Chapter 18: Hawaii

The Asian arrival in Hawaii had a major impact on the population. In 1997, Merced had a high concentration of Hmong residents relative to its population. The settlement of the Hmongs began after the Laotian Civil war ended. The Hmong fled to refugee camps in Thailand and then the United States. Dang Moua promoted Merced for the Hmongs to live in. He thought that it had rich soils and good land to plant with. He moved to Merced, and the reviews of this town spread quickly to other clans. Even though he was right in what he thought about the land, much of the land had already been owned, and Mexican workers took up the low-wage jobs that the farms had to offer. However, the longer they lived in Merced, the more common it was for them to become land owners. There is now a "Yang Farm" which is just a small fruit stand, located just down the street from my house in Merced. During the summer, one can buy three baskets full of strawberries for about $5.00. The farm produces adequate produce throughout the summer and many locals stop there to buy fruits and vegetables from them. Many of them left between 2006 and 2008 due to the economic recession. The Hmong population in Merced was so prevalent that there was even a book written about it called "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" by Anne Fadiman.

Just a small selection of what one can find at Yangs fruit stand in Merced.

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