"The Hmong (pronounced mung) are an ancient tribe of mountain people who migrated from China in the mid-nineteenth century in search of freedom and a land of their own. Indeed, the word Hmong means "free." The freedom they cherish is an all-encompassing liberty that means far more than their independence from a political government or a system of economics. It is a freedom of the spirit, a freedom to be their own people, and it is the very essence of their being." 1 Carla J. Hassel