Moua proves an apt and insightful guide to a community dealing with age-old American issues in a new and original fashion.” She shows how first- and second-generation Hmong, shaped by war and refugee experiences, confront difficult questions of identity and negotiation. “With subtlety, sensitivity, and nuance, Moua explores the world of Hmong Americans and reveals the fraught terrain of cultural differences that they must navigate. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. Through a trip to Thailand, through hard work in the garden, through the birth of another generation, one strong woman seeks reconciliation with another. As she navigates the Hmong world of animism, Christianity, and traditional gender roles, she begins to learn what she has not been taught. But even after the bride price has been paid, Mai Neng finds herself outside of Hmong culture and at odds with her mother, not realizing the full meaning of the customs she has rejected.

Months later, the families carry out the tshoob without the wedding couple. The couple refuses to participate in the tshoob, the traditional Hmong marriage ceremony many members of their families, on both sides, stay away from their church wedding. What happens next is devastating, and it raises questions about the very meaning of being Hmong in America. Mai Neng, who knows the pain this tradition has caused, says no. When Mai Neng Moua decides to get married, her mother, a widow, wants the groom to follow Hmong custom and pay a bride price, which both honors the work the bride's family has done in raising a daughter and offers a promise of love and security from the groom's family.

Mai neng moua the bride price