FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND HMONG COMMUNITY

 The Hmong community in Far North Queensland fled from northern Laos and spent more than ten years in refugee camps in Thailand. In the 1980s, a number of Hmong refugees were granted residency in Australia and about 60 families settled in Tasmania. About 100 members then migrated to North Queensland in 1988, attracted by the tropical climate and the possibility of farming. Since 1992, the FNQ community has slowly increased, as families have moved to the region from southern centres. Between a third to a half of the Hmong population of Australia now lives in the Cairns and Innisfail areas representing the largest Hmong Community in Australia. There are approximately 654 Hmong people living in Far North Queensland, around 441 in Innisfail and 213 in Cairns. Of the Innisfail population, approximately 239 are male and 202 female. The Hmong community in Cairns is made up of 115 male and 98 female.

Some of the major issues facing the Hmong community in FNQ include racism, language difficulties and dealing with bureaucracy, employment, health and housing.

 Racism

The Hmong community has raised the issue of racism, both subtle and overt. Hmong people who have worked in the same job for many years, with no promotion and low wages, believe that they may be the target of racism. However, due to their limited English skills, they do not know how to tackle the situation. The young people have also experienced anti-Hmong (or anti-Asian) sentiments from the wider community. Educating the public in Hmong culture may enable the Hmong people to be more understood by the wider community.

 Housing

The Hmong have large families and often need at least 4 bedroom houses. In the private rental market, these houses are too expensive and, in the public system, the few larger properties are highly valued with long waiting lists. This has been addressed to some extent by the setting up of the SPK (Sib Pab Koom – Help each other) Housing Group, which is funded by Qld housing to purchase and rent out large houses to Hmong families for reduced rent, mainly in the Whiterock and Woree areas of Cairns. However, there is still a waiting list and the majority of Hmong people are in the private rental system, attempting to understand tenant’s rights and dealing with landlords and rental agencies.

Lack of a cultural centre

The Hmong community have no space of their own to use for cultural activities. SPK and FNC (Federation of Hmong National Culture) share offices in Cairns, but these are of average-size and set amongst other offices and shops. Naturally, the scope for practising cultural performances, religious ceremonies or even gathering the community together is quite limited. The FNC has tried to address this problem recently by applying for funding for land on which to build a dedicated cultural centre, but unfortunately the application was unsuccessful. The difficulties maintaining some cultural practices are a major concern for the Hmong community. Particular problems arise with funeral rituals, which require certain clan members to perform parts of the ceremony. Often there are few local community members who can do this and so Hmong people have to be bought from other parts of Australia. The lack of a facility belonging to the Hmong community, where ceremonies can be performed, is also a major cultural constraint.

Limited English skills

 As language is the key to most everyday transactions, the lack of English skills for many of the Hmong community leads to and/or enhances their already disadvantaged status. This is particularly true for the Hmong women, who often do not have much opportunity to use their limited English and therefore lose both confidence and ability. The Hmong community have also spoken about difficulties accessing services due to problems understanding correct procedures, having trust and confidence in services and knowing what services can do, and due to the lack of interpreting and translated information and cultural awareness on the part of services providers. The Hmong people in FNQ speak different dialects of both Hmong and Laotian and a lack of recognised interpreters in the region exacerbates the situation further.

 Employment

 Many of the Hmong in FNQ, due to problems with the language and limited education, have low paid jobs or no jobs at all. Lack of English skills also affects the training capabilities for the Hmong community, which of course then affects employment prospects. A large proportion of families try and make a living out of the land, growing and selling vegetables and fruit at local markets and interstate However, this does not pay well and the Hmong are vulnerable to exploitation by purchasers. The majority of the Hmong community in Innisfail own their own banana farms. This is 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year work and, with the long days, parents do not get to spend much time with their children. The Hmong farmers also have difficulty understanding quarantine laws, compensation payments and technology with farming equipment and agrochemicals.

Youth

 Lack of interest in school and truancy has been identified as a problem among Hmong youth. Parents do not understand the school system and, as the youth speak English and Hmong quite well, they will often tell parents that they are allowed to take time off or misinterpret reports and letters of concern from the school. However, the Hmong young people often do not understand about the choices available after they have finished high school and very few move on to higher education or training. Many parents are also unable to help them with homework, due to limited English and education, disadvantaging the Hmong youth further. However on the positive side, Hmong youth seem to have few behavioural problems at school. Incidents of racism are seldom reported at school but the young people will involve the police if necessary, often after the situation has been going on for a long time. It has been suggested that the Hmong youth have lost respect for their elders and for the Hmong culture and way of life. The elders do not understand the way the Hmong young people live within Australian culture either and so there is a tendency for both intergenerational and intercultural conflict between Hmong elders and youth. The Hmong elders have voiced their sadness at what they see is the death of their culture. They believe their youth do not want to learn about their culture and do not know how to read or write their language or about the mythology and beliefs of the Hmong. The Hmong youth have expressed that they are ‘sort of Hmong’ at home, but are not Australian in Australian society either. Identity seems to be an issue for the younger generation. The FNC has been recently successful at gaining some funding for cultural projects, where traditional practices are passed on to the younger generation.

 Mental Health

The term 'mental health' has no equivalent words in the Hmong language. 'Coping' and 'well-being' and whether the problem is 'inside’ or ‘outside' are concepts with which the Hmong community is familiar. The Hmong people in FNQ suffered significant trauma and torture as refugees. Depression, insomnia and nightmares, grief and loss, forgetfulness, body pains and loss of appetite and pallor are symptoms often described by the Hmong. Limited English skills and the need for an interpreter restricts their ability to explain their situation to Australian doctors. The Hmong people often rely on Shamans (traditional healers) to help them feel better. Some of the older Hmong express a loss of status and purpose on settling in Australia. Presence of other family members in Australia is a significant source of support.

IN SUMMARY

 SPK and FNC are attempting to address the situation facing the Hmong community in Far North Queensland. SPK assists with accommodation, so the Hmong people can settle permanently and not have to worry about landlords or evictions etc. FNC teaches the youth traditional dance and song, as well as performing at community events and displaying the Hmong culture. As the young people are the largest age group of the Hmong in Far North Queensland, these cultural activities are considered extremely important for the Hmong people and the continuance of their culture. FNC and SPK are also trying to assist with raising cross-cultural awareness among local service providers, discussing and exploring differences in belief systems, roles and cultural taboos and participating in local community networks.

 Information compiled by Migrant Setllement Services Cairns