Hmong was not a written language until the late 1960s. It has few medical terms. Older Hmong sometimes communicate by using metaphors. As a result, non-Hmong need some knowledge of the culture to understand what the Hmong are communicating. Clans are not constituted by last name.
Families have two special ceremonies to remember their ancestors.
If families practice the same ceremony, then they probably belong to the same ancestor. Hmong families tend to be large and the extended family is considered to be part of the family. Hmong and the whole clan select leaders who are honest, respectful, and who will make wise decisions. The leader s job is to make decisions and to help when there is a problem, such as a divorce, illness or death in the family. The leader decides whether to go forward with a surgery or whether to resuscitate a patient.