The pages that follow, rich in descriptive detail, are the fruits of Kou Vang and Christa Xiong's labor. The women in this survey vary in age, education, and level of literacy of American culture. Some were born in Laos and came here as adults. Others arrived as children or in their teens and have been educated as Americans.

Portrait of Hmong Women conveys their stories. It brings to light their voices, thoughts, and perspectives. In doing so, it shows how the lives of Hmong women are complicated by a multitude of social and cultural factors, including difficult choices they must regularly confront. We will learn that some of those choices were made by them; others have been made for them. Each personal narrative is thus about life in a community that is bounded by strong traditions on the one hand and informed by the need to exercise some autonomy within the spaces of those traditions on the other.

​Through the heartfelt testimony of a dedicated wife, a diligent daughter, or an unappreciated daughter-in-law, we can easily see how each person is made more acutely aware of the cultural norms in her family and community. In this regard, each story is more than just embracing or rejecting a culture. It is about how lives within it are shaped, molded, and altered by social and cultural processes. Told from a fresh perspective of life in America, each story not only brings together the past and present but also raises burning questions about gender and social equality in a traditionally patriarchal society: Hmong society.