Thailand’s Deportation of Hmong Refugees: The Clint Eastwood “Gran Torino” Connection

Thailand has begun to deport over 4,000 ethnic Hmong refugees back to Laos, where many of the displaced men, women and children fear they will face persecution. During the Vietnam War, some Hmong were recruited by the U.S. to fight the communist insurgents who eventually overtook the country in 1975.

The Hmong were most recently in the American cultural spotlight when the Asian group was featured in last December’s hit film “Gran Torino.” Directed by Clint Eastwood, the drama — which grossed $148 million domestically — also starred the filmmaker as Walt Kowalski, a grizzled, bigoted Korean War veteran who only loves his car and his dog. In the film, set in Detroit, Kowalski is neighbors with a Hmong family and though initially irritated by their customs, he comes to empathize with them, and helps protect teenager Thao and his older sister Sue from a local Hmong gang.

Though the film didn’t delve too much into the origins of how the Hmong ended up in the United States, it did showcase several of their cultural rituals, much to the appreciation of local Hmong groups. Additionally, a short documentary shot for the Blu-Ray home video release entitled “Gran Torino: Next Door,” features interviews with Eastwood and screenwriter Nick Schenk — who got the idea for the film after working alongside Hmong at a factory. While certainly not a scholarly investigation of Hmong-U.S. relations, the film did introduce the group to a wider American audience, and some moviegoers might be able to better grasp why Thailand is now under fire for its continued repatriations. (Eastwood couldn’t be reached for comment).

Thailand has begun to deport over 4,000 ethnic Hmong refugees back to Laos, where many of the displaced men, women and children fear they will face persecution. During the Vietnam War, some Hmong were recruited by the U.S. to fight the communist insurgents who eventually overtook the country in 1975.

The Hmong were most recently in the American cultural spotlight when the Asian group was featured in last December’s hit film “Gran Torino.” Directed by Clint Eastwood, the drama — which grossed $148 million domestically — also starred the filmmaker as Walt Kowalski, a grizzled, bigoted Korean War veteran who only loves his car and his dog. In the film, set in Detroit, Kowalski is neighbors with a Hmong family and though initially irritated by their customs, he comes to empathize with them, and helps protect teenager Thao and his older sister Sue from a local Hmong gang.

Though the film didn’t delve too much into the origins of how the Hmong ended up in the United States, it did showcase several of their cultural rituals, much to the appreciation of local Hmong groups. Additionally, a short documentary shot for the Blu-Ray home video release entitled “Gran Torino: Next Door,” features interviews with Eastwood and screenwriter Nick Schenk — who got the idea for the film after working alongside Hmong at a factory. While certainly not a scholarly investigation of Hmong-U.S. relations, the film did introduce the group to a wider American audience, and some moviegoers might be able to better grasp why Thailand is now under fire for its continued repatriations. (Eastwood couldn’t be reached for comment).