Public display of affection is not acceptable to them. Hmong will generally want a familiar person to act as an interpreter. Hospital interpreters may be perceived as loyal to the hospital, and not to be trusted. It is not advisable to utilize children as interpreters, as they lack adequate Hmong language skills. It is necessary to convey the intent of the message when working with Hmong interpreters.
Hmong language consists of almost no medical terms, and lacks many comparable English terms.
Therefore, procedures may be interpreted in an excessively simple way. Greetings Handshakes, smiles, and introductions are appropriate. For respect's sake, do not refer to Hmong persons by their first names. Calling a married woman by her first name is especially inappropriate and is considered disrespectful to her husband. Time Hmong individuals are oriented to the present and rarely use calendars or clocks.