A WORLD WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
Beyond borders, beyond war—one people’s fight to survive
Reading would be my only diet if I could sustain and nourish myself solely through reading, without eating anything. Through reading hundreds of books from my early years of schooling to my retirement, I find a common humanity across genders, cultural
and religious beliefs, races, and ethnicities in all geographic domiciles worldwide.
Human stories, many of which are written in books, are told in movies that feature our common experiences. It is through stories in books that convey profound thoughts that I learn about our shared human values and principles and broaden my understanding of human dignity despite cultural differences. I hope my stories serves the same purpose.
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.
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