In the Wake of George Floyd: Hmong Americans’ Refusal to Be a U.S. Ally

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the tenuous relationship between refugees and African Americans, specifically Hmong Americans in relation to Black Lives Matter following the murder of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers, one of whom is Hmong. We argue that Hmong expose the messiness of race relations in the U.S. due to their implication as a U.S. ally in Southeast Asia. While Hmong refugees/Americans can be called to enact violence on behalf of the U.S. militarized state, Hmong American activists refuse the reprised role of the ally, insisting on justice for Floyd and other Black people killed by the police.