Letter from Joel and Barbara Halpern to his parents during their time in Laos with the United States Operations Mission. This letter is in the form of an interview conducted by Halpern's translator, Aram Udol. Udol interviewed a "Meo" (Hmong) man from the village of "Ban Phou Soun" (possibly Phou Xang). This may be the continuation of the interview of October 11, 1957. Marriage customs are discussed. Dowrys for brides, wedding rituals, elopements, divorce, and adoption are also discussed. The interview also focuses on illness as a result of bad spirits (phi) and the various ways to appease them.
All rights for this image are held by Joel M. Halpern. Requests to publish, redistribute, or replicate this material should be addressed to Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
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