American Melody
Mamie Xiong plans to study immigration law after finishing her undergraduate degree at Gonzaga University. Yet Xiong’s singing — which sounds smooth and melodic — could intervene. Xiong, 20, has already recorded two albums, her voice blending with pop and hip-hop beats. She recently opened for the rap group 2 Live Crew and has recorded backup vocals for a commercial. Xiong would love the opportunity to sign on a major record label and launch a music career. “Music is a dream of mine, but so is law,” Xiong said. “I’m just trying for both. Whatever happens, happens.”
Xiong, who is Hmong, grew up with two cultures. Even as she did the typical American kid thing — played basketball, did gymnastics, learned flute and violin, joined the dance team — she didn’t feel completely at ease.
At East Valley High School, being a minority was “cool,” yet Xiong felt her peers understood little of her culture. Since graduating, instead of feeling frustrated by the ignorance, Xiong has begun to speak publicly about her ethnic heritage and Hmong culture.
The Hmong are an ethnic minority from Laos who have faced persecution because they helped the United States during the Vietnam War era and were viewed as traitors. Since a communist government came to power in Laos in the mid-1970s, many have resettled in the United States as refugees, particularly in Minnesota.
“My parents worked so hard to get us here and we don’t want to waste it,” Xiong says of herself and her four siblings. “I think a lot of people who grew up here don’t understand that.”
Xiong’s father, Zheu Xiong, spent his childhood hiding in the jungle, wondering if each dawn would bring a violent death. In a recent interview, he talked in quiet amazement over the difference between his childhood and that of his children, who have grown up in Spokane Valley.
“You just feel so empty like you have no teenager life. We never knew where we would live for the next day,” Zheu Xiong said.
Zheu Xiong and his wife Xhaw Xiong both lost their parents during the tumultuous years of fighting and the starvation that followed. The young couple eventually escaped to Thailand, where they were taken to a refugee camp. It was more of a prison than a camp, enclosed with barbed wire. People who tried to escape were beaten to death. Women were raped.
Yet the thought of living in the United States brought little comfort. The Hmong believed there were evil giants in the United States who chased and ate people. Zheu Xiong remembers being terrified of coming to this country, even though his brother, who lived in Spokane, sent him a cassette tape telling him the monster story was not true and that he should come.
Xhaw and Zheu Xiong moved to Spokane Valley 20 years ago, got jobs and began raising their family. There are approximately 50 Hmong families in the Spokane area, Zheu Xiong estimates.
Zheu Xiong said he’s proud of his children. He’s tried to teach them Hmong culture without alienating them from their adopted country. Both parents have done extra work, like picking huckleberries and growing flowers, to give their kids extras.
“If our kids become a success, then we’ve reached our goal,” Zheu Xiong said. “If you fail your kid, you fail yourself.”
He also supports Mamie Xiong’s musical and academic ambitions. Zheu Xiong has hunted down information about scholarships and competitions, encouraging her to apply.
“This is a totally different generation,” Zheu Xiong said of his hip-hop-loving daughter. “If you really support your kid, you’ll be the first one to tell them you like it.”
Xiong said her parents have motivated her to dream big, whether it means going to law school or launching a singing career.