hmub is that they wear mainly black with the stripe colors and headband colors of pink or blue where a lot lives in sapa vietnam and china. Recently found out there are yellow, red, flower, blue and that we were called miao.
@@AsianAmericanGuy these labels were given to us by the Chinese. In actuality, Hmong people in China and elsewhere called each other based on regions or villages. The notion of color coded is a Chinese concept.
6:57 Your friend sounds like a millennial or a Gen Z, who was taught in school that Hmong people are "refugees from Laos" and that we're "southeast Asian". Every Hmong elders would associate with being from both SEA (as their recent homeland) and China (as their ancestral homeland). 7:40 SEA Hmong is actually intelligible with many Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi Hmong groups. In fact hmong groups in SEA can still be traced back to which group, in China, they came from. With that said, I don't think there's anything wrong with using Miao for all Hmong, when you're not using Miao in a derogatory way. I just think the Hmong in America and SEA have a lot of learning to do.
We are not a subgroup of the miao. We are one. Chinese people just like to say that "Hmong" people are just a subgroup but really We are all just one. Hmong people have subgroups so that is why chinese people like to segregate that aspect. But really all miao people are just Hmong people.
Thank you for touching on the hmong/miao ethnic. Base on my understanding speaking with my dad and grandma, for the ones who finds the term miao as derogatory are the hmong people who were affected by the war and migrated. Those who remains in China feels differently of the name. Our great great grandma used to tell us stories of her migration fleeing china with nothing but the clothes on her back and whatever she can carry wrapped in a red rag. My grandma they used to call chinese people "Shoua-pie-chee" meaning chinese that harvests the gallbladder. It was said that when they capture the hmong men they would tie them to posts in the sun so the gallbladder will swell than murder and harvest them for the bile to sell. These were stories that were passed down. Don't shoot the messenger.
I think you did wonderful explaining this subject. Miao is a name given to a group of people with similarities by the Chinese. Even all the Miao groups of china have their own term they call themselves by. The Miao groups of china have been able to accept that umbrella term, whereas for the Hmong groups outside china, it’s not that easy due to the exact reasons you mentioned. I always see a lot of Chinese people get angry that the term “Miao” has a good meaning and is not derogatory, but they don’t understand that a word that has been used in a derogatory way for so long doesn’t sound the same to us. The lack of history is very frustrating. I wished there was more to explain the origins, similarities and differences of all the Miao groups.
@@LG-nh4bshow you know? You not even live In China, Miao is not degrading word, Hmong is American spelling, Miao is China spelling, Miao = sprout , young, how's that degrading?
Thank you for clearing thing up. Growing up my dad told me Thai people used to call Hmong people Miao because they saw us as wild people who live in the mountains like cats. I think what you are saying is true and right calling Hmong people Miao is wrong and calling the Miao people Hmong is also wrong. The Hmong and Miao have separate a long time ago now we can barely understand each other and ours culture is different too.
The Thai and Lao term is actually pronounce differently. They say Meo instead of Miao. Meo ends in a rising pitch and the later ends in a flat pitch. (Mee-el vs. Mee-yao)
This is actually wrong. They only call themselves Miao when they are speaking Mandarin/Cantonese. When they are speaking in hmong, they call themselves Hmoob. Same as when you refer yourself as Hmong, you are speaking English. If you speak hmoob, you refer to yourself as hmoob. Since we are speaking, typing and making youtube vidoes in English, Hmong should be used. If you don't believe me that Hmong Chinese call themselves Hmoob, go watch a video on them when they are speaking hmoob. They will refer to themselves as hmoob and not Miao.
To me as long as there's exact similarities in culture, traditions, and linguistics between the 2 --- Hmong and Miao are one and the same family tree. "Miao" is just the Chinese word for the Hmong. As for "Miao" being labeled as a derogatory term (which is quite a theory and controversial). I don't believe "Miao" was ever a negative term for the Hmong people, but rather an adopted and accepted word in one of many early human Chinese ancient literature, otherwise the Miao people in China would've never accept the word "Miao" if they knew it was derogatory (obviously). It was the Vietnamese and Lao used the term "meo" that was derogatory against the Hmong. Why do you think Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand don't like the Hmong people and wanted them out of their country, whereas China was the opposite. All Hmong are Miao no matter how you look at it. I think the problem here is that because sooooo much time have passed ever since the Hmong people have migrated out of China and disperse all over the world, that Hmong Americans (especially White Hmong) aren't used to accepting and being called "Miao", even though "White Hmong" is literally part of "Miao" term to describe what Miao really is. I'm White Hmong living in America and we have EXACT similarities just like the many Miao in China. So why is it so hard for the White Hmong in America to accept that? There's no such thing as a "White Hmong" race in itself and a "Miao" race in itself. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Exactly. After all that's what "Miao" is describe for. So realistically speaking, it's all the Hmong (Miao) people (especially White Hmong) outside of China who have truly lost their roots...
Dismantling why the Han people call the Miao people Miao （苗） . it is well known that Chinese has pictographic and ideographic attributes. Miao people worship cattle. 艹 the pictographic aspect looks like the horns of a cow, and the ideographic aspect has plant meanings. in the 21st century, Internet terms have a new meaning. according to the pronunciation attribute, the pinyin system of 艹 is “cao”, which is equivalent to “fuck”！ 田 is a pictographic attribute in Chinese, which means farmland, and the Miao people are also a farming nation just like the Han people. The upper and lower structures of the 艹 and 田 form the 苗（Miao） characters. 苗 is an ideographic attribute in Chinese, which has the meaning of a young plant that has not yet bloomed and fruited. and the meaning of the heirs. The ancient Han people used the name 苗 to call the Miao people, which is actually quite reasonable.
In the US, Meo end up being the popular term for the Hmong. Meo, Miao and Hmong are all used as synonyms. For instance, check Joseph Westermeyer's 1970s studies on opium and alcohol consumption between the Meo from Laos, or even John Kramer's "Speculations on the Nature and Pattern of Opium Smoking" (1979). It refers to them as Meo and uses Miao and Hmong as synonyms.
I tend to disagree in a way. Some Chinese literature do define the word Miao into certain things in Chinese but the word Mhong can't be defined into anything anywhere. I believe that only the word Hmong (should be Mhong) should be used to identify them because the name of any one group of people all over the world is a proper noun and is undefined. one can't define "American" for example.
Actually the Miao people, particularly scholars who are actual Hmongs agree that they are actually Hmong and the term Miao was the name given to them by the Chinese to cover a broard groups of people that have not aligned themselves with the Chinese, not just the Hmong.
Well! Those who do research about the hmong people why don't they ask the hmong people in China do they preffer to themselves Miao or Hmong But when I greet them hmong in china, they told me personally they said " we're hmong just like you" They said just because the han chinese people can NOT pronounce the name correctly, just because it was written in text book as Miao, so they just accepted, but they call themselves hmong just like us in other part of the world. They told me they've never call themselves " Miao" base on my own experience visiting hmong in china.
It's normal, this is just how language works, a byproduct of history and circumstances. Miao is a term from another language. Like Chinese people call China Zhongguo, and "China" is actually a foreign term. But the name just stayed and it makes no sense to force all foreigners to call China how the Chinese call it.
Hello Jared :) I recently come across your amazing video about defining the correct term of ((( Miao or Hmong ))) I was quite excited :) With all due respect, I did not speak for everyone and I'm not a professor...hehe :) Base on my opinion how I feel with the terminology of ((( Miao or Hmong ))) :( I was very selective of certain tones and how I feels when people pronounced names or said things incorrect in certain ways so :) Deep down within my heart I feel that Hmong was the correct term :) Miao was a slang & a harsh tone to be named :( When I was a kid in South East Asia(( Laos)) our elders stated that nice people will called you a Hmong person but a foe likely will name you a Miao person instead :( My personal experienced when I've arrived in the United States and this occurred at work with a coworker (( a Laotian person )) and I bumped into each other in the parking lot for a strange reason he looked unhappy and he used a slang and harsh tone as I mentioned above at me :( My sincere conclusion with this video I think that Hmong would sounds much appropriate rather than Miao :( Please no offense :) 🤔🤔🤔🤔
I’m Hmong, a descendant from the Hmong folks who fled from China and settled down in South East Asia before the Vietnam war. I don’t get offended over someone calling me Miao for linguistic reasons, historical reasons, cultural reasons, or whatever else, but I understand why other fellow Hmong do not like being associated with it and I respect it. Personally, as a history junkie and language addict who is learning Mandarin Chinese at the moment, the core reason why I call myself Hmong Miao by choice is because I’m taking all the linguistic, historical, and cultural aspects in as a whole to be as descriptive as I can be. Even if you try to frame the term in a derogatory light against me, in a playful way for banter or an actual insulting light, I don’t really care. If you wanna be that way, I’ll go down that route with you to play your game as well, and that’s fine by me. *_TLDR:_* It’s perfectly fine to use the term Miao in a linguistic, cultural, and historical context, especially if you’re diving into those subjects. However, if you genuinely wanna have Hmong friends, I would advise avoiding the usage of Miao and respect their wishes if they don’t wanna associate themselves with it. Never assume. *_Using Miao in a case by case basis would be a wise move on your journey to have Hmong friends._* I think that’s fair.
Hmong is Hmong. Dont settle for anything less. Thats why the world doesnt respect us as one people. Too many cooks in the kitchen, no leader, and too much substitute teachers
@@CapoKabar I am not settling for less. I’m taking everything about us in. Can’t for settle anymore than that. You are welcome not to, but eventually you’re gonna have to own up to what you are. Personally, I just like cutting to the chase. Hmong or Miao? Doesn’t matter. We’re all under the same tribe no matter when or where we’re born. It’s ok to accept that.
@@MiaobuMiao Wrong. That is why we dont have a country--that same attitude. It is inevitable that we all become wandering nomads. We are many many centuries behind in knowledge when compared to China and Japan. I have come to accept that our ancestors were morons and cowards. We’re the leftover cockroaches who survived. So do what you want since it wont matter anyway
@@CapoKabar Well with that attitude, you have no right to cry about anything then. Be bitter about the past if you wish but do not be surprised when your fate is unfavorable and expect people to feel sorry for you when you hold yourself back. There are people like me who accept the past and will rise above it cus it actually does matter. We are born with a purpose this life and have many more to come next life and all life after. Get that corruption out of your heart toward the past, shaming your own bloodline, and your people by equating us to cockroaches, brother. You’ll pay for it one day.
@@MiaobuMiao You are a cockroach. The truth hurts. You have no impact on asian society whatsoever. You dont know what you think you know, yet am proud to call yourself a Miao. History is written by the winners. The chinese have destroyed Hmong history already and your mind, something your feeble mind has no capacity to deduce. You need people like me to wake you the hell up. Assimilate in the country you live and become one with that culture. If you dont, cockroaches wont survive by themselves.
I'I am a descendant of Hmong people who fled China, Now we live in Viet Nam, so I often feel discriminated against if called Meo. Of course in Vietnam they also call us that, because they imitate China or some Older generations of Hmong people call themseflf like that. but today's youth mostly don't call themselves that anymore.
You are right, Sir. Your description is acceptable and neutral in terms of the ethnonym Hmong and Miao. In fact, Miao is a broader group of which the Hmong are part. As a Hmong/Miao person I am not particularly offended if I am called a Miao, that depends on the context and the caller's intent. I have an experience when a non-Hmong person referred to a group of beggars on the street in Eastern Europe as 'like those Hmong in our country' that offended me.
While there are minor issues with your video, I agree with most of it. However, there is a large issue that i need to address and that's when you stated that there's no connection between the Hmong in SEAsia and the Miao back in China. The facts are there is a language and DNA continuum between the groups, meaning that they definitely are related peoples.
Just to let you know, I don't want to get into the term miao or Hmong but my uncle, grand parents always tells us youngers that doesn't matter what country that is as long as if we see an ethnic that play the hmong qeej (the flute or clarinet) then they are the same as us. No others play the qeej except us Hmong and laos and thai. But their is different than our and it's very distinguished. That's how we identify us hmong. For the younger hmoob, they might not know where we Hmong origin from. But we original from china to Vietnam then to laos and Thailand. When someone die, tus txiv qhuab ke always having a ceremony to tell the dead spirit to go back all the way to china to reincarnation. The miao term that the chinese gave to the minorities in china back then was to distinguish the rebellion minorities that fights against the chinese that's how that term miao came from. Historians chinese knows it well.
Your obviously from america where you just know of hmong white and hmong green, the hmong mein is the same just mein added into it why you think there is a such thing as flower hmong and black hmong. We very well still live on the same mountains in southeast asia and on the same streets of america since the day we left china but you must not know because all you wanna do is make friends with people who speak the language you understand. My grandma a hmong thai citizen for being someone who doesn't know about social media or that internet exists she very well answered all the questions on point of what the internet is saying no different. She knew of china miao that they are hmong shee that they are hmong too, miao is what the thai call us.
Two SIMILAR groups in culture got grouped together by the Hans Chinese back in the day.. and now there is confusion between the groups. In conclusion Hmong & Miao is similar in culture and different in language.
It’s like calling someone an investigator when they are a detective. They both mean the same thing. Hmong people have been called Miao for hundreds if not thousands of years.
@@asdpoqwer3727 , The word Miao is a positive word to the Chinese with a long history of agriculture! A child with good potential is praised as a good miao.
Thank you for the nice video and explanation. Hmong and Miao are the same. "Miao" is not derogatory name. It is the Chinese language called "Seed." People from Southwest China are Hmong.
Actually... the elders considered it derogatory because at the beginning they were being called "Yao" which means monster in chinese. Somehow it ended up miao probably due to the fact that the Hans didn't know what to call us.
You are so proud of the term why don't you refer to yourself as Miao? Hmong in the west, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam are not accepting the term because Miao is derogatory name for us.
Look at the term Han. All Han ethnic groups also go by different self asserted names. Cantonese people don't even call themselves Han. Same like Hakka people. Hmong people is part of the larger Western Miao branch. The Miao Nationality are broken to Eastern, Central and Western. All Hmong outside China belong to the Western Miao, although there are Central Miao speakers in Vietnam and now in the United States.
the contonese or other southeastern chinese are not real chinese. these people adopted the people from yellow river cultures that is why they become chines. hmong call these contonese people SUAV QHUAS NEES.
@@4LeeXa Suav Quas Nees refer to Haw Chinese aka Hui Chinese merchants of Yunnan that migrated between Yunnan and southeast Asia. In fact, Hmong entered SEA following the Haw Chinese. Suav Quas Nees does not refer to Cantonese. There's little relationship between Cantonese and Hmong. Cantonese have a relationship with Mienh because it was the Cantonese that gave Mienh people the Iu as in Iu-Mienh.
I made a friend from Xinjiang China she was part of the hui people. I used to teach her English and she would teach me mandarin but she always mentioned the Han Chinese kids used to make fun of her since she was Muslim and had to wear a scarf everyday to school/university.
@@AsianAmericanGuy Meanwhile the Han kids' families probably only migrated there in the past few decades or a century or so at most. Hui have been in Xinjiang for over a thousand years.
The term Miao encapsulates multiple related ethnic groups such as the Hmu, Xong, and Hmong. All of which share similarities and differences. In my opinion it’s irresponsible and borderline appropriative to call them one name. Either only acknowledging one of the groups or using a general term, it blurs the lines and erases any historical, cultural, and lingual differences between the groups. It’s perfectly fine to acknowledge the similarities but to only talk about them and not the blatant differences is irking. Opting to just call them how they want to be called is arguably better than using a generalizing, non-native term or calling them something they don’t identify with. But you’re allowed to feel how you want.
Not really considering he's referring to people in China that identify with the label and not those outside of China that don't. I'm not Chinese in China but Zhong Guo Zen, but in the US I accept that Chinese is the English equivalent for my background. Using your logic then you can't use China or Chinese because we don't call ourselves that in our language.
I'm part Hmong American myself, and I will always refer to my heritage as Hmong. The word Miao never even came up in discussions about my heritage within my family, to the point which I never even knew the greater Miao ethnic family existed until my own online research.
I am sorry, but the word Miao 苗 is never associated with cats meowing. The word Miao etymologically means the young shoots of rice plants or other beneficial plants. Miao is never used to describe young shoots of weeds. Thus Miao is also used to mean promising youngsters. It is a positive term in this sense. Another proof that Miao 苗 is a positive term is that it is also a surname, common in the province of Shandong.
Hmong people ain't even Miao 😂 Hmong people only dressed in all black when they migrated to Southern China. These miao girls mated with SEA male and the Miao guys are all extinct already 😢
Miao, Hmong, I am both! I don’t find the word Miao offensive at all. And I’m a refugee from Thailand. I am proud to be either or! Sometimes a word is harmful because we give meaning to it! Consider caub fab, it is a term to make fun of the Hmong who rebellion in the jungle, now it comes to be accepted as a powerful word that represents our courages!
You're not taking any offense to being called Miao because you probably experience another person using it towards you in a derogatory way. I've experienced it first hand from Chinese people and Laos people. It doesn't feel good or proud when they use it towards you in a derogatory way, referring to you as an animal. You must have lived a very sheltered life or been lucky enough not to be around people to use the word Miao as a derogatory term towards you. Or maybe you may be clueless as to how they said it towards you. But, the majority of Hmong elders that came from Laos has had many fights and issues with being referred to as Miao. If you don't believe me. You can go ask someone who lived and came from Laos.
You can’t accept the word and think that it’s a good word? It’s just like the white Americans calling the blacks people the N-word? People can say that you can used a word that means something bad and try to make it a good word? It’s still a bad word, no matter how hard you try to ignore it!!!
@mixayyang4127 This woman is ignorant and willing to be belittled because she is oblivious to her protected little life. She probably thinks it's a compliment when they call her Miao or Meo. She enjoys being the animal that she is. Lmao 🤣 Ignorance makes her life a bliss. You can't fix or cure stupid. It's a choice.
Wow. Great job! My great-grandfather is from China. I grew up hearing stories of how he lived and lived in moutains. I don't know if he was a Yao or Miao. But I heard he was pretty cool. But anyways, thanks for researching on the topic.
As a Hmong who grew up in the U.S or West and has visited China a few times. The word Miao is accepted as Hmong in China to the Hmong there. I spent two months in Yunnan and met many Hmong people from Gizhou provinces working in Yunnan. Many Miao think Miao is Hmong and Miao is the largest people under the Miao name. Some Miao people who are not really Miao will say they are a different people, but was labled Miao because it was suitable for the Chinese to lable them under a larger group of people. If you ask them personally they will say they are a different people. The Miao will say they are Miao like the Hmong in the West. Also, in the Chinese Mandarin language it is not natural to say Hmong, but it's natural to say Miao and that is how the word Miao evolved from. Outside of China use the word Hmong would be correct.
Thank you Jared. I agree with you that we really just may never know. As a Hmong American, I believe many of us are ignorant because there really is no solid evidence of our history as you stated. Many people would like to identify all Miao groups as Hmong when it is actually reversed. I visited xijiang village in 2007 and although the Miao people there share a similar history and culture to us Hmong/miao people, they’re not the same as the Miao people in the yunnan province who actually identify themselves as Miao and Hmong. All subgroups underneath the term “Miao” share the same language family and it’s what differs us from the other ethnic minorities groups in China but each Miao subgroup (Hmong, qo Xiong, A Hmao) speaks their own language. It’s hard to label a person based on their Chinese nationality since you may run across an A Hmao or Qo Xiong person living outside of China who doesn’t identify as Hmong at all. Although I can guarantee that nearly all Miao people that were dispersed from China are the Hmong/Miao people from the yunnan province. Despite not really having a connection to China, it is where our roots lay deeply and people often forget that our ancestors only left China a few centuries ago.
No evidence, the only evidence you need is that they look like your people where you think you came from mongolia? Mongols have small eyes and cheeky cheek bones mongols dont look like us do your research.
@@AsianAmericanGuy we’re from China, not Mongolia. There is evidence that we came from China but there is not enough evidence to show that all the miao people in China are Hmong.
@@AsianAmericanGuy in the video, Jared said that his friend doesn’t not want to be called Miao because the correct term is called Hmong. All I’m saying is that the correct term for our people is Hmong but it is not correct for all Miao people because there are many branches of ethnicities under the term Miao. Please don’t be rude, no one really knows our exact history because there is nothing written down for us to understand. We’re all learning here.
@@mlee3954 so you gonna teach me what a hmong is or what they look like. You need to look up more miao videos and tell me if they're facials look vietnamese, han chinese or more like yours and mines.
my dad told me that originally, Hmong were from further up north in the mountains which caused a lot of us to be albino (that &/or, I think, it could be b/c having multiple children and bound to have one with recessive genes being dominant), and we gradually made our way to China and then of course as you stated from research spread out though mainly southeast asia.
I just wanted to share insight of what I was shared, not to say anything you’ve stated in this video was wrong (actually is what I learned as well). Thank you, btw, for a lovey informative video ☺️
well “yes” in that for generations made sure not to marry immediate blood relatives (like first cousins etc) but majority of Hmong have married other Hmong so bound for us to be somewhat related to each other
@@divinelymoowah6104 I haven't seen a young albino Hmong. I think the inbreds are more or less related to older generations. Young moobs look stronger. I notice the boomer Chinese looks very inbred and look bad after 30.
The recessive gene usually shows up with sorta bright dirty blonde hair and very light brown eyes. With lighter skin. I've seen varieties of the gene. Either brown hair/sorta blonde, light brown eyes and very pale in comparison to what one thinks a hmong person looks like.
Amazing that in 2020s, Hmong people are still confused and don't understand the nomenclature. Hmong are miao, but not all miao are hmong. Whiskey is liquor, but not all liquor is all whiskey. We can also take it further and say Bourbon whiskey is whiskey, but not all whiskey is Bourbon. There are actual Hmong in China. They are the very same brethren as the Hmong in Laos, Thailand, USA, Australia, France, etc. Beyond that, any other similar Miao groups in China ARE NOT Hmong no matter how close they seem. The reason people keep pushing this idea is because of propaganda to attempt to make the Hmong in the West, the ones who were directly affected by the CIA and Vietnam War, as "the chosen people". I'm not going to get into that or people might come after me and my family.
What? There's some gray areas? Almost as if they were fleeing from war and knowledge was lost in time. Its 2024, gee I can't believe the catholic church doesn't know what Jesus had for dessert on his 5th meal on Thursday
Like in evolution, we can be traced back to a common ancestoral group that split into multiple subgroups; each group continued on their own path into what it is today.
The Chinese term Miao 苗族。It is not a derogatory term; but it becomes a derogatory after it is being translated into English. As a Chinese/Cantonese myself, I found out Miao inside China looks different from Hmong in the Southeast Asia.
@youtuberx199 - You're 100% right, we know that Hmong is one sub-group of the term Miao. The term consisted with many ethnic groups in one, but they all have their own names. I believe that no ethnic in this group call themselves Miao.
@@youtuberx199 you say that? If you want to make a comparison with the Chinese from America and the one who actually in China? They’re very different as well.
I’m actually going to be doing conversation video on this topic soon. If you want to see, let me know. Also, would you mind if I use your video for future commentary?
@@jaredtlp5172 I finally made a video on this topic with my new channel. Thank you so much for allowing me to use this video. I truly appreciate it. I also apologize for the confusion of my people that happened on your channel. Thank you so much again.
Jared, great video. Most of the people who are sensitive to the term "Miao" are usually the elderly who cling steadfastly to the collective historical "pain" our ancestors experienced in China and S.E. Asia. With that said, you are correct on all counts. Chinese Hmong do consider themselves Miao gleefully. However, please note that Hmong-Americans under age 50 make up more than 80% of the U.S. community. So, most of us don't share the sentiment of our elders. As a matter of fact, we are embracing our Chinese heritage.
Great research & I agree with the majority of your perspectives. My grandfather who is a retired head clan leader of one of the last names of the Hmong people (Kong, Soung), spoke of how Hmong people inhabited China during the Ming/Qing dynasty era. The Hmong/Miao later became absorbed & assimilated as Han during the Han dynasty, after the death of the Hmong/Miao/Han leader Chiyou. The Chinese then persecuted the Hmong people (not only because of war & politics but of genetics in they naturally bore blonde hair & blue eyed children), which led some of the persecuted Hmong to migrate towards Laos. Being warrior & nomadic in nature, the Hmong people lived in the mountains if not remaining in China. Those who stayed in China(& other areas) started to morph,switch & create dialects from black/white/green(other colors etc. of) Hmong, to hide or adapt/assimilate to civilian life. There was a political/war exodus towards Laos to Thailand, due to genocide of the Hmong people with their involvement of the Vietnam War. The United States of America & French CIA recruited the Hmong to fight the Vietcong/Communism because of their knowledge of the mountainous & deep jungled landscapes of Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia. During this "Secret War", the United States of America & French allied with General Vang Pao(who also fought with the french prior to aiding with Vietnam War). Losing the war against Communist Vietcong forces, the U.S. forces pulled out following the French forces which lead to them bringing the Hmong veterans &people as refugees towards France & America during the 1970's & 1980's. Some Hmong fled to Myanmar, Indochina & others remained in the Thailand (remnants fled or stayed hidden within the mountainous ranges during "Fall of Saigon".) I personally never identified as the Miao/Meow term. But being first generation born in the United States of America, I can understand the ignorance(or reluctant acceptance) of the western perspective of the umbrella term Miao instead of Hmong. I think you hit the mark on referring to Hmong as Miao, when referring to Indochinese Hmong. Funny parallels can be drawn with the term "Miao" (with the Hmong) & the "n" word (with the African Americans). Similarities of negative/derogatory terms can become common/accepted with time, usage -- or rejected because of knowledge & ignorance of terms. If the sprouts/saplings/seedlings(miao) of knowledge you researched & shared helps people become informed, then they can be enlightened to either accept or reject these terminologies. History has a way of repeating itself with ignorance :) & again,love the content & time you put into clarifying your perspective on this topic
In my opinion, I would rather be referred as Hmong in the west or in Southeast Asia. In our home language of China, we are known as Hmong or other names such as Hmu or Xong, depending on the dialect. The name appears to have evolved from a single name into multiple dialects. Western Miao (Hmong), central Miao (Hmu), and eastern Miao (Xong) are the three groups of Miao in China. Of course, there are more, but these three appear to be the most numerous among Miaos. Guizhou Miao are the central Miao (Hmu). Yunnan, Sichuan, parts of Guizhou, Guangxi, and Western + SeaAsia are the (Hmong) western Miao branch. Hunan Miao are the Eastern Miao (Xong). To me Miao will always be a derogatory term. When I communicate with the Hmong in China I just call them by their native name(s). Thank you for this video!
There has to be a name that unifies people of similar cultures and languages you know. Do you understand why there’s a group called Latino, or Nordic people or Germanic?
Wow is very interesting Iam Hmong too i will belive My grand grand parents have cross the yellow river Is over ten thousand years ago We still to search again
Jared TLP - Hmong is a part of the term Miao ( Miao is just a given name ). I do not believe that there is an ethnic group who is really Miao. In public these people would say or may say they're Miao, but in private they have their own identity terms, such as they're the Qo Xiong people, Hmu people, Hmao people, Hmong people, and some other minority groups. But they might have no objection when Chinese rulers named them Miao.
More appropriate modern term would be miaozu. hmong is a sub tribe. South East asian migrant from western miaozu. There are countless of miao tribes. You cannot group them with hmong. By calling all miao hmong you are now assuming all miao are similar to hmong lao community which is wrong. Eastern miao is different from western and central. Different dialect and distinct customs and practices. Similar to how Dogs come from wolves but wolves don't come from dogs. Besides, hmong people probably originally called themselves miao but as dialect changed it started sounding more like mong. Which isn't far off in sounding. Imagine a person with speech problem saying miao and mong. It would sound the same. Also, hmong people still call mien people Yao in their Language. It may not sound like how Americans say it but if you listen to it closely they are saying closer to Yao nothing like mien. The reason we say hmong now us because hmong laos speak with air nasal air so the H sound got created before the M. Imagine if hmong laos don't have that H sound. It sounds just like Miao
The hmong people that won't except miao as family are self racist hmong. You may not like the name miao . I can understand. But excluding them from the hmong family is wrong and hateful.
I mean….. even tho our parents came from Laos or Thailand. we clearly understand that we’re not Laotian or Thai people at all. On a side note we also understand that Laos and Thailand isn’t really our homeland. Which indicate these people “ Miao “ who kind of look like us and traditionally dress like us “ Hmong “ we gotta be them but in a southeast Asian way 😂 but I saw a video of them “ Miao “ speaking and singing, it completely threw me off because it’s completely different. Even the BLACK HMONG in Vietnam speak slightly different. I also heard mien and lahu were hmong also… what’s going on here 😂
That is called dialect. Becuase people could not travel easily in ancient days. In ancient China, there was no unified spoken language. Depends where you live, mountains and hills prevented human to travel. Two villages will have different spoken languages and could not communicate with each other. In 1912, republic of China announced Beijing dialect whcih is mandrain as official language of China. You should go to China, to visit different Miao tribes, to see which one has exact same spoken language as yours, then you will find your root.
There are differences between miao and hmong. Miao don't own the Hmong title and Hmong dont own the title of miao. When hmong were not recognized as HMONG in China the government assimilate them into Miao. Hmong people dont have horns for decoration but only of miao decent. Was there a time when they were definitely one people? Definitely. Some hmong praise the Emperor Huangdi and some gone off with Chiyou. That's when the differentiation started to diverge and hmong became Mong and Miao became miao or Maab. That's why some of your parent would tell you that some of your relatives gone to marry Maab people and would always tell you that they're not part of hmong people although the clothes and culture are close. That's because we've assimilated for thousands of years. Maab or Miao are of Chinese-sided community and Hmongs/Mong was never recognized in their systen and was to wipe out the existence of Mong.
Being called Miao is fine to me. But it's important to note that in contemporary times the Hmong are still very distinct from the Ah Hmao and others grouped into the Miao ethnicity + vice versa. We've only been grouped together by the government within the last century. Calling us all Miao becomes problematic as it can eventually erase these distinctions. Ultimately, it comes down to who gets to define our history and communities. Our oral history from within our communities ? Or Chinese records which aren't clear anyway? 🧐 Hmong Americans have already adopted a lot of Ah Hmao history as their own. This could be considered a great cultural sharing but on the other side it contributes to an erasure of a people.
The Hmong are a free people. My Grandfather always said that those who fought the Qing and were not willing to be oppressed fled to Southeast Asia to preserve their freedoms. That's when the separation happened. The Miao that stayed in China and the Hmong have already started going their own genetic paths. The Hmong in Southeast Asia now have Southeast Asian blood, as well as the Hmong that have migrated to the US. Though we trace our roots back to China and the original Miao groups, we were now Hmong. In the same way that Americans were once British.
Great explanation and research of the term of Miao in regards to Hmong. Anyone especially a Hmong who is still confused about Miao and Hmong after this video/explanation then it is pointless.
Hello, dear Mr Jared!.Thank you a lot for talking about this controversial matter , in order to instruct all the 90% people who ignored realities & historical truth! I'm Miao and am careless about this stupid & dull controversy, useless & loosing time!.Globally, Miao is a historical Chinese word, to name all the similar ethnic group of Miao people,- better, AN Ascribed & Asserted Ethnic Name( "Tshav-Ntuj-Nrig")-, living in China, since the Antiquity to nowadays; Hmong is a languistic term of one of the Souithern Miao Ethnic & to name solely herself, not the whole '"4 or 5" Miao Ethnic Group. All the rest of the contoversy is better to keep in Trash. Further truth and real theory on Miao ethnic study, See Mrs ZHANG Xiao-Mei's study ( 2002?). "Pejorative"or what else, there is meaningless!. Hakka & Cantonese or/and Huaxia, in fact, are not belonging to the same Ethnic Group, but culturally & historically, they all belong to the Han Ethnic Group, without belonging to the same real Ethnic Group, for HAN is not an Ethnic name, but a dynastic one; unlike the Miao Ethnic Group, which has really a "Common ehtnic Caracteritics"meaning( See ZHANG Xiao-Mei; 2002?). Intrinsec quality is important!. Thank a lot!. Paris, France( 15 Jan.2022)
Native Americans would never allow one clan to represent the various others. Americans wouldn't allow that either. Likewise, if one wants to identify with communist China verbiage, you could accurately identify as Miao Hmong, Miao HMU, Miao Xiongu, etc. The clans need separation as to give proper respect. It is my observation via social media that communist China wants to equate ALL Miao under Hmong label (Miao =Hmong). I don't see a problem with giving Hmong this honor, but apparently not all Miao clans/tribes wish to identify as Hmong. Also, if China wants to label all Miao as Hmong, they should just use our correct identifier and not make up an identity for Hmong people (as it's an ongoing failed attempt to erase us). My 5 cents only.❤🇺🇸💕
What does "Miao" mean in Chinese? We call ourselves "hmong" which means "free men." So, depending on what that word means according to the Chinese, we can determine if it's a derogatory term for us or not. As for the comments about other asians such as the lao, thai, vietnamese, etc. calling us derogatory names, we/I can care less about their opinion because they don't know the whole history. History is written by the "winner" so for all we know, our country could have been taken over by the Chinese just like the Americans taking over the Native American Indian lands. All our scripts/texts could have been burned and all we have left is the clothes on our backs and the elders to tell us who we are.
I considered myself Hmong, not Miao and I will be offended by it if someone tries to call me Miao. The Chinese word "Miao" is just an umbrella term given by the Chinese government to categorize several indigenous groups that are clustered around Southern China. Some aren't even Hmong. The Chinese refused to recognized the term Hmong, so why should we summit to their demand? While the term Miao is accepted in a China, the term Hmong is accepted everywhere else. I have cousins in China. In fact three of them are in America now (married to Hmong Americans) and they explained that the term Miao was forced upon them during the 40s and that they will always identify as Hmong to you unless you're non-Hmong (only than they would identify as Miao). You can ask any elders today, not just in America, and they will always tell you that they have always called themselves Hmong. While it is important that we shouldn't push our agenda on those in China, it is absolutely WRONG to try to push every Hmong outside of China to accept the term Miao. The term is and has always been derogatory dating as far back as 600 BCE. To understand its negative connotation you'll have to study the Chinese history. Even as far back as 2000 BCE, the Huaxia (Ancient Hans) had always view themselves as superior and the outsiders surround them as "Barbarians." I find it very disgusting that the term Miao is popping up on government forms in California. And I bet someone in the community is trying to influence the younger generation to accept that term. The older generations did not fight for decades if not centuries to be identified correctly just so we can cycle back to that term. Whoever puts that term there, you should be shame of yourself for shoving the older generation's hard work under the rug. The clan leaders along with Yang Dao and Vang Pao met with officials in Southeast Asia in the 70s on it to ensure we would be called by our native name, Hmong rather than a term given to us by the Chinese. I really feel sorry for those who try to accept the term Miao. You should be ashamed of yourself and go apologize to Pobzeb Vaj.
Actually if you ask any of the Miao people they will ALL claim themselves as “Hmoob” if speaking to them in “Hmong” regardless of their dialect…. IF YOU ask if they’re Miao, they’ll definitely say yes bc that’s what everyone know them as. Miao, specifically in the Paj Tawb Lag region, they speak almost the same dialect as the Hmong in Laos/Thai/Vietnam/USA with just slightly different accent and definitely they all have adapted words from where they’re from… Even though some indigenous Miao clan in China don’t speak similar to us, their clothing, embroideries, and culture is very similar to us… Some may even say Hmong actually originated from Tibet/Mongolia… Mongolian actually practice shamanism very similar to the Hmong people too! I would take offense if anyone called me Miao but I wouldn’t go around telling people I’m Miao either. Miao is just a broad term used to categorize the different Hmong subgroups by China but if you asked me…. All of the Miao people in China are just Hmong people who speaks different dialects due to separation. When groups split off into many subgroups, their languages are start to differentiate from one another also but the root of the Hmong people is the same if that makes sense lol.
@@yapsiauwsoengie6507They change and adapt to the region they migrate to. They're unique from group to group. Some won't accept the name because for them it's derogatory. It doesn't mean Hmong Chinese's culture is better than Hmong from other countries.
From all the elders that ive heard stories from, all the backstory about the miao/hmong king Chiyou to the Zhou dynasty were told in that same chronological order too. Most of the origin stories ive heard sound about the same really. There's no proof of this, cause the hmong people had to blend in with the chinese back in the day to avoid being persecuted after losing their nation to China. A mexican friend of mine said, in comparison, the Hmong and Miao are like what Hispanics and Latinos are to each other. lol
You have to read the history of China to understand the history better, as it is long and complex. Moreover, China has ancient books and records which can be referred to.
@@chrisoher , You may search the Internet for history of Miao in English language. One can understand better by reading Chinese literature, with no loss in translation.
Miao was a derogatory word until recently. During the cultural revolution they groups several ethnic group into Miao that disagree with it but now accept it. However recent scholar agree those groups should be taken out. They don't share the same history or cultural beliefs.
Miao was never a derogatory term. Only in Vietnamese and Lao, Meo was considered as cat or derogatory term. Miao is an ascribed term used by Chinese. Hmong is now interchangeable as many Miao groups accepted Hmong. Miao is just the Chinese pronunciation of Hmong. Mandarin was an official language of Ming. Prior, Miao was pronounced more like Mao, Miaun or Miu. The word Barbarian in Chinese are Man and Yi.
State your recent scholars because some of those "scholars" you claimed also claimed that Moob aka Moob Ntsuab and Moob Lees were not Hmong, but Mong. This was well known when Moob nationalists argued that they were not Hmoob.
@@niamtxiv there are documentation that show some groups don't belong in the group. But since you're the expert. You can do the research and prove me wrong.
@@moev6460 like what? Of course, Hainan Miao were believe to be Yao, but they themselves do not see themselves as Yao. Who are we to say who's Hmong and who's not though? The Hmong that wear Lao clothes now, or the Hmong that speak Vietnamese or the Hmong Americans that only know English... What makes a Hmong person? The issues of the Hainan Miao have been discussed. They themselves stated that some of their ancestors were indeed Yao while other were Miao. You have the Cao Miao, whom ancestors were Miao, but they adopted a Tai language. It's quite complicated.
The term miao is completely derogatory. The modern interpretation of the word miao is a "seedling" as if still needing to grow which is similar with how the Han-Chinese used to differentiate beween "cooked" miao or "raw" miao, basically "barbarians" which had or had not assimiliated into the majority Han culture. To say that the people in China accept the term miao also hides the fact that they don't refer to themselves that and in order for them to receive government assistance, they HAVE to group themselves into this umbrella term. The hilltribes of China are a huge cultural tourist attraction that brings in millions of dollars into the Chinese economy from both internal and foreign visitors. The Chinese government helps fund these events because of the economic benefits but in order for the HMoob -Suav to get access to these funds, they have to say they are miao, the official Chinese designation. Basically, the term is being asserted onto them rather than they claiming the name. Whereas the HMoob asserted that they be called such rather than accepting some other name some other group placed onto them. I don't refer to the HMoob-Chinese as miao because of this. I don't like calling them HMoob either since many don't claim that name (partly because HMoob are a subgroup of a larger overall group) but without knowing their preferred name, I simply use HMoob-Suav (HMoob-Chinese). As an aside, knowing that these large events are basically tourist attractions, and HMoob-Suav are basically put into these as performers, I wonder how much of these "customs" are actual customs and not some made up BS to awe and wow visitors. Seems almost equivalent to blackface to me.
2000 years of displacement and prosecution could have created the loss of their origins. in the southeastern asian refugee communities i saw, even within three generations, there are so much collective memories that didn't make it to the next generations.
I am hmong. When I first learn about Miao it really hard for me to believe that hmong and Miao are the same group. I feel that hmong and Miao are two different groups. Even now it still very hard for me to believe that Hmong are Miao
There are lots different ethnic groups got categories into Miao..Hmong its one of those ethnic got categories into it because we all dress similarity…lots people don’t bother to study it or pay attention
Hi Jaret JLT, These Asia and SE Asia people usually call other people a name or names differ term from the real names while they all of them call their own term. Therefore, Miao consisted nearly 10 ethnic groups altogether in China. The question is that would the Chinese Authorities agree officially to let these ethnics to go by their real names.
Hmong vs Miao Conditioning is the worst enemy of one’s identity. Take, for example, my name: Maas Yaaj, pronounced MAHN YAAN. In English, it is often spelled Mang Yang and pronounced accordingly. However, I understand that first impressions are crucial, particularly in how I introduce myself. I've observed that people with difficult-to-pronounce names often have their names mispronounced without much effort to correct it. So, why should I conform to societal norms that disregard the proper pronunciation of my name, given to me at birth? Therefore, I began to introduce myself using the correct pronunciation, as intended by my parents, not by how others think it should be said. The origin of the Hmong has been obscured over time, and its mystery remains intriguing. Some argue that the Hmong were indigenous to China, while others believe we came from elsewhere. In one such debate, when the Chinese encountered the Hmong, they described us as a group of hairy cave dwellers with unfamiliar dialects, coining the term Miao to describe what they considered a barbaric people. This is akin to Columbus calling Native Americans "Indians," mistakenly believing he had reached India, or the Sámi of Finland, Sweden, and Norway preferring not to be called Lapp. Even Thailand was once known as Siam, leading to the derogatory term Siamese twins for conjoined twins, regardless of their origin. When people do not understand the words they use, they perpetuate derogatory statements. Miao is an all-encompassing term with negative connotations, making it difficult to accept because society has been conditioned to see it as acceptable. Embracing such terms hinders the cause of true identity. Hmong is not Miao. Hmong is a people, and as such, we share our humanity with other peoples of the world.
The majority of Hmong still live in China. That is Hmong people who call themselves Hmong and can verbally communicate with the Hmong diaspora in Southeast Asia and USA, France and Australia. Hmong people are from the Western Miao Branch, we are the largest branch of the Miao people.
The Miao of Southeast Guizhou called themselves multiple names; Hmub, Hmongb, Ghab Nus, Hmeb.
Miao is an ascribed ethnic name. Hmong is an asserted ethnic name. All Hmong are Miao. Just like Cantonese people called themselves as Tang nin, but in China, they are simply Han.
@@markii5591 the Huangping Miao called themselves as Hmeb but it's pronounced as Pho. While Zhengfeng Hmub actually pronounced it as Hmub. M=B is consonant shift. Dream in Mandarin in mengxia. In Minnan, it's Biong Sang. In Hmong, it's Bo Swa (Npau Suav). mingzi becomes npe.
@@niamtxiv Hmub are known to be the black Hmong.
@@AsianAmericanGuy yes, in history... They were known mostly as Heh Miao or blk Miao, but they also were known as Qing Miao or Green Hmong too. it was latter that they were primarily labeled as black Miao due to their black clothes. These Hmub we're also known as Raw Miao in ancient China.
@@niamtxiv I don't know too much about the hmub or even of my own hmong green traditions since parents don't tend to teach and nothing is written down as I was raised in america. All I really know about the hmub is that they wear mainly black with the stripe colors and headband colors of pink or blue where a lot lives in sapa vietnam and china. Recently found out there are yellow, red, flower, blue and that we were called miao.
@@AsianAmericanGuy these labels were given to us by the Chinese. In actuality, Hmong people in China and elsewhere called each other based on regions or villages. The notion of color coded is a Chinese concept.
6:57 Your friend sounds like a millennial or a Gen Z, who was taught in school that Hmong people are "refugees from Laos" and that we're "southeast Asian". Every Hmong elders would associate with being from both SEA (as their recent homeland) and China (as their ancestral homeland).
7:40 SEA Hmong is actually intelligible with many Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi Hmong groups. In fact hmong groups in SEA can still be traced back to which group, in China, they came from.
With that said, I don't think there's anything wrong with using Miao for all Hmong, when you're not using Miao in a derogatory way. I just think the Hmong in America and SEA have a lot of learning to do.
For generations, we have always called outself Hmong. We were just a group in Miao umbrella.
We are not a subgroup of the miao. We are one. Chinese people just like to say that "Hmong" people are just a subgroup but really We are all just one. Hmong people have subgroups so that is why chinese people like to segregate that aspect. But really all miao people are just Hmong people.
Well done defining both terms. I enjoyed it and look forward to more of your videos!
What term
Thank you for touching on the hmong/miao ethnic. Base on my understanding speaking with my dad and grandma, for the ones who finds the term miao as derogatory are the hmong people who were affected by the war and migrated. Those who remains in China feels differently of the name. Our great great grandma used to tell us stories of her migration fleeing china with nothing but the clothes on her back and whatever she can carry wrapped in a red rag. My grandma they used to call chinese people "Shoua-pie-chee" meaning chinese that harvests the gallbladder. It was said that when they capture the hmong men they would tie them to posts in the sun so the gallbladder will swell than murder and harvest them for the bile to sell. These were stories that were passed down. Don't shoot the messenger.
I think you did wonderful explaining this subject. Miao is a name given to a group of people with similarities by the Chinese. Even all the Miao groups of china have their own term they call themselves by. The Miao groups of china have been able to accept that umbrella term, whereas for the Hmong groups outside china, it’s not that easy due to the exact reasons you mentioned. I always see a lot of Chinese people get angry that the term “Miao” has a good meaning and is not derogatory, but they don’t understand that a word that has been used in a derogatory way for so long doesn’t sound the same to us. The lack of history is very frustrating. I wished there was more to explain the origins, similarities and differences of all the Miao groups.
所以苗族？种田的民族是歧视？
No, Hmong in China doesn't accept that term Miao. They had no choice.
its barbarian or slave its like calling white people rednecks
@@LG-nh4bshow you know? You not even live In China, Miao is not degrading word, Hmong is American spelling, Miao is China spelling, Miao = sprout , young, how's that degrading?
Thank you for clearing thing up. Growing up my dad told me Thai people used to call Hmong people Miao because they saw us as wild people who live in the mountains like cats. I think what you are saying is true and right calling Hmong people Miao is wrong and calling the Miao people Hmong is also wrong. The Hmong and Miao have separate a long time ago now we can barely understand each other and ours culture is different too.
The Thai and Lao term is actually pronounce differently. They say Meo instead of Miao. Meo ends in a rising pitch and the later ends in a flat pitch. (Mee-el vs. Mee-yao)
This is actually wrong. They only call themselves Miao when they are speaking Mandarin/Cantonese. When they are speaking in hmong, they call themselves Hmoob. Same as when you refer yourself as Hmong, you are speaking English. If you speak hmoob, you refer to yourself as hmoob.
Since we are speaking, typing and making youtube vidoes in English, Hmong should be used. If you don't believe me that Hmong Chinese call themselves Hmoob, go watch a video on them when they are speaking hmoob. They will refer to themselves as hmoob and not Miao.
To me as long as there's exact similarities in culture, traditions, and linguistics between the 2 --- Hmong and Miao are one and the same family tree. "Miao" is just the Chinese word for the Hmong. As for "Miao" being labeled as a derogatory term (which is quite a theory and controversial). I don't believe "Miao" was ever a negative term for the Hmong people, but rather an adopted and accepted word in one of many early human Chinese ancient literature, otherwise the Miao people in China would've never accept the word "Miao" if they knew it was derogatory (obviously).
It was the Vietnamese and Lao used the term "meo" that was derogatory against the Hmong. Why do you think Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand don't like the Hmong people and wanted them out of their country, whereas China was the opposite. All Hmong are Miao no matter how you look at it. I think the problem here is that because sooooo much time have passed ever since the Hmong people have migrated out of China and disperse all over the world, that Hmong Americans (especially White Hmong) aren't used to accepting and being called "Miao", even though "White Hmong" is literally part of "Miao" term to describe what Miao really is.
I'm White Hmong living in America and we have EXACT similarities just like the many Miao in China. So why is it so hard for the White Hmong in America to accept that? There's no such thing as a "White Hmong" race in itself and a "Miao" race in itself. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Exactly. After all that's what "Miao" is describe for. So realistically speaking, it's all the Hmong (Miao) people (especially White Hmong) outside of China who have truly lost their roots...
Dismantling why the Han people call the Miao people Miao （苗） . it is well known that Chinese has pictographic and ideographic attributes.
Miao people worship cattle. 艹 the pictographic aspect looks like the horns of a cow, and the ideographic aspect has plant meanings. in the 21st century, Internet terms have a new meaning. according to the pronunciation attribute, the pinyin system of 艹 is “cao”, which is equivalent to “fuck”！
田 is a pictographic attribute in Chinese, which means farmland, and the Miao people are also a farming nation just like the Han people.
The upper and lower structures of the 艹 and 田 form the 苗（Miao） characters. 苗 is an ideographic attribute in Chinese, which has the meaning of a young plant that has not yet bloomed and fruited. and the meaning of the heirs.
The ancient Han people used the name 苗 to call the Miao people, which is actually quite reasonable.
Did you grow up living in Vientiane, Laos before 1975? If not then, you never know the discrimination and injustice we went through.
You must have been born only Yesterday. China is a Communist Country, I dare you to go and fight for your rights in China.
In the US, Meo end up being the popular term for the Hmong. Meo, Miao and Hmong are all used as synonyms. For instance, check Joseph Westermeyer's 1970s studies on opium and alcohol consumption between the Meo from Laos, or even John Kramer's "Speculations on the Nature and Pattern of Opium Smoking" (1979). It refers to them as Meo and uses Miao and Hmong as synonyms.
I tend to disagree in a way. Some Chinese literature do define the word Miao into certain things in Chinese but the word Mhong can't be defined into anything anywhere. I believe that only the word Hmong (should be Mhong) should be used to identify them because the name of any one group of people all over the world is a proper noun and is undefined. one can't define "American" for example.
Actually the Miao people, particularly scholars who are actual Hmongs agree that they are actually Hmong and the term Miao was the name given to them by the Chinese to cover a broard groups of people that have not aligned themselves with the Chinese, not just the Hmong.
Well! Those who do research about the hmong people why don't they ask the hmong people in China do they preffer to themselves Miao or Hmong
But when I greet them hmong in china, they told me personally they said
" we're hmong just like you"
They said just because the han chinese people can NOT pronounce the name correctly, just because it was written in text book as Miao, so they just accepted, but they call themselves hmong just like us in other part of the world. They told me they've never call themselves " Miao" base on my own experience visiting hmong in china.
chinese hmong do not accept the other two group as hmong and vise versa.
Yup! I have cousins in China. They said the term Miao was shove on them by the Chinese.
@@LG-nh4bs so true, agree 110%
It's normal, this is just how language works, a byproduct of history and circumstances. Miao is a term from another language. Like Chinese people call China Zhongguo, and "China" is actually a foreign term. But the name just stayed and it makes no sense to force all foreigners to call China how the Chinese call it.
As long as the ascribed name isn't intentionally used hatefully I don't find it problematic.
Hello Jared :) I recently come across your amazing video about defining the correct term of ((( Miao or Hmong ))) I was quite excited :) With all due respect, I did not speak for everyone and I'm not a professor...hehe :) Base on my opinion how I feel with the terminology of ((( Miao or Hmong ))) :( I was very selective of certain tones and how I feels when people pronounced names or said things incorrect in certain ways so :) Deep down within my heart I feel that Hmong was the correct term :) Miao was a slang & a harsh tone to be named :( When I was a kid in South East Asia(( Laos)) our elders stated that nice people will called you a Hmong person but a foe likely will name you a Miao person instead :( My personal experienced when I've arrived in the United States and this occurred at work with a coworker (( a Laotian person )) and I bumped into each other in the parking lot for a strange reason he looked unhappy and he used a slang and harsh tone as I mentioned above at me :( My sincere conclusion with this video I think that Hmong would sounds much appropriate rather than Miao :( Please no offense :) 🤔🤔🤔🤔
I’m Hmong, a descendant from the Hmong folks who fled from China and settled down in South East Asia before the Vietnam war. I don’t get offended over someone calling me Miao for linguistic reasons, historical reasons, cultural reasons, or whatever else, but I understand why other fellow Hmong do not like being associated with it and I respect it.
Personally, as a history junkie and language addict who is learning Mandarin Chinese at the moment, the core reason why I call myself Hmong Miao by choice is because I’m taking all the linguistic, historical, and cultural aspects in as a whole to be as descriptive as I can be. Even if you try to frame the term in a derogatory light against me, in a playful way for banter or an actual insulting light, I don’t really care. If you wanna be that way, I’ll go down that route with you to play your game as well, and that’s fine by me.
*_TLDR:_* It’s perfectly fine to use the term Miao in a linguistic, cultural, and historical context, especially if you’re diving into those subjects. However, if you genuinely wanna have Hmong friends, I would advise avoiding the usage of Miao and respect their wishes if they don’t wanna associate themselves with it. Never assume. *_Using Miao in a case by case basis would be a wise move on your journey to have Hmong friends._* I think that’s fair.
Hmong is Hmong. Dont settle for anything less. Thats why the world doesnt respect us as one people. Too many cooks in the kitchen, no leader, and too much substitute teachers
@@CapoKabar I am not settling for less. I’m taking everything about us in. Can’t for settle anymore than that. You are welcome not to, but eventually you’re gonna have to own up to what you are. Personally, I just like cutting to the chase. Hmong or Miao? Doesn’t matter. We’re all under the same tribe no matter when or where we’re born. It’s ok to accept that.
@@MiaobuMiao Wrong. That is why we dont have a country--that same attitude. It is inevitable that we all become wandering nomads. We are many many centuries behind in knowledge when compared to China and Japan. I have come to accept that our ancestors were morons and cowards. We’re the leftover cockroaches who survived. So do what you want since it wont matter anyway
@@CapoKabar Well with that attitude, you have no right to cry about anything then. Be bitter about the past if you wish but do not be surprised when your fate is unfavorable and expect people to feel sorry for you when you hold yourself back. There are people like me who accept the past and will rise above it cus it actually does matter. We are born with a purpose this life and have many more to come next life and all life after. Get that corruption out of your heart toward the past, shaming your own bloodline, and your people by equating us to cockroaches, brother. You’ll pay for it one day.
@@MiaobuMiao You are a cockroach. The truth hurts. You have no impact on asian society whatsoever. You dont know what you think you know, yet am proud to call yourself a Miao. History is written by the winners. The chinese have destroyed Hmong history already and your mind, something your feeble mind has no capacity to deduce. You need people like me to wake you the hell up. Assimilate in the country you live and become one with that culture. If you dont, cockroaches wont survive by themselves.
Wow, Jared... Thank you. Speechless. Great Job.
I'I am a descendant of Hmong people who fled China, Now we live in Viet Nam, so I often feel discriminated against if called Meo. Of course in Vietnam they also call us that, because they imitate China or some Older generations of Hmong people call themseflf like that. but today's youth mostly don't call themselves that anymore.
So how did the Miao people event start to begin with? How did they form to come Miao? They didn’t just pop out of nowhere.
They were created in 1950's by the CCP lol I'm Hmong and I find it very suspicious 😂
You are right, Sir. Your description is acceptable and neutral in terms of the ethnonym Hmong and Miao. In fact, Miao is a broader group of which the Hmong are part. As a Hmong/Miao person I am not particularly offended if I am called a Miao, that depends on the context and the caller's intent. I have an experience when a non-Hmong person referred to a group of beggars on the street in Eastern Europe as 'like those Hmong in our country' that offended me.
While there are minor issues with your video, I agree with most of it. However, there is a large issue that i need to address and that's when you stated that there's no connection between the Hmong in SEAsia and the Miao back in China. The facts are there is a language and DNA continuum between the groups, meaning that they definitely are related peoples.
Just to let you know, I don't want to get into the term miao or Hmong but my uncle, grand parents always tells us youngers that doesn't matter what country that is as long as if we see an ethnic that play the hmong qeej (the flute or clarinet) then they are the same as us. No others play the qeej except us Hmong and laos and thai. But their is different than our and it's very distinguished. That's how we identify us hmong. For the younger hmoob, they might not know where we Hmong origin from. But we original from china to Vietnam then to laos and Thailand. When someone die, tus txiv qhuab ke always having a ceremony to tell the dead spirit to go back all the way to china to reincarnation. The miao term that the chinese gave to the minorities in china back then was to distinguish the rebellion minorities that fights against the chinese that's how that term miao came from. Historians chinese knows it well.
Mien people play it too. Some other ethnic Chinese tribes play as well
Your obviously from america where you just know of hmong white and hmong green, the hmong mein is the same just mein added into it why you think there is a such thing as flower hmong and black hmong. We very well still live on the same mountains in southeast asia and on the same streets of america since the day we left china but you must not know because all you wanna do is make friends with people who speak the language you understand. My grandma a hmong thai citizen for being someone who doesn't know about social media or that internet exists she very well answered all the questions on point of what the internet is saying no different. She knew of china miao that they are hmong shee that they are hmong too, miao is what the thai call us.
Two SIMILAR groups in culture got grouped together by the Hans Chinese back in the day.. and now there is confusion between the groups. In conclusion Hmong & Miao is similar in culture and different in language.
Thank you for the video and the information you have researched about us Hmong people. Whether Miao or Hmong, we are all Hmong.
It’s like calling someone an investigator when they are a detective. They both mean the same thing. Hmong people have been called Miao for hundreds if not thousands of years.
Not the same thing as Detective and Investigator. Hmong has positive meaning, but Miao is negative.
@@asdpoqwer3727 , The word Miao is a positive word to the Chinese with a long history of agriculture! A child with good potential is praised as a good miao.
We’re all the same people. It’s a long history.
I am a hmong but I'm fully understand that you are what you are, hmong and miao same.
It time forget and accept for who you.
I am Hmong American I love your video thank you for sharing to the global community
Thank you for the nice video and explanation. Hmong and Miao are the same. "Miao" is not derogatory name. It is the Chinese language called "Seed." People from Southwest China are Hmong.
Actually... the elders considered it derogatory because at the beginning they were being called "Yao" which means monster in chinese. Somehow it ended up miao probably due to the fact that the Hans didn't know what to call us.
You are so proud of the term why don't you refer to yourself as Miao? Hmong in the west, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam are not accepting the term because Miao is derogatory name for us.
@@asdpoqwer3727 那又怎么样？谁要你接受？中国以外的苗族是历史上叛乱份子，你们和我们中国的苗族本来就不是一群人，我们中国的苗族和其他几十个民族一样人人平等，你们不爽你们就不要称呼自己是苗族，中国的苗族称呼自己是苗族完全没有任何意见，一群不是中国人的叛乱份子来指手画脚，谁给你的勇气
@@drama4you_ 一开始我们就称苗族为苗，并没有称过“yao”。你在哪听说的，那是谣言。
@@tt0022 Yao (妖 yāo) is commonly translated as “Demon” or “Monster”. Brush up on your chinese and history.
Look at the term Han. All Han ethnic groups also go by different self asserted names. Cantonese people don't even call themselves Han. Same like Hakka people.
Hmong people is part of the larger Western Miao branch. The Miao Nationality are broken to Eastern, Central and Western. All Hmong outside China belong to the Western Miao, although there are Central Miao speakers in Vietnam and now in the United States.
the contonese or other southeastern chinese are not real chinese. these people adopted the people from yellow river cultures that is why they become chines. hmong call these contonese people SUAV QHUAS NEES.
@@4LeeXa that’s not accurate. Linguistic and Genetic tests say otherwise
@@4LeeXa Suav Quas Nees refer to Haw Chinese aka Hui Chinese merchants of Yunnan that migrated between Yunnan and southeast Asia. In fact, Hmong entered SEA following the Haw Chinese. Suav Quas Nees does not refer to Cantonese. There's little relationship between Cantonese and Hmong. Cantonese have a relationship with Mienh because it was the Cantonese that gave Mienh people the Iu as in Iu-Mienh.
I made a friend from Xinjiang China she was part of the hui people. I used to teach her English and she would teach me mandarin but she always mentioned the Han Chinese kids used to make fun of her since she was Muslim and had to wear a scarf everyday to school/university.
@@AsianAmericanGuy Meanwhile the Han kids' families probably only migrated there in the past few decades or a century or so at most. Hui have been in Xinjiang for over a thousand years.
they are two different group , but could be distantly related if you want them to be
The term Miao encapsulates multiple related ethnic groups such as the Hmu, Xong, and Hmong. All of which share similarities and differences. In my opinion it’s irresponsible and borderline appropriative to call them one name. Either only acknowledging one of the groups or using a general term, it blurs the lines and erases any historical, cultural, and lingual differences between the groups. It’s perfectly fine to acknowledge the similarities but to only talk about them and not the blatant differences is irking. Opting to just call them how they want to be called is arguably better than using a generalizing, non-native term or calling them something they don’t identify with. But you’re allowed to feel how you want.
Not really considering he's referring to people in China that identify with the label and not those outside of China that don't. I'm not Chinese in China but Zhong Guo Zen, but in the US I accept that Chinese is the English equivalent for my background. Using your logic then you can't use China or Chinese because we don't call ourselves that in our language.
I am hmong americans. Thank you for recorded hmong history
Jared, I fully agree with you that Miao are those in China. Hmong are those in or from Southeast Asia.
I'm part Hmong American myself, and I will always refer to my heritage as Hmong. The word Miao never even came up in discussions about my heritage within my family, to the point which I never even knew the greater Miao ethnic family existed until my own online research.
In Lao, the laotian refer you as cat. I don't know if that something you would be proud of
I am sorry, but the word Miao 苗 is never associated with cats meowing. The word Miao etymologically means the young shoots of rice plants or other beneficial plants. Miao is never used to describe young shoots of weeds. Thus Miao is also used to mean promising youngsters. It is a positive term in this sense. Another proof that Miao 苗 is a positive term is that it is also a surname, common in the province of Shandong.
You have no idea on what you’re talking about.
Hmong people ain't even Miao 😂 Hmong people only dressed in all black when they migrated to Southern China. These miao girls mated with SEA male and the Miao guys are all extinct already 😢
Miao, Hmong, I am both! I don’t find the word Miao offensive at all. And I’m a refugee from Thailand. I am proud to be either or! Sometimes a word is harmful because we give meaning to it! Consider caub fab, it is a term to make fun of the Hmong who rebellion in the jungle, now it comes to be accepted as a powerful word that represents our courages!
you are hmong your not maio.. u idiot
You're not taking any offense to being called Miao because you probably experience another person using it towards you in a derogatory way. I've experienced it first hand from Chinese people and Laos people. It doesn't feel good or proud when they use it towards you in a derogatory way, referring to you as an animal. You must have lived a very sheltered life or been lucky enough not to be around people to use the word Miao as a derogatory term towards you. Or maybe you may be clueless as to how they said it towards you. But, the majority of Hmong elders that came from Laos has had many fights and issues with being referred to as Miao. If you don't believe me. You can go ask someone who lived and came from Laos.
You can’t accept the word and think that it’s a good word? It’s just like the white Americans calling the blacks people the N-word? People can say that you can used a word that means something bad and try to make it a good word? It’s still a bad word, no matter how hard you try to ignore it!!!
@xaixiong66651 you are please to be called miao or meo. Good for you!
@mixayyang4127 This woman is ignorant and willing to be belittled because she is oblivious to her protected little life. She probably thinks it's a compliment when they call her Miao or Meo. She enjoys being the animal that she is. Lmao 🤣 Ignorance makes her life a bliss. You can't fix or cure stupid. It's a choice.
Wow. Great job! My great-grandfather is from China. I grew up hearing stories of how he lived and lived in moutains. I don't know if he was a Yao or Miao. But I heard he was pretty cool. But anyways, thanks for researching on the topic.
As a Hmong who grew up in the U.S or West and has visited China a few times. The word Miao is accepted as Hmong in China to the Hmong there. I spent two months in Yunnan and met many Hmong people from Gizhou provinces working in Yunnan. Many Miao think Miao is Hmong and Miao is the largest people under the Miao name. Some Miao people who are not really Miao will say they are a different people, but was labled Miao because it was suitable for the Chinese to lable them under a larger group of people. If you ask them personally they will say they are a different people. The Miao will say they are Miao like the Hmong in the West. Also, in the Chinese Mandarin language it is not natural to say Hmong, but it's natural to say Miao and that is how the word Miao evolved from. Outside of China use the word Hmong would be correct.
thanks for the video, very educating...
Please share the museum where you went to do this video.
Thank you for the video. You did a great job!
Thank you Jared. I agree with you that we really just may never know. As a Hmong American, I believe many of us are ignorant because there really is no solid evidence of our history as you stated. Many people would like to identify all Miao groups as Hmong when it is actually reversed. I visited xijiang village in 2007 and although the Miao people there share a similar history and culture to us Hmong/miao people, they’re not the same as the Miao people in the yunnan province who actually identify themselves as Miao and Hmong. All subgroups underneath the term “Miao” share the same language family and it’s what differs us from the other ethnic minorities groups in China but each Miao subgroup (Hmong, qo Xiong, A Hmao) speaks their own language.
It’s hard to label a person based on their Chinese nationality since you may run across an A Hmao or Qo Xiong person living outside of China who doesn’t identify as Hmong at all. Although I can guarantee that nearly all Miao people that were dispersed from China are the Hmong/Miao people from the yunnan province. Despite not really having a connection to China, it is where our roots lay deeply and people often forget that our ancestors only left China a few centuries ago.
No evidence, the only evidence you need is that they look like your people where you think you came from mongolia? Mongols have small eyes and cheeky cheek bones mongols dont look like us do your research.
@@AsianAmericanGuy we’re from China, not Mongolia. There is evidence that we came from China but there is not enough evidence to show that all the miao people in China are Hmong.
@@mlee3954 there is always that 1 hmong american who thinks he is the better hmong or more hmong but know nothing of they culture back in vietnam.
@@AsianAmericanGuy in the video, Jared said that his friend doesn’t not want to be called Miao because the correct term is called Hmong. All I’m saying is that the correct term for our people is Hmong but it is not correct for all Miao people because there are many branches of ethnicities under the term Miao.
Please don’t be rude, no one really knows our exact history because there is nothing written down for us to understand. We’re all learning here.
@@mlee3954 so you gonna teach me what a hmong is or what they look like. You need to look up more miao videos and tell me if they're facials look vietnamese, han chinese or more like yours and mines.
my dad told me that originally, Hmong were from further up north in the mountains which caused a lot of us to be albino (that &/or, I think, it could be b/c having multiple children and bound to have one with recessive genes being dominant), and we gradually made our way to China and then of course as you stated from research spread out though mainly southeast asia.
I just wanted to share insight of what I was shared, not to say anything you’ve stated in this video was wrong (actually is what I learned as well). Thank you, btw, for a lovey informative video ☺️
Inbreeding? 😮
well “yes” in that for generations made sure not to marry immediate blood relatives (like first cousins etc) but majority of Hmong have married other Hmong so bound for us to be somewhat related to each other
@@divinelymoowah6104 I haven't seen a young albino Hmong. I think the inbreds are more or less related to older generations. Young moobs look stronger. I notice the boomer Chinese looks very inbred and look bad after 30.
The recessive gene usually shows up with sorta bright dirty blonde hair and very light brown eyes. With lighter skin. I've seen varieties of the gene. Either brown hair/sorta blonde, light brown eyes and very pale in comparison to what one thinks a hmong person looks like.
Amazing that in 2020s, Hmong people are still confused and don't understand the nomenclature. Hmong are miao, but not all miao are hmong. Whiskey is liquor, but not all liquor is all whiskey. We can also take it further and say Bourbon whiskey is whiskey, but not all whiskey is Bourbon.
There are actual Hmong in China. They are the very same brethren as the Hmong in Laos, Thailand, USA, Australia, France, etc. Beyond that, any other similar Miao groups in China ARE NOT Hmong no matter how close they seem. The reason people keep pushing this idea is because of propaganda to attempt to make the Hmong in the West, the ones who were directly affected by the CIA and Vietnam War, as "the chosen people". I'm not going to get into that or people might come after me and my family.
What? There's some gray areas? Almost as if they were fleeing from war and knowledge was lost in time. Its 2024, gee I can't believe the catholic church doesn't know what Jesus had for dessert on his 5th meal on Thursday
Like in evolution, we can be traced back to a common ancestoral group that split into multiple subgroups; each group continued on their own path into what it is today.
The Chinese term Miao
苗族。It is not a derogatory term; but it becomes a derogatory after it is being translated into English.
As a Chinese/Cantonese myself, I found out Miao inside China looks different from Hmong in the Southeast Asia.
hmong in laos intermarry with laotian people
@youtuberx199 - You're 100% right, we know that Hmong is one sub-group of the term Miao. The term consisted with many ethnic groups in one, but they all have their own names. I believe that no ethnic in this group call themselves Miao.
@@youtuberx199 you say that? If you want to make a comparison with the Chinese from America and the one who actually in China? They’re very different as well.
What does it translate to?
Cantonese Americans don't even look Chinese han 😂 are you guys SEA? 😂 You guys are short while those in china are tall, I don't get it man😅
Beautifully explained.
I’m actually going to be doing conversation video on this topic soon. If you want to see, let me know. Also, would you mind if I use your video for future commentary?
Go ahead.
@@jaredtlp5172 Thank you! :)
@@jaredtlp5172 th-cam.com/video/zAqFcBqzJsk/w-d-xo.html
@@jaredtlp5172 I finally made a video on this topic with my new channel. Thank you so much for allowing me to use this video. I truly appreciate it. I also apologize for the confusion of my people that happened on your channel. Thank you so much again.
Jared, great video. Most of the people who are sensitive to the term "Miao" are usually the elderly who cling steadfastly to the collective historical "pain" our ancestors experienced in China and S.E. Asia.
With that said, you are correct on all counts. Chinese Hmong do consider themselves Miao gleefully. However, please note that Hmong-Americans under age 50 make up more than 80% of the U.S. community. So, most of us don't share the sentiment of our elders. As a matter of fact, we are embracing our Chinese heritage.
Present day Miao is just the term for Hmong in Chinese, not just Hmong in China. If you are Hmong, you are Miao.
Thank you sir. This will help the youth.
Wow! Great video! I'm Hmong and now living in USA... thank you so much for video!
Just like Native Americans. They got the name Americans which there are many tribes.
I'm Miao/Hmong.
Great research & I agree with the majority of your perspectives.
My grandfather who is a retired head clan leader of one of the last names of the Hmong people (Kong, Soung), spoke of how Hmong people inhabited China during the Ming/Qing dynasty era. The Hmong/Miao later became absorbed & assimilated as Han during the Han dynasty, after the death of the Hmong/Miao/Han leader Chiyou.
The Chinese then persecuted the Hmong people (not only because of war & politics but of genetics in they naturally bore blonde hair & blue eyed children), which led some of the persecuted Hmong to migrate towards Laos.
Being warrior & nomadic in nature, the Hmong people lived in the mountains if not remaining in China. Those who stayed in China(& other areas) started to morph,switch & create dialects from black/white/green(other colors etc. of) Hmong, to hide or adapt/assimilate to civilian life.
There was a political/war exodus towards Laos to Thailand, due to genocide of the Hmong people with their involvement of the Vietnam War. The United States of America & French CIA recruited the Hmong to fight the Vietcong/Communism because of their knowledge of the mountainous & deep jungled landscapes of Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia. During this "Secret War", the United States of America & French allied with General Vang Pao(who also fought with the french prior to aiding with Vietnam War).
Losing the war against Communist Vietcong forces, the U.S. forces pulled out following the French forces which lead to them bringing the Hmong veterans &people as refugees towards France & America during the 1970's & 1980's. Some Hmong fled to Myanmar, Indochina & others remained in the Thailand (remnants fled or stayed hidden within the mountainous ranges during "Fall of Saigon".)
I personally never identified as the Miao/Meow term. But being first generation born in the United States of America, I can understand the ignorance(or reluctant acceptance) of the western perspective of the umbrella term Miao instead of Hmong. I think you hit the mark on referring to Hmong as Miao, when referring to Indochinese Hmong.
Funny parallels can be drawn with the term "Miao" (with the Hmong) & the "n" word (with the African Americans). Similarities of negative/derogatory terms can become common/accepted with time, usage -- or rejected because of knowledge & ignorance of terms. If the sprouts/saplings/seedlings(miao) of knowledge you researched & shared helps people become informed, then they can be enlightened to either accept or reject these terminologies. History has a way of repeating itself with ignorance :) & again,love the content & time you put into clarifying your perspective on this topic
Good information! Thanks
Thank You
Hmong or Miao is the same. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
Chertong of Minnesota
In my opinion, I would rather be referred as Hmong in the west or in Southeast Asia. In our home language of China, we are known as Hmong or other names such as Hmu or Xong, depending on the dialect. The name appears to have evolved from a single name into multiple dialects. Western Miao (Hmong), central Miao (Hmu), and eastern Miao (Xong) are the three groups of Miao in China. Of course, there are more, but these three appear to be the most numerous among Miaos. Guizhou Miao are the central Miao (Hmu). Yunnan, Sichuan, parts of Guizhou, Guangxi, and Western + SeaAsia are the (Hmong) western Miao branch. Hunan Miao are the Eastern Miao (Xong).
To me Miao will always be a derogatory term. When I communicate with the Hmong in China I just call them by their native name(s).
Thank you for this video!
There has to be a name that unifies people of similar cultures and languages you know. Do you understand why there’s a group called Latino, or Nordic people or Germanic?
My name is robet fang i am hmong americans, thank you for instruction hmong people to the global communities
Explained very well. Thank you for sharing your video and knowledge of the Hmong/Miao people.
You are right, just depends where Hmong people live.😊
Wow is very interesting
Iam Hmong too i will belive
My grand grand parents have cross the yellow river
Is over ten thousand years
ago
We still to search again
me too, I just cross the yellow river last year and I see all the Miao there.
Jared TLP - Hmong is a part of the term Miao ( Miao is just a given name ). I do not believe that there is an ethnic group who is really Miao. In public these people would say or may say they're Miao, but in private they have their own identity terms, such as they're the Qo Xiong people, Hmu people, Hmao people, Hmong people, and some other minority groups. But they might have no objection when Chinese rulers named them Miao.
More appropriate modern term would be miaozu. hmong is a sub tribe. South East asian migrant from western miaozu. There are countless of miao tribes. You cannot group them with hmong. By calling all miao hmong you are now assuming all miao are similar to hmong lao community which is wrong. Eastern miao is different from western and central. Different dialect and distinct customs and practices. Similar to how Dogs come from wolves but wolves don't come from dogs. Besides, hmong people probably originally called themselves miao but as dialect changed it started sounding more like mong. Which isn't far off in sounding. Imagine a person with speech problem saying miao and mong. It would sound the same. Also, hmong people still call mien people Yao in their Language. It may not sound like how Americans say it but if you listen to it closely they are saying closer to Yao nothing like mien. The reason we say hmong now us because hmong laos speak with air nasal air so the H sound got created before the M. Imagine if hmong laos don't have that H sound. It sounds just like Miao
The hmong people that won't except miao as family are self racist hmong. You may not like the name miao . I can understand. But excluding them from the hmong family is wrong and hateful.
Hmong 👍👍👍🌹🌹🤟🤟🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Good video Jared.
I mean….. even tho our parents came from Laos or Thailand. we clearly understand that we’re not Laotian or Thai people at all. On a side note we also understand that Laos and Thailand isn’t really our homeland. Which indicate these people “ Miao “ who kind of look like us and traditionally dress like us “ Hmong “ we gotta be them but in a southeast Asian way 😂 but I saw a video of them “ Miao “ speaking and singing, it completely threw me off because it’s completely different. Even the BLACK HMONG in Vietnam speak slightly different. I also heard mien and lahu were hmong also… what’s going on here 😂
That is called dialect. Becuase people could not travel easily in ancient days. In ancient China, there was no unified spoken language. Depends where you live, mountains and hills prevented human to travel. Two villages will have different spoken languages and could not communicate with each other. In 1912, republic of China announced Beijing dialect whcih is mandrain as official language of China. You should go to China, to visit different Miao tribes, to see which one has exact same spoken language as yours, then you will find your root.
There are differences between miao and hmong. Miao don't own the Hmong title and Hmong dont own the title of miao. When hmong were not recognized as HMONG in China the government assimilate them into Miao. Hmong people dont have horns for decoration but only of miao decent. Was there a time when they were definitely one people? Definitely. Some hmong praise the Emperor Huangdi and some gone off with Chiyou. That's when the differentiation started to diverge and hmong became Mong and Miao became miao or Maab. That's why some of your parent would tell you that some of your relatives gone to marry Maab people and would always tell you that they're not part of hmong people although the clothes and culture are close. That's because we've assimilated for thousands of years. Maab or Miao are of Chinese-sided community and Hmongs/Mong was never recognized in their systen and was to wipe out the existence of Mong.
Being called Miao is fine to me. But it's important to note that in contemporary times the Hmong are still very distinct from the Ah Hmao and others grouped into the Miao ethnicity + vice versa. We've only been grouped together by the government within the last century.
Calling us all Miao becomes problematic as it can eventually erase these distinctions. Ultimately, it comes down to who gets to define our history and communities. Our oral history from within our communities ? Or Chinese records which aren't clear anyway? 🧐
Hmong Americans have already adopted a lot of Ah Hmao history as their own. This could be considered a great cultural sharing but on the other side it contributes to an erasure of a people.
The Hmong are a free people. My Grandfather always said that those who fought the Qing and were not willing to be oppressed fled to Southeast Asia to preserve their freedoms. That's when the separation happened. The Miao that stayed in China and the Hmong have already started going their own genetic paths. The Hmong in Southeast Asia now have Southeast Asian blood, as well as the Hmong that have migrated to the US. Though we trace our roots back to China and the original Miao groups, we were now Hmong. In the same way that Americans were once British.
thanks. now i am more confused about my history and who i am.
Great explanation and research of the term of Miao in regards to Hmong.
Anyone especially a Hmong who is still confused about Miao and Hmong after this video/explanation then it is pointless.
Hello, dear Mr Jared!.Thank you a lot for talking about this controversial matter , in order to instruct all the 90% people who ignored realities & historical truth!
I'm Miao and am careless about this stupid & dull controversy, useless & loosing time!.Globally, Miao is a historical Chinese word, to name all the similar ethnic group of Miao people,- better, AN Ascribed & Asserted Ethnic Name( "Tshav-Ntuj-Nrig")-, living in China, since the Antiquity to nowadays; Hmong is a languistic term of one of the Souithern Miao Ethnic & to name solely herself, not the whole '"4 or 5" Miao Ethnic Group. All the rest of the contoversy is better to keep in Trash. Further truth and real theory on Miao ethnic study, See Mrs ZHANG Xiao-Mei's study ( 2002?). "Pejorative"or what else, there is meaningless!. Hakka & Cantonese or/and Huaxia, in fact, are not belonging to the same Ethnic Group, but culturally & historically, they all belong to the Han Ethnic Group, without belonging to the same real Ethnic Group, for HAN is not an Ethnic name, but a dynastic one; unlike the Miao Ethnic Group, which has really a "Common ehtnic Caracteritics"meaning( See ZHANG Xiao-Mei; 2002?). Intrinsec quality is important!. Thank a lot!. Paris, France( 15 Jan.2022)
I disgree with Zhang Xiao. Her explaination is very shallow to me Hmong are Miao but not all Miao are Hmong.
The MIAO resisted Chinese migration into Hu Nan during the Ming dynasty
Native Americans would never allow one clan to represent the various others. Americans wouldn't allow that either. Likewise, if one wants to identify with communist China verbiage, you could accurately identify as Miao Hmong, Miao HMU, Miao Xiongu, etc. The clans need separation as to give proper respect. It is my observation via social media that communist China wants to equate ALL Miao under Hmong label (Miao =Hmong). I don't see a problem with giving Hmong this honor, but apparently not all Miao clans/tribes wish to identify as Hmong. Also, if China wants to label all Miao as Hmong, they should just use our correct identifier and not make up an identity for Hmong people (as it's an ongoing failed attempt to erase us). My 5 cents only.❤🇺🇸💕
What does "Miao" mean in Chinese? We call ourselves "hmong" which means "free men." So, depending on what that word means according to the Chinese, we can determine if it's a derogatory term for us or not. As for the comments about other asians such as the lao, thai, vietnamese, etc. calling us derogatory names, we/I can care less about their opinion because they don't know the whole history. History is written by the "winner" so for all we know, our country could have been taken over by the Chinese just like the Americans taking over the Native American Indian lands. All our scripts/texts could have been burned and all we have left is the clothes on our backs and the elders to tell us who we are.
It means something like “sprout” or “seedling”
I am proud to be Hmong/Miao!
Miao Hmong Han all of them have same anchestor blood, if u think they are different and want to divide them, then u are wrong.
We Are Hmong Strong™️ | Hmong Lives Matter. 🫶☝️🙌
I considered myself Hmong, not Miao and I will be offended by it if someone tries to call me Miao.
The Chinese word "Miao" is just an umbrella term given by the Chinese government to categorize several indigenous groups that are clustered around Southern China. Some aren't even Hmong. The Chinese refused to recognized the term Hmong, so why should we summit to their demand?
While the term Miao is accepted in a China, the term Hmong is accepted everywhere else. I have cousins in China. In fact three of them are in America now (married to Hmong Americans) and they explained that the term Miao was forced upon them during the 40s and that they will always identify as Hmong to you unless you're non-Hmong (only than they would identify as Miao).
You can ask any elders today, not just in America, and they will always tell you that they have always called themselves Hmong.
While it is important that we shouldn't push our agenda on those in China, it is absolutely WRONG to try to push every Hmong outside of China to accept the term Miao. The term is and has always been derogatory dating as far back as 600 BCE. To understand its negative connotation you'll have to study the Chinese history. Even as far back as 2000 BCE, the Huaxia (Ancient Hans) had always view themselves as superior and the outsiders surround them as "Barbarians."
I find it very disgusting that the term Miao is popping up on government forms in California. And I bet someone in the community is trying to influence the younger generation to accept that term. The older generations did not fight for decades if not centuries to be identified correctly just so we can cycle back to that term. Whoever puts that term there, you should be shame of yourself for shoving the older generation's hard work under the rug. The clan leaders along with Yang Dao and Vang Pao met with officials in Southeast Asia in the 70s on it to ensure we would be called by our native name, Hmong rather than a term given to us by the Chinese.
I really feel sorry for those who try to accept the term Miao. You should be ashamed of yourself and go apologize to Pobzeb Vaj.
Honestly agreed with you I'm hmong,laos, Thai I'm mix I will be so mad if anyone calls me miao
But Miao culture in China is better preserved than those who refuse to call themselves Miao, right?
Actually if you ask any of the Miao people they will ALL claim themselves as “Hmoob” if speaking to them in “Hmong” regardless of their dialect….
IF YOU ask if they’re Miao, they’ll definitely say yes bc that’s what everyone know them as.
Miao, specifically in the Paj Tawb Lag region, they speak almost the same dialect as the Hmong in Laos/Thai/Vietnam/USA with just slightly different accent and definitely they all have adapted words from where they’re from…
Even though some indigenous Miao clan in China don’t speak similar to us, their clothing, embroideries, and culture is very similar to us…
Some may even say Hmong actually originated from Tibet/Mongolia… Mongolian actually practice shamanism very similar to the Hmong people too!
I would take offense if anyone called me Miao but I wouldn’t go around telling people I’m Miao either.
Miao is just a broad term used to categorize the different Hmong subgroups by China but if you asked me…. All of the Miao people in China are just Hmong people who speaks different dialects due to separation. When groups split off into many subgroups, their languages are start to differentiate from one another also but the root of the Hmong people is the same if that makes sense lol.
@@yapsiauwsoengie6507They change and adapt to the region they migrate to. They're unique from group to group. Some won't accept the name because for them it's derogatory. It doesn't mean Hmong Chinese's culture is better than Hmong from other countries.
From all the elders that ive heard stories from, all the backstory about the miao/hmong king Chiyou to the Zhou dynasty were told in that same chronological order too.
Most of the origin stories ive heard sound about the same really.
There's no proof of this, cause the hmong people had to blend in with the chinese back in the day to avoid being persecuted after losing their nation to China.
A mexican friend of mine said, in comparison, the Hmong and Miao are like what Hispanics and Latinos are to each other. lol
You have to read the history of China to understand the history better, as it is long and complex. Moreover, China has ancient books and records which can be referred to.
@@linhwang6651any recommendations to learn more about the Hmong/miao roots or history?
@@chrisoher , You may search the Internet for history of Miao in English language. One can understand better by reading Chinese literature, with no loss in translation.
You want to know, travel back in time and ask a Hmong person what did they call themselves back then, Miao was a word used by Han Chinese not Hmong.
We migrated out!
Thank you to express the hmong people, i am hmong americans
Miao was a derogatory word until recently. During the cultural revolution they groups several ethnic group into Miao that disagree with it but now accept it. However recent scholar agree those groups should be taken out. They don't share the same history or cultural beliefs.
Miao was never a derogatory term. Only in Vietnamese and Lao, Meo was considered as cat or derogatory term. Miao is an ascribed term used by Chinese. Hmong is now interchangeable as many Miao groups accepted Hmong. Miao is just the Chinese pronunciation of Hmong. Mandarin was an official language of Ming. Prior, Miao was pronounced more like Mao, Miaun or Miu.
The word Barbarian in Chinese are Man and Yi.
They do share the same history and cultural beliefs. Do research.
State your recent scholars because some of those "scholars" you claimed also claimed that Moob aka Moob Ntsuab and Moob Lees were not Hmong, but Mong. This was well known when Moob nationalists argued that they were not Hmoob.
@@niamtxiv there are documentation that show some groups don't belong in the group. But since you're the expert. You can do the research and prove me wrong.
@@moev6460 like what? Of course, Hainan Miao were believe to be Yao, but they themselves do not see themselves as Yao. Who are we to say who's Hmong and who's not though? The Hmong that wear Lao clothes now, or the Hmong that speak Vietnamese or the Hmong Americans that only know English... What makes a Hmong person?
The issues of the Hainan Miao have been discussed. They themselves stated that some of their ancestors were indeed Yao while other were Miao.
You have the Cao Miao, whom ancestors were Miao, but they adopted a Tai language.
It's quite complicated.
Thank you for this history. Personally, I will not be called Miao. He said it himself. They used this word to describe "barbarians"
There's Hmong people in Myanmar as well. You completely left that out from your mentions.
The term miao is completely derogatory.
The modern interpretation of the word miao is a "seedling" as if still needing to grow which is similar with how the Han-Chinese used to differentiate beween "cooked" miao or "raw" miao, basically "barbarians" which had or had not assimiliated into the majority Han culture.
To say that the people in China accept the term miao also hides the fact that they don't refer to themselves that and in order for them to receive government assistance, they HAVE to group themselves into this umbrella term. The hilltribes of China are a huge cultural tourist attraction that brings in millions of dollars into the Chinese economy from both internal and foreign visitors. The Chinese government helps fund these events because of the economic benefits but in order for the HMoob -Suav to get access to these funds, they have to say they are miao, the official Chinese designation.
Basically, the term is being asserted onto them rather than they claiming the name. Whereas the HMoob asserted that they be called such rather than accepting some other name some other group placed onto them. I don't refer to the HMoob-Chinese as miao because of this.
I don't like calling them HMoob either since many don't claim that name (partly because HMoob are a subgroup of a larger overall group) but without knowing their preferred name, I simply use HMoob-Suav (HMoob-Chinese).
As an aside, knowing that these large events are basically tourist attractions, and HMoob-Suav are basically put into these as performers, I wonder how much of these "customs" are actual customs and not some made up BS to awe and wow visitors. Seems almost equivalent to blackface to me.
We are all the same.
No.
2000 years of displacement and prosecution could have created the loss of their origins. in the southeastern asian refugee communities i saw, even within three generations, there are so much collective memories that didn't make it to the next generations.
It’s Hmong. Miao is the way the Chinese recognize us, but it isn’t how we like to acknowledge ourselves.
Hmong is what we are. Miao is what the han Chinese call us.
Chinese is a nationality such as Hmong and Han are ethnicity.
We're all the same but language and culture's has changed threw time. I am Hmong American Miao😂
I am hmong. When I first learn about Miao it really hard for me to believe that hmong and Miao are the same group. I feel that hmong and Miao are two different groups. Even now it still very hard for me to believe that Hmong are Miao
There are lots different ethnic groups got categories into Miao..Hmong its one of those ethnic got categories into it because we all dress similarity…lots people don’t bother to study it or pay attention
Nine lives baby team rocket blasting off at the speed of light.
Hi Jaret JLT, These Asia and SE Asia people usually call other people a name or names differ term from the real names while they all of them call their own term.
Therefore, Miao consisted nearly 10 ethnic groups altogether in China. The question is that would the Chinese Authorities agree officially to let these ethnics to go by their real names.
so hmong is just what they call themselves in their own language, and miao is the name of them in the chinese language ?
HMONG PEOPLE RELATED TO FAAJ TIM (YANDI), HUAB TAI ( HOUANGDI). You need to go to do a research who were them?
Good video...
You've learned a lot about between the Hmong and Miao. And yeah I admire that you be careful when and where you use the term of the areas.
Hmong vs Miao
Conditioning is the worst enemy of one’s identity.
Take, for example, my name: Maas Yaaj, pronounced MAHN YAAN. In English, it is often spelled Mang Yang and pronounced accordingly. However, I understand that first impressions are crucial, particularly in how I introduce myself. I've observed that people with difficult-to-pronounce names often have their names mispronounced without much effort to correct it. So, why should I conform to societal norms that disregard the proper pronunciation of my name, given to me at birth? Therefore, I began to introduce myself using the correct pronunciation, as intended by my parents, not by how others think it should be said.
The origin of the Hmong has been obscured over time, and its mystery remains intriguing. Some argue that the Hmong were indigenous to China, while others believe we came from elsewhere. In one such debate, when the Chinese encountered the Hmong, they described us as a group of hairy cave dwellers with unfamiliar dialects, coining the term Miao to describe what they considered a barbaric people. This is akin to Columbus calling Native Americans "Indians," mistakenly believing he had reached India, or the Sámi of Finland, Sweden, and Norway preferring not to be called Lapp. Even Thailand was once known as Siam, leading to the derogatory term Siamese twins for conjoined twins, regardless of their origin.
When people do not understand the words they use, they perpetuate derogatory statements. Miao is an all-encompassing term with negative connotations, making it difficult to accept because society has been conditioned to see it as acceptable. Embracing such terms hinders the cause of true identity. Hmong is not Miao. Hmong is a people, and as such, we share our humanity with other peoples of the world.
The majority of Hmong still live in China. That is Hmong people who call themselves Hmong and can verbally communicate with the Hmong diaspora in Southeast Asia and USA, France and Australia. Hmong people are from the Western Miao Branch, we are the largest branch of the Miao people.