Change and flexibility has been a defining element of Hmong religion. But the spread of Hmong communities across the world (most often as refugees) has presented challenges to “traditional” Hmong religion on a whole new scale. Leaders of new religious movements seek to unify Hmong society, but this requires persuading their compatriots that their new rituals and practices are, in fact, actually more authentic than the older traditions, and that they are more likely to unify global Hmong society than traditional religion.
Jacob R. Hickman is a visual, psychological, and medical anthropologist, as well as an anthropologist of religion. His work centers on the global Hmong diaspora, conducting ethnographic research in Hmong communities in Thailand, China, Vietnam, France, Australia, and the United States, along with recent comparative research on ethnonationalism in Northern Ireland and cattle ranching in the American West.
Part of our fall 2023 lecture series, "Preserving and Transforming Culture."