From Local to Transnational
Sangmi Lee
Reclaiming Diasporic Identity February 27, 2024 DOI: 10.5622/illinois/9780252045769.003.0006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Hmong shamanism functions as a transnational cultural continuity in the diaspora, projected across borders through kinship, economic networks, and beliefs about shamanistic births and mobile souls. Contends that migration transforms it from a localized community event into an individualized, commodified practice that still carries "traditional" authority, allowing dispersed Hmong to reaffirm shared ethnic identity; the chapter also addresses gender, generational, and religious differences and Christianity. |
Abstract
This chapter examines Hmong shamanism as a transnational cultural continuity in the diaspora. Although shamanistic rituals are often seen as locally bound, their power can be deterritorialized and transnationally projected across the diaspora through extensive kinship and economic networks as well as beliefs about shamanistic births and the mobile nature of souls. Nonetheless, Hmong shamanism has been transformed as it has traveled across national borders through the diaspora from a socially rich, localized community event to an individualized practice subject to commodification, while retaining its “traditional” authority. The transnational nature of shamanism allows dispersed, diasporic Hmong to reaffirm their shared ethnic and cultural identities across national borders. This chapter also analyzes gender, generational, and religious differences in the practice of shamanism and its relation to Christianity.