Somewhere in the Unknown World: A Collective Refugee Memoir

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2020

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Beta

Discussion Questions

Background

Historical Context: CIA Involvement in Laos

After Laos gained independence from France in 1954, the region became a focal point for Cold War rivalries. The Pathet Lao, supported by North Vietnam and the Soviet Union, aimed to establish a communist government, while the Royal Lao Government, backed by the United States, sought to prevent the spread of communism in the young nation. In the late 1950s, the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) initiated a covert operation in Laos to support anti-communist forces. The agency began arming and training Indigenous Hmong people, led by General Vang Pao, to fight against the Pathet Lao and their North Vietnamese allies. As war escalated in the 1960s and 1970s, the CIA used these Hmong soldiers to conduct airstrikes, establish a network of secret bases, and wage guerilla warfare against communist forces. Stories of American Hmong collaboration feature prominently in the collection.

When American forces left the region at the end of the Vietnam War, CIA support for the Hmong also disappeared, and the remaining soldiers and their families were left vulnerable. The communist government viewed the Hmong, particularly those who had worked with the CIA, as the enemy, and the remaining soldiers faced persecution, reprisals, and displacement. Thousands of Hmong soldiers and their families fled to neighboring countries, particularly Thailand. The United States, recognizing its culpability, initiated efforts to resettle Hmong refugees in the United States, primarily in Minnesota, California, and Wisconsin. The Hmong diaspora in America features prominently in Somewhere in the Unknown World, and the author is herself of Hmong descent.

Political Context: Refugee Resettlement in the United States

Refugee resettlement in the United States is a complicated and highly politicized process. Each year, the White House releases the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions, which sets a cap for the number of refugees to be admitted to the United States. This number fluctuates based on the government’s budget, logistical capabilities, and the severity of global crises, but can also be influenced by foreign policy goals, public opinion, and political climate. In the introduction to Somewhere in the Unknown World, Yang writes that she was inspired to collect refugee stories in 2016 as public sentiment and political policy turned against refugee resettlement.

Refugees to the United States are typically referred by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Refugees are deemed eligible for entry after a rigorous screening process, including security checks, medical examinations, and interviews. Once approved, refugees are offered no-interest loans to buy tickets to the United States; the first repayment installment of the loan is expected six months after arrival. Incoming refugees are assigned to one of nine national resettlement agencies in the United States. Destination cities are determined based on existing resources, communities, and employment opportunities. Refugees are typically offered immediate assistance upon arrival: this includes airport pick-up, temporary housing, and assistance with essential tasks like opening bank accounts and enrolling in schools. Although these programs are designed to help refugee families establish their lives, the stories collected in Somewhere in the Unknown World suggest that refugee resettlement is a difficult process that can affect generations of a family.