How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The life-souls of newborn babies are especially prone to disappearance since they are [...] poised between the realm of the unseen [...] and the realm of the living. (1.14)
This is Hmong Spirituality 101. It's also the key to Nao Kao and Foua's understanding of Lia's seizures: they believe that her soul has escaped her body and is now floating through the nether-realm. This belief would sound a little out of the ordinary to Lia's doctors, who view diseases solely as physical conditions based on molecules, genes, and other science stuff.
Quote #2
They recognized the resulting symptoms as quag dab peg, which means "the spirit catches you and you fall down." (3.2)
Title alert! Again, it's important to remember that epilepsy isn't necessarily a bad thing in Hmong culture. Like many shamanic cultures, the Hmong believe that the condition serves as the gateway between our world and the spirit realm.
Quote #3
They had no way of knowing that a Hmong might regard these taboos as the sacred guardians [...] of his very soul. (6.3)
American doctors know little to nothing about Hmong religion. We're not saying that they should conform to Hmong beliefs and start having a neeb every time someone bleeds or anything. But it wouldn't hurt to take those beliefs into account when planning treatment.