Critique: The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang

Critique:

Kao Kalia Yang is a wonderful writer. Although Yang did not experience the lives of her young parents or her grandmother, and does not remember enough of her earliest years, Yang paints a picture of them as if she had through her family’s stories and photographs. One of the family members most focused on is Yang’s grandmother, with whom she has a very loving relationship. Yang writes of her grandmother’s determination to keep her family together during times of war and hardship, of her work as a shaman as she cures Yang of a bladder infection, of her understanding that she knew she wasn’t going to learn new things in America but was willing to try anyway. Yang’s relationship with grandmother is depicted as one of constant care and loving sacrifice. The way her grandmother held on to her family and pushed through difficult transitions shows her strength and her wisdom.

Yang’s descriptions of both the refugee camps in Thailand are very realistic, bringing to life the hardships she and her family, as well as thousands of other displaced Hmong, experienced. Between sleeping on the concrete flooring of a room only separating each family by a curtain and the small room used to educate Hmong children of all ages, Yang really shows what the conditions were like.

All the stories Yang’s grandmother tells her of Hmong tradition are wonderful. Starting with how Hmong children come to their families out of the sky, to the woman taken by the tiger who eventually fell in love with him, to grandmother’s sister’s spirit being taken by a witch, grandmother’s stories pull together Yang’s life in Thailand with her life in America.

I first learned about the Hmong culture when I worked for the Minnesota Literacy Council almost four years ago, but I did not truly get to know any Hmong people until I began working at Battle Creek Elementary School in 2008. Battle Creek is about 65 percent Hmong, and it has been a joy to learn about such a fascinating group of people. Whether the students I work with need ELL services, or their English is great but their parents’ English is not as developed, language is a crucial part of their lives. Their parents and grandparents, and often older brothers and sisters who lived in Laos, Thailand, China, or other Asian countries tie them to a culture they did not live in themselves; they grew up Hmong American, and with that breeds its own culture. The mix of both cultures is fascinating to witness, especially when I hear bilingual children running through the halls, wearing traditional Hmong dress and singing traditional Hmong songs during the talent show, and teaching me Hmong words and phrases on the bus.

The Latehomecomer was recommended by a friend about six months ago and I purchased it because it sounded lovely. I had so many other books to read, however, that I hadn’t gotten to it, which is why I was so excited to read it for this class. Overall, this book is a beautiful reflection of the Hmong culture and their journey to the United States. It shows the emotional as well as the psychological and physical struggles many of them endured to find a country they could call home. I absolutely loved this book, and when I told some of the 5th-grade girls at Battle Creek that I had just finished it, they were excited to hear more about it. Great pick!