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For the thousands of Hmong immigrants who've settled in the United States, life is now a series of challenges and adjustments. Many of them are struggling to preserve their customs from southeast Asia. For most elderly Hmong, this includes the complex and lengthy funeral ceremony designed to guide their souls back to the ancestral homeland. But many obstacles -- from American funeral codes to the standard work schedule -- have forced compromise on this tradition.
In this 8-minute piece, Brian Bull summarizes one such effort that took place at St. Paul's Hmong Funeral home for one of the community's elders, Ying Xiong. With many compelling passages of natural sound and direct, candid interviews with relatives, the four-day ceremony is presented in its elaborate, but heartfelt splendor.
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Piece Description
For the thousands of Hmong immigrants who've settled in the United States, life is now a series of challenges and adjustments. Many of them are struggling to preserve their customs from southeast Asia. For most elderly Hmong, this includes the complex and lengthy funeral ceremony designed to guide their souls back to the ancestral homeland. But many obstacles -- from American funeral codes to the standard work schedule -- have forced compromise on this tradition. In this 8-minute piece, Brian Bull summarizes one such effort that took place at St. Paul's Hmong Funeral home for one of the community's elders, Ying Xiong. With many compelling passages of natural sound and direct, candid interviews with relatives, the four-day ceremony is presented in its elaborate, but heartfelt splendor.
2 Comments
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Review of Hmong FuneralsAn interesting look into the Hmong funeral tradition. The sound mix is rich, and the piece well produced in the tradition of NPR & Wild Kingdom: reporter stands by, much like Rod Serling, and conducts the of sounds that play in this rich informative piece. |
Broadcast History
This is part of the PRX Reversioning Project. The original feature this is based off of aired on Weekend All Things Considered on August 1st, 1999. This reworking adds the closing drumbeats of the funeral which was edited out before broadcast, and begins with the intial preparations at the top.
Transcript
PRX REVERSIONING PROJECT
HMONG FUNERALS
BRIAN BULL, WPR
Lead :30
Since the late 1970s, thousands of Hmong ["mahng"] immigrants from southeast Asia have settled into the U-S. The conflict between assimilating into the American culture while keeping traditions has Hmong elders particularly concerned, as they watch their grandchildren skateboard across town, listening to I-Pods and eating Big Macs. This concern even extends towards the afterlife, as many older clan members want a traditional Hmong funeral. As Wisconsin Public Radio?s Brian Bull reports, it?s a demanding ritual:
==================================================
[FADE UP GENERAL BANTER OF RELATIVES SLOWLY UNDER OPENING -- HOLD]
Inside the Hmong Funeral home in St. Paul, Minnesota a shaman sings over the body of Ying Xiong. [FADE UP FAST ON SHAMAN SINGING ? HOLD FOR 2-4 BEATS, BRING UNDER REST OF TRAK] S...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
Lead :30
Since the late 1970s, thousands of Hmong ["mahng"] immigrants from southeast Asia have settled into the U-S. The conflict between assimilating into the American culture while keeping traditions has Hmong elders particularly concerned, as they watch their grandchildren skateboard across town, listening to I-Pods and eating Big Macs. This concern even extends towards the afterlife, as many older clan members want a traditional Hmong funeral. As Wisconsin Public Radio?s Brian Bull reports, it?s a demanding ritual:
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Posted on August 24, 2006 at 09:32 AM | Permalink
Review of Hmong Funerals
This piece takes us inside one of an immigrant community's most intimate religious rituals, and Wisconsin Public Radio's Brian Bull has my full respect and admiration for his ability to succeed in an obviously awkward social situation as a cultural reporter. Bull does a remarkable job of developing a respectful rapport with his interviewees and gets them to speak candidly about very personal spiritual matters.
Hard to believe it, but this was Bull's first feature ever. I've corresponded with him about his experiences putting this story together --- he says he was really inspired by the feeling of camaraderie and community at the Hmong funeral, and that he walked away from the experience thinking that the way we observe death says a lot about our larger values as a culture.