His voice is soft —weak at best, from years of yelling over the sound of bombs being dropped and old age. Often, he utters nothing, but the entire world hears him. When actions speak louder than words: A story about the silent phenomenon of General Vang Pao.

He is a walking hero, a legend who is still living and breathing among us. What makes one a legend in his community? Although he was raised in a tight-knit community, over the years he has risen to become a worldly leader and an example of the tragic aftermath of wars. He is known throughout the universe. People love him, people hate him. People are loyal to him, and some may equally despise him. Wherever he goes, his presence is honored, familiar and stirring. This is what we call, The GVP Phenomenon.

When General Vang Pao was arrested by the United States government on charges of trying to overthrow the government of Laos, we witnessed an event that caused an uproar in the Hmong community. One of the most significant things about this event was how much involvement there was among the younger generation, otherwise known as “Gen Y” and Millennials. New media tools, such as Facebook and blogs, opened the door for global communication. As a result, people were brought together because of their shared concern about war, persecution, betrayal and issues surrounding Hmong genocide. Supporters of General Vang Pao utilized grassroots efforts, enhanced by modern technology, to educate and inform the greater population about the importance of the General to the Hmong people. Much of the awareness surrounding his high profile arrest, was established and organized by local community groups.

For the first time in over 30 years, people from around the world, and most importantly, in the United States, learned about the historical ties of a small ethnic group known as the Hmong. Led by General Vang Pao, they had a significant involvement with the United States C.I.A. in the Vietnam War. The aftermath of their contribution and ties to the United States ultimately resulted in mass massacres of innocent Hmong people.

With no questions asked, on September 21, 2009, all charges against General Vang Pao were dropped. Contrary to the coverage and attention of his arrest and prosecution, the United States government and the media downplayed the decision. Finally, he was quietly released.

According to Chinese legends, the San Miao were the natives of China, and today are known as Hmong, or Miao, and in some cases, Mien, H’mong, and even Mong. Five thousand years ago, the great king that ruled China was Chi You, also known as “Txiv Yawg” to the Hmong (San Miao). Legends say that Chi You was a very powerful king who could not be defeated. Although his enemies tried to kill him many times (and thought they had killed him), he did not die. It was believed that he had two gems from a dragon that protected him.

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To start off the launch of our first issue (July 07) ever, we dug up the legends and facts about where the Hmong were believed to have originated. Our findings took us to modern-day China, where the Hmong were believed to have settled way before the Chinamen! Artifacts from a recent tomb found in China give way to this theory as well as other clues which you’ll find in our eight-page article about the pre-historic period accompanied with beautiful images taken from ancient and current Hmong clothing.

A map outlines exactly where the Hmong, who were known as the Jiuli Tribe were located, and how they ended up south near the Yellow River!

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In the next issue, we’ll continue with our findings by focusing in on what happened after the Hmong were forced downward into Laos, Vietnam, and other countries bordering Southern China!