Most fled to the United States as refugees in the late 1970s due to their cooperation with the Central Intelligence Agency operatives in northern Laos during the Vietnam War, or are a descendant.
[1] Vang Pao was venerated as a leader by the large Hmong refugee populations who immigrated to the United States when the communists seized power in Laos.
Many Hmong who arrived in California decided not to farm due to a lack of capital, English skills, and overall education; the lack of English meant they were unable to develop the required marketing and technological skills to succeed in farming in the United States.
[3] In the 2010s Hmong from the Central Valley and from other parts of the United States began moving to Northern California, with several coming to farming marijuana.
[5] Evacuation efforts were complicated for the Lava Fire in 2021 by the ongoing tensions between local authorities and the Hmong communities that operate cannabis farms in the area.
[6][7] Additionally, 14 people were arrested in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision after refusing to leave amid the evacuation order.
[1] By late 2016 about 33% of the land parcels at Mount Shasta Vista were owned by people with Hmong family names.
[4] As of around 2013 Mai Na Lee stated that, of all Asian ethnic groups in California, the Hmong had the lowest educational attainment.
As of the 2010 U.S. Census, 7% of Hmong had a bachelor's degree and higher qualifications and over 50% had not achieved a high school diploma.
[3] Mai Na Lee stated that the California public may incorrectly perceive Hmong as conforming to the model minority stereotype.
The Sacramento City USD and the Fresno Unified School District have large numbers of Hmong students.