Oh Asian Avenue.... Never used it but saw it. I was a Asian Town user just like the rest of the Hmong people in Minnesota lol. We had everything - ddr games, street racing, spiky hairdoos, baggy clothing, gangs, korean music, you name it, Minnesota was a haven for that shit. A mini California if I could call it hah. I was the nerdy Asian guy who would rather play his games (Street Racing Syndicate anyone? Tokyo Extreme Racing?!). No spiky hairdoo but I still don some baggy clothing since they fit me more lol. Korean music was baller though. Dat S.E.S. or Fin.K.L. Shinhwa was so good.
Back to Rice-Eaters question.... I think many Hmong adults now and then don't necessarily agree with our past customs but for some of them they have to do it because they want to nurture our culture and keep it alive. To this day we still believe in forced kidnappings (dying though), force marriages, force drinking at a young age (one reason why I am trying to stop drinking. I've not met one Hmong person who doesn't drink), the literal sense of buying your bride (but this can sort of be forgiven since everybody does it in some way like a wedding ring and how you are perceived as a man if you buy your wife a cheap ring and that's how much value you think she is worth, etc.), and many other age old customs that are very shady and dangerous.
I'm not a traditional Hmong guy at all. I don't practice Shamanism nor do I believe in religion, I don't participate in much of our customs or at all, and I really believe that we, as a community, need to start being more progressive in our ways. Yes we can retain some of our old customs but we need to tweak them. I don't know how since I'm not such of a political guy though. I just don't agree with our customs and I try to distance myself from them.
Some may say I'm white-washed or an uncle tom and whatnot but really, I'm not at all. I don't hate it I just don't like it and I would hope that the younger Hmong leaders help change some of our customs. It's related to everybody too and not just limited to Hmong people. The older leaders are still very powerful and rich and they have alot more leeway with politics. It is an Asian thing when the younger leaders try to challenge them because we want to save face and respect them. Hmong people are very scared of change and I believe that's why not many try to be in politics.
Last thing I need to say is that we should preserve our language. I am starting to lose my native tongue as I get older and it sucks when you are conversing with Hmong people who can speak it better than you (I'm sure this applies to all Asians lol) and all I'm thinking is, "bruh slow it down what did you just say to me?" (either in Hmonglish or entirely in English). My 8 year old nephew doesn't speak or understand Hmong at all (besides some food words, meeka, and grandma). It's sad that my sister and her husband hasn't taught him how to speak his native tongue. I don't want him to grow up and be the weird Asian guy that doesn't speak his own language (sorry if that offended some of you that don't speak or understand your native tongue) you know?
I think that's most of my thoughts on my own people and culture lol. Hmong people are such weird Asians.