Mienh.net is a website for and about the Iu-Mien. Our goal is three-fold:

1. Provide accurate information about Iu-Mien culture and history.
2. Supply up-to-date information related to Mienh people today.
3. Act as a place for meeting and discussion.

Why was it created?

First, very little information about the Iu-Mien exists. Of the available information, many are either largely biased, negative, or uninformed. Scholarly articles or books are difficult to get a hold of and most require extensive time investment. There is even less literature about the Iu-Mien written by Mienhs. In an effort to solve these problems, mienh.net was created.

There are other, more idealistic, reasons too. After 25 years, Mienh people as a group are still struggling in the United States. Problems such as high rates of drop-outs, gangs, low educational achievement, high unemployment, generation gaps, language barriers (the list goes on and on) are continually plaguing our community. Underlying all these problems may be a cultural one. Most elders hold firmly to their long-established beliefs that conflict with American values. Youths often have no knowledge of their past or of their parent's struggles. Children do not speak Mienh anymore and elders possess limited English skills. All these cultural problems can manifest itself in destructive ways. By providing information about our past and present, and by facilitating discussion, we hope to bridge some gaps.

Who's behind mienh.net?

Fahm is a student at UC Davis, postponing graduation by writing her senior theses in anthropology and economics.

When she's not studying, working, involved with IMSA and other organizations, or updating mienh.net, she finds herself with much down time.

If you have suggestions for post-graduation, or know interesting ways to fill up her time, drop her a line at mienh_net@hotmail.com.

Otherwise, she'll drive herself nuts by trying to choose wall colors for her apartment.

Ou is an electrical engineering major at UC Davis.

Not only is Ou brainy, as evidenced by his super-tech abilities and continual endurance in the EE program, he's athletic, friendly, and funny. Yes, Ou has the entire package. For a limited time only, email him at ofsaechao@ucdavis.edu for his phone number.

(Ou, did you like the write-up?)

Pao Saechao is graduate of Georgetown University. He's an aspiring writer of fiction, poetry and script, and has been published by the Asian Pacific American Journal and Netsperanto.com. He also co-produces and edits Everybody Who's Nobody, a literary and art magazine based out of Merced, CA.

He likes long hikes in the mountains and hard cheeses, because they have very little lactose, so it's not so bad on his stomach. He can be seen in random Starbucks and dive bars, where he's usually sitting by himself or next to the third prettiest girl in the room. He says she quickly becomes more attractive near last call, and he loves that sort of fast improvement. That, and there usually aren't more than three or four girls in the dive bars he visits.

After his birth in a Thai refugee camp, he's lived in Albuquerque, Long Beach, Seattle, Merced and Washington. He currently lives in the "greater" Sacramento area and works for a consulting firm. Email Pao at paosaechao@aol.com.

Dr. Leroy and Derilus are highly trained advice columnists who choose to remain anonymous. Email them your inquiries, problems, greetings, goodbyes, and whatever else you want at mienh_net@hotmail.com, subject: Dr. Say-what?

Yao goes to Sacramento City College. He plans on transferring to Berkeley and major in Computer Science.

He spends his pastime exploring, playing, and composing music. You can catch him at Sacramento parks on nice sunny days playing basketball.

Saturdays, he works, and all the other days he is the semi-parent/older brother to two of his siblings.

He likes hip hop, philosophy, and food. He dislikes coming home to an empty pot of rice.

Mienvision, a.k.a. San Saephan, comes to us from Redding. A fair and level-headed moderator, San works from behind the scenes. You can catch him at his Mienh website, MienVision, or email him at saephansan@hotmail.com.

Johnny Bravo. Celebrity moderator. 'Nuff said.