#hmongamerican

[mkvue]

Let’s catch you up.

Hello Tumblr,

It's been about a decade since I've last blogged on this platform. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Muaj Kooj (a.k.a. MK) Vue, originally known in the trans community as “Liam”. I started my transition in the year of 2011 with hormone therapy. In 2012, I flew to Florida to have my double incision top surgery done by Dr. Garramone. This surgery was paid out of pocket costing me about $9,000 including hotel and travel. After I healed, I decided to start Accutane treatment in 2012, as I had severe cystic acne after starting hormone therapy. This helped a lot with controlling my massive breakouts.

A couple years into healing and working out my chest, I noticed there was an imbalance in my muscles. This made me feel very dysphoric, so after many years of contemplation, I decided to go in for another consultation in April of 2018 with Dr. Gurjala to get it corrected. I am much more happy with the results now.

Between 2012 and 2013, I suffered from painful and unbearable cramps. I have not had a menstrual cycle since being on hormones. My obstetrician-gynecologist informed me that there wasn't much she could do for me as the treatment for my cramping would contradict with my testosterone, and we don't want that. In 2014, I decided to have a full hysterectomy done through Kaiser's women's health clinic. With this surgery, the pain I had been suffering from was eliminated but along came post-menopause. This means I would have low estrogen which leaves you at risk for osteoporosis, heart disease and genitourinary atrophy. After a year of healing from having a hysterectomy, I did start to feel more fatigued than normal.

If there is one thing that I regret from having a full hysterectomy, it would be that I did not opt to freeze my eggs. I was pulled back by the yearly cost of storing them. But hey, it's too late now and there's always other options for having children like In Vitro Fertilization, surrogacy, or adoption.

Bottom surgery has always been something that floated in the back of my mind. After endless research on phalloplasty, I had my first consultation with Dr. Chen in 2015. After meeting with him, I felt confident and set my date for ALT phalloplasty in October 2016. Sadly, when my surgery date nearly arrived, Dr. Chen left the practice. I was left to float around, waiting for a call to see what my options were. I decided that I would hold off on bottom surgery since I did not feel comfortable with a new surgeon.

In 2017, Kaiser no longer worked with doctors outside of their network. I was informed that Dr. Salim would be the head surgeon to perform bottom surgery for their transgender clinic. I went in for a consultation in August of 2017. Though I did not feel 100% sure of him, I decided to set a date anyway for May 2018. That would give me at 9 months to do more research on him and mentally prepare myself. Came April 2018, I received a call from a job that I applied for. I was given the great news of an attentive offer that I could not refuse. I decided to cancel my surgery date and start my career in May 2018. I was given a one year probation with this job position. It has now been 1 year and 7months and I am very happy of my decision to delay bottom surgery.

Today, I am happy to say that I'm finally in a content place in my life where I don't foresee anything that will stop me from getting bottom surgery. My job is secured, my finances are in control, and I will be finished with my degree next spring. I had my "brush-up" consultation with Dr. Salim a couple of weeks ago. I will be having ALT bottom surgery this coming summer of 2020.

Though my current life situation is content, there are things around me that are quite influential to my mental state of mind. I think it is important to talk about these matters and why it affects us the way it does. This blog is not only meant for my personal experience through the stages of phalloplasty but also other things in my life I feel is good to talk about ranging from relationships, culture, religion, and more.

[kirbyaraullo]

On Wednesdays, we wear #PINK!😍... Jk... This was not taken on a Wednesday... 😂🤣🇰🇷[08.2018] _ #teamYaK #Seoul #YeeAndKirby #YaKgoesPhilippines #YaKGoesKorea #KirbyNoodle #YeeSpeaks #kapampangan #hmong #filipino #filipinoamerican #hmongamerican #pinoy #korea #pinoyinkorea #hmonginkorea #galavanting (at Gyeongbokgung Palace) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp6BC5vHeqN/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xw585ooaeip2

[daliflowmoments]

Dec. 29th

We always say the year flew by, but I definitely really felt the rugged transitions throughout the ride. After college, I had this itch to return and write my blogs again. For months I contemplated, I’m happy to say here we go! During my middle school years, I kept a journal and also had an extensive online journal on Tumblr, (I may or may not have deleted haha). I discussed my relationships, poems, and shared my music, however, as the years grew I wrote more about other aspects of my life. Overall, I guess writing has always allowed me to cope with stressors in a way that discussing will never suffice. In college (not too long ago) I found it difficult to balance my obligations and stopped writing in my journals altogether. I neglected this reflectional part of me that I didn’t realize made me feel whole. 

So here I am.

I think I’m ready to revive that part again. 

This time I want to also want to document more of my life, family, passions, and dreams. I hope you stay for the journey as well. Oh and happy new year! 

[simplejoiephoto]

As you may have noticed, May is AAPI Heritage Month and I am so excited to be participating in this AAPI CreateHers project next week. Myself along with 10 amazing Asian American Pacific Islander women will be sharing are heritage, experiences, crafts, recipes, and more! Follow me and these other wonderful creators next week as we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month! Each day next week, we'll take turns sharing something meaningful with all of you, check out my IG stories next week and follow along to hear stories from each of these amazing #AAPICreateHers @freshlyfuji @lacelit @simplecasualchicblog @thememoirsofamommy @wu.nder_days @thirstyfortea @thewabisabimama @light_betweenthelines @annalamson_ @nicoleralston_ #AAPIHeritageMonth #AAPI #AsianAmerican #hmongamerican #hmong #culture #history #womensupportingwomen #womenempowerment #stopasianhate #diversity #inclusive #stopappihate #hateisavirus #asiancommunity #beinghmong (at Portland, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/COnauqxBefB/?igshid=1e0fgeqzbot42

[lovetray]

We represent 3 generations of being Hmong American woman. We've come a long way from living in Detroit to now living in Sterling Heights, Boyne, and Los Angeles. Proud to showcase that it's not where you started, but the journey that shapes your future. ^ ^ ^ #hmong #hmongamerican #2ndgeneration #blessed #familyphotography #family #familyportrait #winters #michigan #laphotographer #photooftheday #woman #photography #snow #journey #lessons #loa #life #blogger #xoxo (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsPIjfpFh04/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1m6njbilt1e5p

[captainthach]

••••• Prince Souvanna Phouma - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvanna_Phouma • RoyalLaoAirborne.org - Public Service Announcement - RoyalLaoAirborne.org Đại Úy CaptainThach.com #PublicServiceAnnouncement - Our History RoyalLaoAirborne.org - Lao - Laos - Culture - Group page Follow our history - https://www.facebook.com/groups/RoyalLaoAirborne - - Public Affairs Office: Royal Lao Airborne Captain James Văn Thạch - https://www.facebook.com/CaptainThach Captain, Infantry, United States Army, Retired http://CaptainThach.com - - #laoamericans #hmongamericans #RoyalLaoAirborne #KingdomofLaos - #Laos - #Lao #iLoveLaos - #LuangPrabang - #Vientiane - #Airborne - #LaoPeople - #LaoFlag KingLaos - #FlyLao - RoyalAirLao - #Laotian - ThreeofRed - #LaoKingdom - #LaosKingdom #SoulivongSavang SisavangVatthana #KingVatthana #laopeople #KingSisavangVatthana #VongSavang PrinceVongSavang - #PathetLao - #LaoAirlines - #LaosFlag - #laos - #Hmong - #HmongPeople #laosfood #laosgirl - >>> RoyalLaoAirborne.org - Public Service Announcement (at Vientiane, Laos) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSJqi2xH-jh/?utm_medium=tumblr

[asianamsmakingmusic]

[x]

[hmongthreads]

You are the artist of your own life make it a masterpiece. Every decisions you make, the thoughts that you think about and the things that you do, shapes who you are. You. Hmong Threadd WWW.HMONGTHREADS.COM Be One. Create One. #hmong #hmoob #hmongclothes #hmongnewyear #hmongfit #hmonglife #hmongmeme #hmongfrench #hmongamerican #hmongthailand #hmonglaos #hmongeverything #hmongmusicfestival #hmongphotography #hmongartists

[surnativa]

SUAB HMONG NEWS: Lus teb ntawv sau nug rau Suab Hmoob Xov Xwm NOTE: We reserved the rights to remove... #surnativa #hmong #hmongamerican #hmongchinese #hmonglanguage #hmonglao #hmongnews #hmongpeople #hmongreport #hmongreports #hmongthailand #hmongtv #hmoob #interviewed #miaopeople #news #richardwanglue #shibc #shibcnews #suabhmong #suabhmongtv #suabhmongradio Source: https://surnativa.com/suab-hmong-news-lus-teb-ntawv-sau-nug-rau-suab-hmoob-xov-xwm/?feed_id=35620&_unique_id=5f6385a51a590

[immigrationnewsdigest]

I wrote about being #AsianAmerican in the time of #kungflu, our perilous status as a #modelminority, the history of anti-Asian racism, and #TouThao, the #HmongAmerican policeman who guarded #DerekChauvin as he killed #GeorgeFloyd. Please share widely.https://t.co/jWvFyA8xjK

— viet thanh nguyen (@viet_t_nguyen) June 25, 2020

"Racism makes us focus on the differences in our faces rather than our similarities, and in the alchemical experiment of the US, racial difference mixes with labor exploitation to produce an explosive mix of profit and atrocity.'

"It is easier to blame a foreign country or a minority, or even politicians who negotiate trade agreements, than to identify the real power: corporations and economic elites who shift jobs, maximize profit at the expense of workers and care nothing for working Americans."

[kirbyaraullo]

"Dancing in the Fields" a masterpiece by Pakou Xiong. #HmongStory40 Exhibit. 36"x48" Acrylic on Canvas. #Hmong #HmongAmerican #AsianAmerican #SoutheastAsian #projectbulosan #ethnicstudies

[sonsandbrothers]

Over the summer, Iris Vang from Merced, CA had the opportunity to attend the 2017 Sisterhood Rising Camp. Spending a week in nature connecting with her cultural and ancestral roots inspired her to write about her experience as a young Hmong-American woman. Her poem ‘My Body’ is full of vivid imagery and is an ode to her culture.

#AsianAmerican #KnowYourHistory #HmongAmerican #Hmong#SisterhoodRising

Story via: We 'Ced Youth Media

[simplejoiephoto]

Five years ago, my sister and jumped into my car from Fresno and headed to Portland to visit our aunties for a girls weekend right before Labor Day. We had a wonderful time and at the moment we both had the craziest idea to pack up our lives and move there because she had lived there before for several years and loved the city but we both new we would have the time of our life growing old together. In between jobs and with nothing to hold her back, when we got back home — she immediately started packing and looking for work. I started applying for work too but said I’d only move if I found work. As fate would have it, I met a guy... who knew if it was going to lead anywhere then but I had a gut feeling that I couldn’t let this one go and so I let my sister head up by herself as I figured things out. And that guy I met those many September’s ago was... Deth, and life has been so beautiful since for me. As for my sister, if she hadn’t made that impulsive move, she would have never met her husband. Life has a funny way of leading you exactly where you need to go so I just know good things will await us on the other side of this pandemic! 📷 Photo I took at my sisters Hmong Wedding. #hmongwedding #blendedbliss #hmongamerican #lifeisgood #unexpectedblessings #lifeislikeaboxofchocolates #helloseptember #quarantinelife #livetgroughthis #spruitlovevang #pdxweddingphotographer #pnwweddingphotographer #traditionalwedding #culturalweddingphotographer #culturalweddingtraditions #weddinginspiration #loveauthentic #brideandgroom #bridalportraits #hmoobtshoob #tshoob #interacialcouple (at Sherwood, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEnXz2hDYUL/?igshid=17uwtuw134u0f

[lovetray]

A clash of 2nd generation Hmong Americans. . . #hmongamerican #2ndgeneration #ourstory #hmong #cultural #hmongnewyear #potd #photography #blogger #perception #details #losangeles #instadaily #fashion #lifestyle #color #vibes #xoxo (at Los Angeles, California)

[natalievang]

What is the opposite of deep? What is the difference between they’re, their, and there? These were some of the questions I was asked when I took my CELDT (California English Language Development Test) test in 6th grade. The CELDT test was administrated to students who have a home language other than English. At that time, I was actually very surprised that I was administrated the test because I considered myself a strong English student. I thought I would be the exception. Learning English was very easy for me compared to my peers and it showed in my schoolwork, I excelled in my English courses and I was a very poised student. This is probably due to the fact that my parents were only babies when they migrated to the United States and had the opportunity to pursue the “American dream”;  therefore, they spoke English very well and were able to obtain college degrees, which is actually very rare since most of the Hmong population are immigrants and it wasn’t the social norm to pursue higher education. I spent most of my childhood with my grandparents  because my parents had busy schedules. My grandparents spoke no English at all, thus I was very fluent in my native language as a child. However, when I started school, there was this urgency to learn English. Like I mentioned before, learning English was something that came naturally. But as I grew up, I started to adopt the American culture and it began to consume all of who I was. I was conforming myself into this pro- American identity; my mannerism, style, and perception was very different compared to other Hmong girls my age. I never really associated with other Hmong students because I felt like there wasn’t any commonality. I may even have been embarrassed of the Hmong community. I thought they were inhibited, passive, inarticulate, and poor in people relationships. I wanted to break these stereotypes.

In this whole “conforming” process, I also forgot most of my native language. I would attend my family gatherings and would avoid any type of conversation with any of the older relatives. Like the video showcased, I found myself stuttering and speaking Hmonglish (Hmong and English) to my elders, which is now something I am very ashamed of. I was viewed as a rebel. I dyed my hair blonde, I dressed differently, and I wasn’t the ideal Hmong daughter whose future was predetermined to be a young housewife. I hated how oppressed women were in my culture and I was always quick to voice my opinion. I was criticized a lot and this created more animosity and disconnect between me and my culture. It wasn’t until the end of my high school career that I realized how important it was to embrace my culture. As I reflect on how my perception changed, it is really difficult to pinpoint what exactly changed my mind. I just became more open as I grew up and the denial of my cultural heritage began to break down. Although I have a new acceptance for my culture, I don’t approve of all my cultural practices and I often feel pressured into making decisions that are inconsistent with my personal values and outlooks. However, I have developed an inner sense of security and can appreciate unique aspects of my culture as well as those in the American culture. There are acceptable and unacceptable aspects in every culture, so it is important to examine, accept and reject those aspects that do not seem desirable.

At first, the development of my English literacy diminished my Hmong identity and limited my understanding of my traditional customs but it gave me a unique perspective on life that has shaped me into a rebellious individual that was later able to embrace culture without conforming to the standard of the Hmong community’s expectation. Initially, you may think of someone who is rebellious to be defiant and rigid but I believe that being a rebel means that you are resilient and a risk taker. A rebel thinks outside of the box and breaks the mold of what is expected yet still stays true to who they are. From this point on I would like to challenge myself to revisit the cultural background; starting with familiarizing myself with the native language. To achieve a balance between my Hmong-American identity  I must redevelop a new foundation for my cultural literacy to flourish without overpowering my American identity.

[hmongthreads]

Never Forget Your Roots. Stay Humble. No matter far success take me, i will never forget where it all started. Hmong Threads www.hmongthreads.com #hmong #hmoob #hmongthreads #hmongartists #hmongamerican #knowyourroots #stayhumble #stayhungry