"The Latehomecomer - A Hmong Family Memoir"

"The Latehomecomer, A Hmong Family Memoir" by Kao Kalia Yang is one of the best memoirs I have ever read! Kalia is a remarkable young woman/author and this story is more than just her story - her memoir. It is the story of her family as well as a tribute to the Hmong people who fought on the side of the United States during the Vietnam War and many paid for that loyalty with their lives, the lives of their families, and the loss of their homes.

Kalia writes not only of her family's struggle to survive in the jungles of Laos while evading soldiers who want to kill them but also of their life in refugee camps in Thailand before coming to America. Although her family saw America as a way to start a new life and find a place to put down roots for them and their families, it was much harder than any of them thought it might be and being accepted has not been easy.

It took time for Kalia to find her voice but she has an excellent one and her depictions are so moving. Kalia writes in such a way that I could not help but feel for her and her family and empathize with their struggles. This book is a tribute to Kalia's grandmother and the love Kalia has for her as well as a tribute to the love her parents have for each other that has endured through many difficult times.

Kalia's high school teacher, Mrs. Gallentin, was instrumental in helping her find her voice. Pages 198-201 tell about Mrs. Gallentin's encouragement as well as a poignant story Kalia wrote for a class assignment that shares the story of her parent's love. That story demonstrates the insights this young woman has -- what an observer!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough -- a must read!

If you would like to sample some of her writing, check out her web site at www.kaokaliayang.com. The bio page at the end of her book indicates she has also released a film, "The Place Where We Were Born," documenting the experiences of Hmong American refugees.

She is also co-founder of Words Wanted which is an agency dedicated to helping immigrants with writing, translating, and business services.

pazt

Wedding Gowns

I sometimes wish I'd been born a decade or two after I actually was. I grew up in an age of conformity when women were expected to be wives, mothers, secretaries, nurses, or teachers. The men called the shots and women were expected to do as they were told by their fathers, brothers, male bosses, and husbands. I was a young adult at the time of the Vietnam War and the sexual revolution -- too busy attending college, getting married, and having children to pay attention to much of that. I deferred to my mother in most matters pertaining to my wedding except for a few critical details -- like the groom who I refused to give up for someone with more perceived status or money!

Although I haven't always been a "good littl girl" and I haven't always conformed to society's expectations, my rebellions (for the most part) have been of a more subtle nature. So.....when I read today on the internet about the trend to wear something other than the traditional white wedding dress these days, I wished I'd had that option when I married. (If I'd chosen anything other than white in that era, I'm sure it would have been assumed I wasn't a virgin -- laughable today that anyone would care about that, isn't it?!)

One bride (who looks terrible in white) had always wanted to be married in red and she made it happen on her wedding day. Her husband-to-be knew her so well that he even proposed with a ruby ring. Oh...red! One of my favorite colors...so, in my next lifetime...I'm choosing red for my wedding dress no matter what anyone says.....unless, of course, I have a different favorite color by then!

pazt