The Child Who Brought A Pen From Heaven
Autobiography of Lee Thao (Nyiajlis Thoj)
The child was born
In 1957, a child was born into a small village in the northeastern part of Laos. This village consisted of the Thao clan. Members of the family, as well as the villagers, welcomed the new son into a family of six children. Mom and dad were very happy because they had two sons at the end.
When the villagers came to see the new boy, they were curious about the boy’s right thumb. They usually asked, “Why did he get that thumb?” To shut them down, his grandmom quickly answered, “He brought a pen from heaven.” No one challenged his grandmother even though they knew that there was no school for the children of this village, on any other villages in that area.
The boy going to school
As the civil war in Laos progressed in the 1960’s, schools were open to many villages in Laos, including the Thao clan’s village. At age 8 or 9, the boy started going to school with other Hmong children, mostly boys. The boy recalled that the school, as well as the war, began during the dry season. These two events co-existed, and caused the school to be closed almost every year. Although the soldiers did not lose the battles, the teachers often left the children behind. Each year, the boy would start first grade again. Laos did not promote children by age, but by their academic knowledge. From 3rd grade to 4th grade, there was an entrance exam, and if a student failed the exam, he/she would remain in third grade. Once a student passed the exam, he/she might not find a school to go to because there was no 4th grade in most villages.
After the fall of the boy’s home land
When the boy’s home land was lost to the communist in 1969, the Thao clan moved closer to the city. By this time, he was able to enter 3rd grade since more schools were available. He recalled a harsh punishment from his teacher during the first few weeks of school. Students often took dictations, and these dictations were not like the spellings in the United States. When taking a dictation, the teacher would open a page from a 3rd grade book and start reading to the students. The students would write the words of the passage that were read by the teacher. Then the teacher would correct the papers and the students would receive punishment according to their misspelled words. If you misspelled a word, then you would receive a hit on your palm by a meter ruler. As mentioned above, no one was prepared for the dictation. They did not receive a list of words to study nor a passage to read. Therefore, the students would expect many misspelled words. Three students left the school at the first dictation because they could not bear the punishment. From then on, the teacher refrained from punishing his students due to their misspelled words. But behavior problems could always receive a spank in the butt by the same meter ruler. Half way through the school year, the communists started fighting and moving near the village, then people began to move again. The boy was relocated to a new village where there was no 3rd grade, so he ended up in a 2nd grade. Fortunately, the teacher allowed his students to take an entrance exam to enter to 4th grade. The boy made it and he moved on to 4th grade. The 4th grade school was a day walk away, so he had to move there and left his family behind for the first time.
Disruption to his education was not only caused by war, but also sickness. When he was in 4th grade, he often got sick. As a result, his brother-in-law decided to take him and his mom to live in the capital city of Laos. From then on, he quickly climbed the educational ladder because he had better health and was away from the war. At the end of 6th grade, he took the 7th grade entrance exam and passed it. Now he would move further from his family, but this time he got a room and board. He entered a 4 year program to become a teacher. Near the end of the school year, the boy relocated again. This time, he became a refugee in Thailand and there seemed no future for him.
Although the Hmong fought with the Americans during the Laotian Secret War, the Hmong did not know much about the United States. They knew more about France because it used to dominate Laos. French was a Laotian second language; therefore, they always thought that France would be their next destination. When being in the refugee camp, young adults continued to learn French and Thai, not English.
The boy in the United States
At the end of 1976, the boy and his brother’s family were accepted to the United States. Now the boy faced a greater challenge with no English. He was placed in 10th grade according to his age group, not academic knowledge. After three years of struggling with English and other courses, he was granted for graduation. After high school, he went on to a community college. This was the darkest year of his life because in college there was no excuse for not knowing English. He had no idea about writing an essay paper and had very limited English words. To have a good essay paper, you had to understand its structure and know a bunch of words to be used. With the help of church members and mentors, he finally graduated from that community college. But, due to his limited in English, he could not find a job even though he received the degree. He continued taking college courses in a private college for three more years, then he was recruited to attend a teacher college in 1984.
The completion of his Education
In 1984, Ball State University recruited Southeast Asian students to become teachers. The young adult who had brought a pen from heaven had the opportunity to attend a teacher college. The light began to shine and he could grasp more English and his college courses. He finally understood the essay structure, but he was still limited in vocabulary. After another three years, he graduated and became a bilingual teacher in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While teaching students during the day, he continued his education in the evening. In 1993, he received his MA degree from Mankato State University. At that time, he realized that his grandmother’s claim was a reality. But it was sad that she did not know that her grandson had achieved her claim.
Was this a real pen from heaven? According to his grandmom, it was. Although there was no school in his village, God foretold his grandmom that this boy was born to learn. God sent schools on his way and he achieved his education in the most prestigious country in the world, the United States of America.
Tus Me Tub Uas Coj Tus Cwjmem Saum Ntuj Los
Sau Txog Tus Kheej: Nyiajlis Thoj
Tus me tub yug
Xyoo 1957, tus me tub tau yug los rau ib lub menyuam zos hauv teb chaws Blog sab qaum teb buab hnub tuaj. Lub zos no yog zos Hmoob Thoj. Tsev neeg thiab zej zog tau tos txais tus me tub rau hauv ib tsev neeg uas muaj 6 leej menyuam. Nws niam thiab txiv zoo siab heev rau qhov gawv yug tau ob tug tub rau ntu kawg.
Thaum cov neeg zej zog tuaj xyuas tus me tub, lawv pheej xav paub txog nws tus ntiv tes xoo sab xis. Lawv pheej nug tias, “Ua cas nws tus ntiv tes xoo zoo li ntawd?” Nws pog qos lawv cov qhovncauj tamsim tias, “Nws coj tus cwjmem saum ntuj los nas”. Txawm lawv paub tias tej zej zog ib ncig ntawd tsis muaj cheevtxuj(tsev kawm ntawv) rau cov menyuam yaus los lawv tsis muaj ib tug cam nws pog.
Tus Me Tub Mus Kawm Ntawv
Tomqab xyoo 1960, tsov rog Blog teb huam loj zuj zus tuaj thiab ntau lub cheevtxuj(tsev kawm ntawv) tau tshwm tsim rau Hmoob tej zos thiab hauv lub zos Hmoob Thoj. Thaum tus me tub muaj 8 los 9 xyoos, nws thiaj tau mus kawm ntawm nrog cov menyuam Hmoob, feem coob yog cov tub. Tus tub no nco tias kev kawm ntawv thiab kev tsov rog sawv lub caij ntuj qhua. Vim ob yam no tshwm ua ke, nws thiaj ua rau lub cheevtxuj raug kaw yuav luag txhua xyoo. Txawm cov tub rog tsis swb tsam rog los cov leeskais yeej muab cov meyes tso tseg: khiav lawm tsis rov los. Yog li no, tus me tub no thiaj rov pib qib 1 dua txhua xyoo. Blog teb tsis cia menyuam kawm ntawv nrog hnub nyoog, lawv cia kawm raws kev paub/txawj ntawv. Qib 3 nce rau qib 4 yuav tsum muaj xeem. Yog tus meyes twg xeem tsis tau ces tus ntawd yuav tau rov kawm qib 3 dua. Thaum nws ho xeem tau los tsis muaj qib 4 rau cov meyes kawm vim ntau lub zos tsis muaj qib 4.
Tomqab tus me tub lub zos poob
Thaum tus me tub lub zos poob mus rau cov koossam (communists) tug lawm, cuab Hmoob Thoj thiaj siv los nyob ze nroog. Cheevtxuj kuj muaj ntau, tus me tub thiaj tau los kawm rau qib 3. Nws nco tias nws tus leeskais rau txim hnyav rau cov meyes thawj 2-3 lub limpiav xyoo ntawd. Cov meyes pheej xeem sau txislus (spelling), tiamsis kev xeem txislus tsis zoo li cov uas nyob Mekas teb. Thaum xeem kev txislus ces tus leeskais cia li nthuav rau ib blooj hauv phau ntawv qib 3 thiab cia li nyeem rau cov meyes sau. Cov meyes cia li sau cov lolus raws li tus leeskais nyeem. Tag ntawd, tus leeskais coj cov ntawv mus tshuaj thiab muab txim rau cov meyes raws li lawv cov lus uas lawv txis txhaum. Yog koj txhaum ib lolus ces koj mag ib pas (basthav) rau koj lub xib teg. Raws li tau hais los saud, cov meyes yeej tsis tau baj rau kev txislus. Lawv yeej tsis muaj cov lolus los kawm thiab tsis muaj ib phab ntawv rau lawv nyeem uantej lawv xeem. Yog li no, lawv yeej paub tias lawv yuav muaj ntau lolus txhaum. Peb tug meyes tau tawm khiav lub cheevtxuj ntawd vim lawv tiv tsis taus txoj kev mag ntaus. Dhau ntawd los, tus leeskais ho tseg tsis ntaus cov meyes rau lawv cov txislus uas txhaum lawm. Tiamsis yog leej twg tsis mloog lus, tus ntawd tseem mag pas (basthav) rau pobtwv thiab. Txog nrab xyoo, tsov rog tuaj ze lub zos no zuj zus thiab cov neeg pib khiav dua. Tus me tub thiaj tau tsiv mus rau ib lub zos tshiab uas tsis muaj kev kawm qib 3, nws thiaj rov mus kawm qib 2. Muaj txoj hmoov zoo, tus leeskais tso cai rau cov meyes mus xeem nce qib 4. Yogli, tus me tub kuj xeem tau thiab nce mus kawm qib 4. Ncua kev rau lub cheevtxuj qib 4 yog ib hnub ntuj taw. Yogli, nws thiaj mus nyob lub zos ntawd thiab tso nws tsev neeg rau tomqab. Nov yog thawj zaug uas nws tau ncaim nws tsev neeg.
Kev rhuav tsem tus me tub kev kawm tsis yog tsov rog xwb, tiamsis nws yog kab mob thiab. Xyoo uas nws kawm qib 4, nws pheej muaj’ mob. Yog li, nws tus yawmyij thiaj txiav txim siab coj nws thiab nws niam mus nyob rau hauv lub tuamceeb nroog hauv Blog teb. Txij ntawd los, nws kawm tau ntawv zoo thiab nce qib zuj zus vim nws tau txais kev nyob qab hau huv thiab txav deb ntawm tsov rog. Xyoo xaus ntawm qib 6, nws xeem tau thiab hla dhau mus rau qib 7. Thaum no nws haj yam mus deb ntawm nws tsev neeg, tiamsis xyoo ntawd nws tau txais kev noj/haus thiab chaw pw los ntawm tsoomhwm. Nws tau mus pib kawm ua leeskais 4 lub xyoo. Xyoo yuav xaus, tus me tub raug tsiv dua. Zaum no nws raug ua neeg thojnam mus nyob Thaib teb thiab wim li nws lub neej tsis muaj chaw mus rau yav pem suab.
Txawm Hmoob nrog Mekas tua cov koossam hauv Blog teb los lawv yeej tsis paub txog Mekas teb. Lawv paub mejis txog Fabkis vim Fabkis tau tswj lawv yav tas los. Lus Fabkis los yog hom lus thib 2 rau cov neeg Blog; yog li no, Hmoob thiaj pheej xav tias thaum kawg Hmoob yuav mus xaus rau Fabkis teb. Thaum tseem nyob hauv yeej thojnam, cov hluas thiaj kawm ntawv Fabkis thiab ntawv Thaib, tsis kawm ntawv Akiv.
Tus me tub tuaj Mekas
Nrab xyoo 1976, tus me tub thiab nws tijlaug tsev neeg tau tuaj rau Mekas teb. Thaum no nws jib kev whov siab ntau yam vim nws tsis paub lus Akiv. Lawv cia li muab nws mus nyob qib 10 raws li nws hnub nyoog, tsis yog raws li nws txoj kev paub ntawv. Tomqab nws tsoo lus Akis thiab nws cov hoob kawm tau 3 xyoos, nws kawm tiav cheevtxuj qib siab (high school). Tag ntawd nws ho mus kawm cheevtxuj txheej siab (college). Xyoo no yog xyoo uas nws tau kev tsaus ntuj tshaj plaws hauv nws lub neej vim kev kawm txheej siab luag tsis zam nws txoj kev uas tsis paub lus Akiv. Nws tsis paub sau tej zajlus (essay) thiab tsis paub lus Akiv ntau. Yuav kom sau tau zajlus zoo, koj yuav tsum paub luag txoj cai sau ntawv thiab yuav tsum paub ntau lolus Akiv coj los siv. Los ntawm txoj kev pab ntawm cov jeeg thiab cov pab, nws kuj kawm tiav 1 xyoos hauv cheevtxuj txheej siab. Tiamsis vim nws yeej tseem tsis tau paub lus Akiv zoo, nws thiaj nrhiav tsis tau num ua txawm nws tau daim ntawv pov thawj kawm tiav. Nws rau siab mus kawm cheevtxuj txheej siab tau 3 xyoos wiv, nws thiaj raug caw mus kawm ua leeskais, xyoo 1984.
Nws kev kawm tiav
Xyoo 1984, Ball State University tau caw cov meyes sab Exias Qab Teb Buab Hnub Tuaj mus kawm ua leeskais. Tus hluas uas tau coj tus cwjmem saum ntuj los kuj muaj feem mus kawm ua leeskais. Lub ntuj pib kaj, tus hluas pib kawm tau ntawv Akiv wiv thiab kawm tau nws tej hoob kawm. Thaum no nws mam totaub txoj cai sau zajlus, tiamsis nws cov lolus Akiv tseem tsawg. Dua 3 xyoos wiv, nws mam kawm tiav thiab los ua ib tug leeskais ob seemlus (bilingual teacher). Nruab hnub nws ua dejnum, hos yav tsaus ntuj nws mus kawm wiv. Xyoo 1993, nws thiaj kawm tiav MA nyob Mankato University. Thaum no nws mam nco deev tias nws pog cov lus muaj tseeb. Tiamsis tu siab uas nws pog tsis pom nws tus xeebwwv kawm tiav li nws tau hais tseg.
Nov puas yog tus cwjmem saum ntuj tiag? Raws li nws pog ces nws yeej yog. Txawm tsis muaj kev kawm nyob hauv nws zej nws zos los Vajtswv ntuj yeej xub qhia nws pog tias tus me tub no yug los kawm ntawv. Vajtswv ntuj tau tso tej kev kawm los cuab rau nws txoj hau kev thiab nws tau kawm ntawv tiav nyob lub teb chaws muaj koob tshaj, teb chaws Mekas.
