Khoua Vang is a member of the ethnic Hmong group, the agrarian hill tribe that aided the CIA during the Vietnam War. After the Communist victory, more than 200,000 Hmong were killed or driven out of Laos and into exile. Today, many Hmong live in the United States, like Vang, who resides with his family in Marysville, California. He studies English at Yuba College and his wife is a newspaper carrier for the Appeal-Democrat [Marysville newspaper]. Hmong life is different here but some pastimes remain identical, like hunting in the mountains for squirrel.

How long have you been in the USA?

I am 36. I have been in this country for 13 years. Before here, I lived in Thailand in a refugee camp near Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Before that I lived in Laos, in a village called Pha Lu.

Are you married?

Yes. I have a wife. Her name is Mai Xiong Ying. And we have seven children, all daughters. Our daughter's names and ages are Yong (13), Xyny (11), Pajan (10), Xouna (7), Minda (5), Pajic (4), and Kalia (7 months).

When you lived in Laos, what was your family's occupation?

We were rice farmers. We also planted all kinds of vegetables: corn, cabbage, onions, all kinds.

Do you have a big garden now, in your Marysville backyard?

No. We don't have a garden. We only have a small yard for the kids to play in. We live in an apartment duplex.

Do you own a car?

Yes. We have three cars: Mazda van, Toyota pickup, and Chrysler van.

Did your family and the other Hmongs hunt animals in their homeland in Laos?

Yes. We hunted wild pig, chukar [a quail-like bird], deer ...

Deer? There's deer? In Laos?

Yes. Many deer. They are the same as in this country. Their color is red. But I don't hunt deer anymore. Not here.

Did you and the other Hmong hunt squirrels in Laos?

Yes. We hunted squirrels there. But the squirrel color is different there than in this country. The squirrels are gray here.

What kinds of animals do the Hmong hunt here, in California?

Mostly my people hunt wild pig and deer and quail and squirrel...

Same as in Laos! Exactly!

Yes. The same. Except my people also hunt monkey in Laos. I never did but my father and grandfather hunted monkey.

Is it difficult to hunt squirrels? It seems like it would be very easy.

It is hard to catch them. The squirrels in the high mountains are very scared of people. They are not like squirrels in the park, that are friendly. The squirrels in the high mountain know that you want to kill them. When you hunt them, you have to have experience to get them. You have to walk quietly so they don't see you or they run away.

When do you shoot the squirrels? When they're on the ground? Or in the tree?

I shoot them in the tree.

Are you a good shot?

Just OK.

Do you often miss?

Yes. Once I got four squirrels, but I saw ten squirrels. I probably get one squirrel out of three.

What kind of gun do you hunt squirrels with?

In Laos, I hunted with a .22 or a shotgun. But here I only hunt with a .22. Too many little bullets in the squirrel if you hunt with a shotgun.

Do you go hunting alone? Or with others?

I go hunting with friends. On weekends.

I've heard that absolutely all Hmong men go squirrel hunting. Is this true?


Are there any hunters out there hunting squirrels, other than the Hmong?

No. Mostly my people are hunting squirrels.

How many squirrels do you bag when you go hunting?

I got four one time, four squirrels. That's the limit. If you ever have over four squirrels, you get a ticket.

Is there a "squirrel season"?

Yes. From September 14 to January 31.

What do you do with the squirrels, after you shoot them?

I just take them home for food. My wife likes squirrels a lot. Squirrel is her favorite food.

Do your daughters eat the squirrels?

No. My kids don't like them. My kids like American food. Hamburgers, french fries, waffles.

How does your wife cook up the squirrels?

She makes a soup. With onion, carrot, garlic, salt, sugar, many things. And red chili to make it spicy.

So, its like a stew?


Does she cook four squirrels in one stew?

No. She cooks only one squirrel in each stew. When I got four squirrels, she just cooked one squirrel each day, for four days.

How is the squirrel prepared, before putting it into the stew?

We cut the head off and the tail off and the four legs off and we just eat the body.

She boils the meat on the bones?


What does squirrel stew taste like?

It tastes like Thai soup, because it's spicy. My wife, she is a very good cook.

What does squirrel meat look like? Dark or light?

It is colored like sheep meat.

How long does your wife cook the squirrel?

She has to cook the squirrel one hour.

Where do the Hmong people in California live?

Marysville, Yuba City, Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto, all over. There are a lot of Hmong farmers in Fresno - growing beans, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers. My Dad lives in Fresno.

My people also live in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, all over. I have one brother-in-law in North Carolina, and my sister lives in Minnesota.

[there are approximately 250,000-300,000 Hmong in the United States, with about 85,000 living in California]

Do you like to fish, too?

No. I don't like to fish. Not me. Too much waiting.

I just hunt for squirrels, because squirrel is my wife's favorite food. She misses eating squirrel in Laos, so I hunt them here, for her.
