Translation agencies across the U.S. have received an increasing number of requests for Hmong translation and interpretation services. Over 200,000 Hmong immigrants have come to this country since 1976, with the largest populations settling in Minnesota, Wisconsin and California.
Prior to 1975, the Hmong language did not have a written form, leading many Hmong to be classified as “preliterate”. A 1986 study of 20 refugee families in the U.S. showed that 70% could not read or write Hmong. Although the study is over 20 years old, translating from English to Hmong still presents numerous challenges for school district across the country.
The Hmong language is made up of many dialects spoken by Hmong people across China, Northern Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. The two most common dialects are White Hmong (Hmong Der) and Green/Blue Hmong (Mong Leng). White Hmong is spoken by the majority of Hmong immigrants in the United States. Of course, one must specify which dialect of Hmong will be used when requesting translation services, so that the translation is understood and accepted by the local population.
Knowing the most commonly accepted version of Hmong spoken by your ELL audience, moves you in the right direction to provide accurate education translations for your district’s Hmong population.
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Maggie
K12Translate
Tags: Hmong
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