Despair

In Despair, Ge Xiong chronicles the turbulent journey of Hmong refugees who resettled in America after the Vietnam War, where factory jobs became their fragile lifelines amid economic instability. From the collapse of Illinois’ once-thriving Hmong community to his move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Xiong exposes the harsh realities of racial segregation, poverty, and systemic barriers that shaped refugee lives and limited their choices.The narrative follows the community’s pursuit of the American dream through poultry farming across Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, an ambition often met with devastating financial loss. Blending personal experience with social observation, Xiong also examines the cultural shifts within Hmong American identity in the age of social media, ultimately questioning whether deeper human connection and collective awareness can emerge beyond division and digital echo chambers. 6