Don't Marry Her.
If I could go back, in all the unhappy marriages of time, in all the marriages of our Hmong generations, I would tell you:
Don’t marry her. Please don’t marry her.
Don’t marry her, if all that she embodies will only be a life sentence, and not a life blessing.
Don’t marry her, if she is not the beginning and only the end.
Don’t marry her, if years and children down later, you believe you would’ve lived a better life without her.
Letting Go, Trusting, & Being Happy.
"Nothing lasts forever."
Not the good, nor the bad, and I absolutely know that.
And so the most beautiful thing, is being awake and alive enough to know that although I don’t know how long it’ll last, I know very well, with all my being, that in this very moment, I am not short of anything.
To All the Love I Received Choosing Taboo.
For the love, vision, and real stories behind this film, I wanted to commemorate the first anniversary since its release by honoring all the people who have been apart of the leap of faith I once took.
Honoring people because; taboo does not only consist of the two involved, but the many people around them.
'Leap of faith' because; I truly believe taboo is the greatest test to see who truly loves us unconditionally. Who will still be there when society can no longer read you as a valid member. And whether or not, you truly love yourself, to build the world you believe in, even if the world does not want you.
To the Men Who Broke the Woman Who Just Loved Loving You.
How do I say this in a way that you will hear me? Hear me pleading for the Hmong women who didn’t know better and could only do the best they could to love you. How can I say it in a way that doesn’t coddle and cushion what you did and have no interest to care for? Because I want to speak for her, who binned by society's dead ends, cannot say so herself.
For All the Couples Who Cannot Publicly Celebrate Today.
For all the couples who cannot publicly celebrate today...taboo couples, couples in hiding, couples who cannot speak of their existence: I hope you celebrate your love proudly and fully today. For the beautiful unification that you are, the ability to love beyond society’s norms; be it gender, race, social status, disapproval, or last name; the capacity to pave paths unwalked, and the belief in something greater than eyes know.
To the Angels that were taken from Heaven: My Hmong Women.
To heal through my breakup, I did a variety of research; to dismantle my experience and understand a world outside mine. One of them, was to learn of heartbreaks other than mine, to see amazing people survive out of these dark times. Dark times that were even darker than mine; because someone will always have it worse. I found my way to befriending Hmong women of all ages, of all stories. Stories that were always sad and pitiful, until after my heartbreak, were now heart-shattering, gut-wrenching, and real. So painfully real. Although my words won't do them justice, may I please write this one for them.