Character Clues
Character Analysis
Thoughts and Opinions
The doctors in Merced, California have no shortage of opinions about their Hmong neighbors, and most of them involve plenty of smack-talking.
For example, in the words of one doctor reflecting oh-so deeply about the Hmong, they're all a bunch of "Stone Age people" with an unmatched "degree of ignorance" (6.32). Yikes. Of course, these racially charged insults have little credence in reality, but it must be a bummer for Hmong patients to be treated by a doctor who thinks such nasty things about them. After all, opinions like that don't exactly make for a stellar bedside manner.
But there are a few docs who at least make an effort. Sure, they get frustrated sometimes, but they seem to respect the Hmong overall. There's Bill Selvidge, for example, who makes a great effort to learn their history when he moves to Merced.
Whichever side of the fence they land on, all these docs could learn a thing or two from the words of Dwight Conquergood: "the [...] language that we use to describe the Hmong says far more about us [...] than they do about the Hmong" (14.31). The idea is that, by recognizing how their own biases play into those interactions, the doctors can start turning that negativity around. If only everyone could conquer bad like Conquergood can.
Family Life
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Nao Kao and Foua Lee love their kids. (Because rocket scientists aren't who you'd ask about family dynamics.)
The Hmong have always been known for their strong familial bonds. So, like their parents and their parents' parents, Nao Kao and Foua "regarded a child as 'the most treasured possession a person can have'" (3.4). Sweet, right? But these two are stellar even by those standards, treating Lia like a princess even though most Hmong families favor boys over girls.
This sort of thing is pretty out of place in America. Even more so when you consider the epilepsy factor. Foua is appalled that American families send children with special needs to institutions, calling one "a house for the dead" where "the children were so poor and so sad that they just cried" (17.37).
Though it's probably not quite as black-and-white an issue as Foua makes it out to be, her dedication to Lia is admirable in any case. And the Lees' desire to stick together and help Lia out through thick and thin, through foster care and pig sacrifice, shows a gung-ho attitude toward family life that's pretty darn powerful among the Hmong.
Turning Feeling into Action
All you need is a little bit of love to change someone's life forever. And the juice to turn that love into action.
Need an example? Foua reveals her strength of character by comforting Neil and Peggy in their time of need. Though these folks weren't exactly the most compassionate as far as caring for Lia went, after Foua learns that their son has been diagnosed with leukemia she expresses her concern to Peggy while crying and hugging her. Pretty moving, especially based on their former disagreements. It's a moment that proves that the "sorrows of motherhood cut through all cultural barriers" (17.6), and that acting with compassion is a pretty powerful barrier-basher, too.
Another awesome action comes from the one and only Jeanine Hilt. Jeanine could easily have treated Lia like any other case, putting in her time during work hours and forgetting about that poor little Hmong once she punched in her time card and headed home. But she didn't. Instead, Jeanine "took on the Lees like a crusade," dedicating every waking moment to their plight (9.21).
In both of these instances, we see how powerful simply being there for someone can be.