Hmong Women Aren't Pretty

While in Vietnam I visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum with my tour guide and friend, Leng, who is Hmong Vietnamese. As we entered the mausoleum, several guards stopped us and spoke to Leng in Vietnamese. By their body language I assumed that they were informing Leng that I had to pay an entrance fee. Afterwards they looked as if they were talking about me to him. They smiled at me in astonished tones. As Leng and I walked away I asked him in Hmong, "What did they say?" "They said you are pretty. They could tell I was Hmong but asked what you were." "Well I am Hmong too." "Yes, I told them that, and they were surprised because they said that Hmong women are not pretty." I abruptly stopped everything I was doing to give out a loud laugh and said, "First off, this isn’t even my final form (I prayed he understood this Dragon Ball Z reference). Secondly, if they consider, ME, pretty, then they should see all the Hmong women I know!” I say this understanding that my definition of beauty in its greatest form deals with one’s character and most likely the guards had a more narrow definition of beauty. It is no surprise to me that you all fall into both spectrums. This is not to say that I am excited that we can “live up” to prevailing standards of beauty of the male gaze but that I found their narrow definition of beauty unfortunate and dangerous. People I meet who place an entire group of people out of what they define as beautiful are the same people who have a skewed perspective of that particular community. Stereotypes of Hmong people were rampant.

Hmong Women Aren't Pretty