I highly recommend reading this book. It is not a book one would say, “I enjoyed reading,” because the subject matter is difficult, but it is a good read and one that I think is especially beneficial to educators, medical professions, and mental health professionals. This book examines the cultural differences and the issues that result between the Hmong and mainstream American culture. It highlights these differences through the experiences of one family and their severely epileptic daughter. I learned a lot from The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down and it has left me looking at cultural issues differently — not only those involving Hmong, but other conflicting cultures as well.I first heard of the Hmong about 6 years ago when I noticed they had added Hmoob to the language options on Wells Fargo ATMs. I asked encyclopedic Jeff what Hmoob was and received a brief history of the Hmong people. The end. Fast forward to this December in class. One of my classmates recommended a book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman. My ears perked up because I wanted to learn more about the Hmong and, from the little I knew about this classmate, I thought I would like the books she recommended. So I picked it up at our library.I had an incredibly vivid dream/nightmare while I was reading the book that I think much more effectively shows what I learned from this book than any book review I could write. [The Dream.:] Despite my careful planning for quitting work and going back to school full time, for some reason we have fallen into a situation in which I need to find a job while completing my Masters. I call one of my favorite people from my old company, Tony, who excels at connecting people. I tell him I need to find a job. He makes some calls and tells me to show up at an office at a certain date and time to meet with some friends of his who are headhunters. I show up at the office at the designated time dressed in a suit with my resume and writing portfolio in hand. Tony is there and tells me I am late. I apologize even though I am positive I am on time. He introduces me to two men and a woman. I reach to shake their hands and they simply stare at my outreached hand looking disgusted. They hide their disgust and start speaking to me. I cannot understand what they are saying; it is like they are speaking through water. I can only understand what Tony says. He tells me that he has to run, but wishes me luck. I am left confused with the three employment agency people. They motion for me to follow them while asking me questions I cannot understand. I smile and nod. One of the men shows me into a small room with a dentist’s chair. He motions that I should sit in the chair. I am uncomfortable, but sit down and lean back in the chair somewhat concerned that I am going to wrinkle my suit. He takes my portfolio with my resume and writing samples from me and simply sets them aside without looking at them. This frustrates me because I feel he cannot assess my quality of work and where I would fit without looking at my resume and samples. He leans me farther back in the chair, talking to me without me understanding, and puts a gas mask on me. I start to fight and more people come in to restrain me. I black out. I wake up and my abdomen is incredibly sore. I am in the room alone. I look down and my blouse is messy with blood and Betadine; my jacket and pants are beyond wrinkled. I unbutton my shirt to see hundreds of big sutures all over my abdomen. The employment agency men and woman come back in smiling. I get up to physically attack them because I feel so violated. I was just coming in for a job placement consultation and they have cut me open and done who-knows-what to me. They restrain me back in the chair and leave the room. I cry and don’t know what to do. A bit later the three walk back in with Tony. Tony looks mad and asks why I have been so rude to his friends when they are being so kind to help me. I angrily ask how operating on me is helping me find a job. He sits down and explains to me that in this culture I need to understand that the first step in finding a good job is getting a tummy tuck. That is what an employment agency does. I am still furious and start sobbing again. I get up and walk out of the office. I woke from this dream extremely disturbed and close to tears. I reflected on it and realized that it had to do with the Hmong book I had been reading just before going to sleep. Hmong medical professionals do not touch their patients’ bodies, but rather talk to them and treat medical issues as a spiritual problem. The book discusses how surprising and violating it was for the Hmong when they went to emergency rooms in the US and were touched and examined all over. My dream was my way of processing and interpreting their experience. For me, being operated on when going to a job placement consultation is just as foreign as them being poked and prodded and operated on when going to a medical professional. I have been left very rattled by this realization. The book is excellent and worth reading. It has given me a new appreciation for displacement refugees feel when coming to their new country. I wish I could erase some of the imagery presented in this book from my mind as I have had several other nightmares stemming from this book. However, despite the nightmares, I do think it is worth being aware of these experiences so I can make more informed decisions and be a better counselor to individuals from these populations. ( )

I highly recommend reading this book. It is not a book one would say, “I enjoyed reading,” because the subject matter is difficult, but it is a good read and one that I think is especially beneficial to educators, medical professions, and mental health professionals. This book examines the cultural differences and the issues that result between the Hmong and mainstream American culture. It highlights these differences through the experiences of one family and their severely epileptic daughter. I learned a lot from The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down and it has left me looking at cultural issues differently — not only those involving Hmong, but other conflicting cultures as well.I first heard of the Hmong about 6 years ago when I noticed they had added Hmoob to the language options on Wells Fargo ATMs. I asked encyclopedic Jeff what Hmoob was and received a brief history of the Hmong people. The end. Fast forward to this December in class. One of my classmates recommended a book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman. My ears perked up because I wanted to learn more about the Hmong and, from the little I knew about this classmate, I thought I would like the books she recommended. So I picked it up at our library.I had an incredibly vivid dream/nightmare while I was reading the book that I think much more effectively shows what I learned from this book than any book review I could write. [The Dream.:] Despite my careful planning for quitting work and going back to school full time, for some reason we have fallen into a situation in which I need to find a job while completing my Masters. I call one of my favorite people from my old company, Tony, who excels at connecting people. I tell him I need to find a job. He makes some calls and tells me to show up at an office at a certain date and time to meet with some friends of his who are headhunters. I show up at the office at the designated time dressed in a suit with my resume and writing portfolio in hand. Tony is there and tells me I am late. I apologize even though I am positive I am on time. He introduces me to two men and a woman. I reach to shake their hands and they simply stare at my outreached hand looking disgusted. They hide their disgust and start speaking to me. I cannot understand what they are saying; it is like they are speaking through water. I can only understand what Tony says. He tells me that he has to run, but wishes me luck. I am left confused with the three employment agency people. They motion for me to follow them while asking me questions I cannot understand. I smile and nod. One of the men shows me into a small room with a dentist’s chair. He motions that I should sit in the chair. I am uncomfortable, but sit down and lean back in the chair somewhat concerned that I am going to wrinkle my suit. He takes my portfolio with my resume and writing samples from me and simply sets them aside without looking at them. This frustrates me because I feel he cannot assess my quality of work and where I would fit without looking at my resume and samples. He leans me farther back in the chair, talking to me without me understanding, and puts a gas mask on me. I start to fight and more people come in to restrain me. I black out. I wake up and my abdomen is incredibly sore. I am in the room alone. I look down and my blouse is messy with blood and Betadine; my jacket and pants are beyond wrinkled. I unbutton my shirt to see hundreds of big sutures all over my abdomen. The employment agency men and woman come back in smiling. I get up to physically attack them because I feel so violated. I was just coming in for a job placement consultation and they have cut me open and done who-knows-what to me. They restrain me back in the chair and leave the room. I cry and don’t know what to do. A bit later the three walk back in with Tony. Tony looks mad and asks why I have been so rude to his friends when they are being so kind to help me. I angrily ask how operating on me is helping me find a job. He sits down and explains to me that in this culture I need to understand that the first step in finding a good job is getting a tummy tuck. That is what an employment agency does. I am still furious and start sobbing again. I get up and walk out of the office. I woke from this dream extremely disturbed and close to tears. I reflected on it and realized that it had to do with the Hmong book I had been reading just before going to sleep. Hmong medical professionals do not touch their patients’ bodies, but rather talk to them and treat medical issues as a spiritual problem. The book discusses how surprising and violating it was for the Hmong when they went to emergency rooms in the US and were touched and examined all over. My dream was my way of processing and interpreting their experience. For me, being operated on when going to a job placement consultation is just as foreign as them being poked and prodded and operated on when going to a medical professional. I have been left very rattled by this realization. The book is excellent and worth reading. It has given me a new appreciation for displacement refugees feel when coming to their new country. I wish I could erase some of the imagery presented in this book from my mind as I have had several other nightmares stemming from this book. However, despite the nightmares, I do think it is worth being aware of these experiences so I can make more informed decisions and be a better counselor to individuals from these populations. ( )

I highly recommend reading this book. It is not a book one would say, “I enjoyed reading,” because the subject matter is difficult, but it is a good read and one that I think is especially beneficial to educators, medical professions, and mental health professionals. This book examines the cultural differences and the issues that result between the Hmong and mainstream American culture. It highlights these differences through the experiences of one family and their severely epileptic daughter. I learned a lot from The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down and it has left me looking at cultural issues differently — not only those involving Hmong, but other conflicting cultures as well.I first heard of the Hmong about 6 years ago when I noticed they had added Hmoob to the language options on Wells Fargo ATMs. I asked encyclopedic Jeff what Hmoob was and received a brief history of the Hmong people. The end. Fast forward to this December in class. One of my classmates recommended a book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman. My ears perked up because I wanted to learn more about the Hmong and, from the little I knew about this classmate, I thought I would like the books she recommended. So I picked it up at our library.I had an incredibly vivid dream/nightmare while I was reading the book that I think much more effectively shows what I learned from this book than any book review I could write. [The Dream.:] Despite my careful planning for quitting work and going back to school full time, for some reason we have fallen into a situation in which I need to find a job while completing my Masters. I call one of my favorite people from my old company, Tony, who excels at connecting people. I tell him I need to find a job. He makes some calls and tells me to show up at an office at a certain date and time to meet with some friends of his who are headhunters. I show up at the office at the designated time dressed in a suit with my resume and writing portfolio in hand. Tony is there and tells me I am late. I apologize even though I am positive I am on time. He introduces me to two men and a woman. I reach to shake their hands and they simply stare at my outreached hand looking disgusted. They hide their disgust and start speaking to me. I cannot understand what they are saying; it is like they are speaking through water. I can only understand what Tony says. He tells me that he has to run, but wishes me luck. I am left confused with the three employment agency people. They motion for me to follow them while asking me questions I cannot understand. I smile and nod. One of the men shows me into a small room with a dentist’s chair. He motions that I should sit in the chair. I am uncomfortable, but sit down and lean back in the chair somewhat concerned that I am going to wrinkle my suit. He takes my portfolio with my resume and writing samples from me and simply sets them aside without looking at them. This frustrates me because I feel he cannot assess my quality of work and where I would fit without looking at my resume and samples. He leans me farther back in the chair, talking to me without me understanding, and puts a gas mask on me. I start to fight and more people come in to restrain me. I black out. I wake up and my abdomen is incredibly sore. I am in the room alone. I look down and my blouse is messy with blood and Betadine; my jacket and pants are beyond wrinkled. I unbutton my shirt to see hundreds of big sutures all over my abdomen. The employment agency men and woman come back in smiling. I get up to physically attack them because I feel so violated. I was just coming in for a job placement consultation and they have cut me open and done who-knows-what to me. They restrain me back in the chair and leave the room. I cry and don’t know what to do. A bit later the three walk back in with Tony. Tony looks mad and asks why I have been so rude to his friends when they are being so kind to help me. I angrily ask how operating on me is helping me find a job. He sits down and explains to me that in this culture I need to understand that the first step in finding a good job is getting a tummy tuck. That is what an employment agency does. I am still furious and start sobbing again. I get up and walk out of the office. I woke from this dream extremely disturbed and close to tears. I reflected on it and realized that it had to do with the Hmong book I had been reading just before going to sleep. Hmong medical professionals do not touch their patients’ bodies, but rather talk to them and treat medical issues as a spiritual problem. The book discusses how surprising and violating it was for the Hmong when they went to emergency rooms in the US and were touched and examined all over. My dream was my way of processing and interpreting their experience. For me, being operated on when going to a job placement consultation is just as foreign as them being poked and prodded and operated on when going to a medical professional. I have been left very rattled by this realization. The book is excellent and worth reading. It has given me a new appreciation for displacement refugees feel when coming to their new country. I wish I could erase some of the imagery presented in this book from my mind as I have had several other nightmares stemming from this book. However, despite the nightmares, I do think it is worth being aware of these experiences so I can make more informed decisions and be a better counselor to individuals from these populations. ( )

I highly recommend reading this book. It is not a book one would say, “I enjoyed reading,” because the subject matter is difficult, but it is a good read and one that I think is especially beneficial to educators, medical professions, and mental health professionals. This book examines the cultural differences and the issues that result between the Hmong and mainstream American culture. It highlights these differences through the experiences of one family and their severely epileptic daughter. I learned a lot from The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down and it has left me looking at cultural issues differently — not only those involving Hmong, but other conflicting cultures as well.I first heard of the Hmong about 6 years ago when I noticed they had added Hmoob to the language options on Wells Fargo ATMs. I asked encyclopedic Jeff what Hmoob was and received a brief history of the Hmong people. The end. Fast forward to this December in class. One of my classmates recommended a book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman. My ears perked up because I wanted to learn more about the Hmong and, from the little I knew about this classmate, I thought I would like the books she recommended. So I picked it up at our library.I had an incredibly vivid dream/nightmare while I was reading the book that I think much more effectively shows what I learned from this book than any book review I could write. [The Dream.:] Despite my careful planning for quitting work and going back to school full time, for some reason we have fallen into a situation in which I need to find a job while completing my Masters. I call one of my favorite people from my old company, Tony, who excels at connecting people. I tell him I need to find a job. He makes some calls and tells me to show up at an office at a certain date and time to meet with some friends of his who are headhunters. I show up at the office at the designated time dressed in a suit with my resume and writing portfolio in hand. Tony is there and tells me I am late. I apologize even though I am positive I am on time. He introduces me to two men and a woman. I reach to shake their hands and they simply stare at my outreached hand looking disgusted. They hide their disgust and start speaking to me. I cannot understand what they are saying; it is like they are speaking through water. I can only understand what Tony says. He tells me that he has to run, but wishes me luck. I am left confused with the three employment agency people. They motion for me to follow them while asking me questions I cannot understand. I smile and nod. One of the men shows me into a small room with a dentist’s chair. He motions that I should sit in the chair. I am uncomfortable, but sit down and lean back in the chair somewhat concerned that I am going to wrinkle my suit. He takes my portfolio with my resume and writing samples from me and simply sets them aside without looking at them. This frustrates me because I feel he cannot assess my quality of work and where I would fit without looking at my resume and samples. He leans me farther back in the chair, talking to me without me understanding, and puts a gas mask on me. I start to fight and more people come in to restrain me. I black out. I wake up and my abdomen is incredibly sore. I am in the room alone. I look down and my blouse is messy with blood and Betadine; my jacket and pants are beyond wrinkled. I unbutton my shirt to see hundreds of big sutures all over my abdomen. The employment agency men and woman come back in smiling. I get up to physically attack them because I feel so violated. I was just coming in for a job placement consultation and they have cut me open and done who-knows-what to me. They restrain me back in the chair and leave the room. I cry and don’t know what to do. A bit later the three walk back in with Tony. Tony looks mad and asks why I have been so rude to his friends when they are being so kind to help me. I angrily ask how operating on me is helping me find a job. He sits down and explains to me that in this culture I need to understand that the first step in finding a good job is getting a tummy tuck. That is what an employment agency does. I am still furious and start sobbing again. I get up and walk out of the office. I woke from this dream extremely disturbed and close to tears. I reflected on it and realized that it had to do with the Hmong book I had been reading just before going to sleep. Hmong medical professionals do not touch their patients’ bodies, but rather talk to them and treat medical issues as a spiritual problem. The book discusses how surprising and violating it was for the Hmong when they went to emergency rooms in the US and were touched and examined all over. My dream was my way of processing and interpreting their experience. For me, being operated on when going to a job placement consultation is just as foreign as them being poked and prodded and operated on when going to a medical professional. I have been left very rattled by this realization. The book is excellent and worth reading. It has given me a new appreciation for displacement refugees feel when coming to their new country. I wish I could erase some of the imagery presented in this book from my mind as I have had several other nightmares stemming from this book. However, despite the nightmares, I do think it is worth being aware of these experiences so I can make more informed decisions and be a better counselor to individuals from these populations. ( )

I highly recommend reading this book. It is not a book one would say, “I enjoyed reading,” because the subject matter is difficult, but it is a good read and one that I think is especially beneficial to educators, medical professions, and mental health professionals. This book examines the cultural differences and the issues that result between the Hmong and mainstream American culture. It highlights these differences through the experiences of one family and their severely epileptic daughter. I learned a lot from The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down and it has left me looking at cultural issues differently — not only those involving Hmong, but other conflicting cultures as well.I first heard of the Hmong about 6 years ago when I noticed they had added Hmoob to the language options on Wells Fargo ATMs. I asked encyclopedic Jeff what Hmoob was and received a brief history of the Hmong people. The end. Fast forward to this December in class. One of my classmates recommended a book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman. My ears perked up because I wanted to learn more about the Hmong and, from the little I knew about this classmate, I thought I would like the books she recommended. So I picked it up at our library.I had an incredibly vivid dream/nightmare while I was reading the book that I think much more effectively shows what I learned from this book than any book review I could write. [The Dream.:] Despite my careful planning for quitting work and going back to school full time, for some reason we have fallen into a situation in which I need to find a job while completing my Masters. I call one of my favorite people from my old company, Tony, who excels at connecting people. I tell him I need to find a job. He makes some calls and tells me to show up at an office at a certain date and time to meet with some friends of his who are headhunters. I show up at the office at the designated time dressed in a suit with my resume and writing portfolio in hand. Tony is there and tells me I am late. I apologize even though I am positive I am on time. He introduces me to two men and a woman. I reach to shake their hands and they simply stare at my outreached hand looking disgusted. They hide their disgust and start speaking to me. I cannot understand what they are saying; it is like they are speaking through water. I can only understand what Tony says. He tells me that he has to run, but wishes me luck. I am left confused with the three employment agency people. They motion for me to follow them while asking me questions I cannot understand. I smile and nod. One of the men shows me into a small room with a dentist’s chair. He motions that I should sit in the chair. I am uncomfortable, but sit down and lean back in the chair somewhat concerned that I am going to wrinkle my suit. He takes my portfolio with my resume and writing samples from me and simply sets them aside without looking at them. This frustrates me because I feel he cannot assess my quality of work and where I would fit without looking at my resume and samples. He leans me farther back in the chair, talking to me without me understanding, and puts a gas mask on me. I start to fight and more people come in to restrain me. I black out. I wake up and my abdomen is incredibly sore. I am in the room alone. I look down and my blouse is messy with blood and Betadine; my jacket and pants are beyond wrinkled. I unbutton my shirt to see hundreds of big sutures all over my abdomen. The employment agency men and woman come back in smiling. I get up to physically attack them because I feel so violated. I was just coming in for a job placement consultation and they have cut me open and done who-knows-what to me. They restrain me back in the chair and leave the room. I cry and don’t know what to do. A bit later the three walk back in with Tony. Tony looks mad and asks why I have been so rude to his friends when they are being so kind to help me. I angrily ask how operating on me is helping me find a job. He sits down and explains to me that in this culture I need to understand that the first step in finding a good job is getting a tummy tuck. That is what an employment agency does. I am still furious and start sobbing again. I get up and walk out of the office. I woke from this dream extremely disturbed and close to tears. I reflected on it and realized that it had to do with the Hmong book I had been reading just before going to sleep. Hmong medical professionals do not touch their patients’ bodies, but rather talk to them and treat medical issues as a spiritual problem. The book discusses how surprising and violating it was for the Hmong when they went to emergency rooms in the US and were touched and examined all over. My dream was my way of processing and interpreting their experience. For me, being operated on when going to a job placement consultation is just as foreign as them being poked and prodded and operated on when going to a medical professional. I have been left very rattled by this realization. The book is excellent and worth reading. It has given me a new appreciation for displacement refugees feel when coming to their new country. I wish I could erase some of the imagery presented in this book from my mind as I have had several other nightmares stemming from this book. However, despite the nightmares, I do think it is worth being aware of these experiences so I can make more informed decisions and be a better counselor to individuals from these populations. ( )