A people who live in the mountains of Thailand, Laos, and neighbouring countries. As the Vietnam War spilled into Laos a large number of Hmong were displaced as refugees, and there is now a substantial Hmong community in the United States: more than 150 000 people.
Among the subgroups are the Blue Hmong and the White Hmong, named for their ceremonial or best dress. The Blue Hmong (Hmong Njua) wear an indigo-dyed pleated skirt, while the White Hmong (Hmong Daw) have indigo clothes but their best are white.
Their languages belongs to the small Hmong-Mien or Miao-Yao family. (Miao is an older non-preferred name for the Hmong.) It is disputed whether this family is related to Chinese or to Thai. The roman orthography devised for it is unusual in that tones are indicated by consonants at the ends of syllables. For example their own name is now written Hmoob.
They are patrilineal, polygamous, and worship ancestors with the aid of shamans. They are renowned silversmiths.
Good websites:
http://www.jefflindsay.com/Hmong_tragedy.html
http://www.childrenshc.org/IntegrativeMedicine/InteMedandCC/hmong_med.htm