William A. Smalley (1923-1997) was a missionary and anthropological linguist. This collection mainly concerns his work with Hmong scripts and the Khmu' language and contains correspondence, notes, writings, reference materials, photographs, and sound recordings.
Scope and Contents:
These papers document William A. Smalley's work and research as an anthropological linguist and missionary, two roles that were often intertwined, through his correspondence, notes, writings, reference materials, photographs, and sound recordings. Smalley's research on Hmong scripts, particularly Pahawh, and the Hmong people make up a significant portion of the collection. Noteworthy are a collection of published and unpublished manuscripts written in Pahawh script and primers and writing samples of other Hmong scripts. Aside from some letters and 1953 conference reports by Smalley and G. Linwood Barney, there is little material from his work in developing Hmong RPA. Other materials relating to RPA include a Hmong-English dictionary by Ernest E. Heimbach and a Hmong-French dictionary by Father Yves Bertrais. Also in the collection are Smalley's research on Khmu' and Thai languages and dialects and several Khmu' primers. As a missionary linguist, Smalley created guides for missionaries learning Khmu' and Vietnamese, as well as a guide to pronouncing Egyptian Arabic, all of which are in the collection. Reprints for a large portion of his articles can also be found in the collection, reflecting his interests in linguistics, anthropology, missionary work, and Southeast Asia. In addition, the collection contains drafts of his unfinished book, Liberation of an Evangelical and his work editing The Bible in Cross-Cultural Perspective by Jack Loewen. Photographs in the collection are composed mostly of 35mm slides and some prints and negatives. Most of the images are of Southeast Asia along with some photos of Africa, Haiti, New Guinea, and Hong Kong. There are also photos of Hmongs in the United States and photos for his book, Mother of Writing: the Origin and Development of a Hmong Messianic Script. The sound recordings are composed mostly of interviews he conducted for his research on Thailand, Hmongs in the United States, and the Pahawh Hmong script. Additional materials in the collection are his writings as a college student published in the Houghton Star, the school newspaper for which he also served as chief editor.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
William A. Smalley was born April 4, 1923, in Jerusalem, Palestine. His parents were American missionaries for the Christian and Missionary Alliance, working among Arabs in Jerusalem and Transjordan. In 1934, Smalley and his family moved back to the United States. In reflecting upon his upbringing, Smalley writes, "My parents were thoroughly, deeply devoted both to Christ and to the Alliance, but they drew their boundaries more widely than many." According to Smalley, "My home was intellectually more open than some Alliance homes; my upbringing was somewhat less doctrinaire." (Smalley 1991)
Smalley attended Houghton College, where he developed an interest in anthropology, which he saw as relevant to missionary work. After graduating from Houghton in 1945 with a degree in English literature, he attended the Missionary Training Institute (1945-1946) and received linguistic training in Bible translation at the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) at the University of Oklahoma (1946-1947). In 1946 he also enrolled in Columbia University's graduate program in anthropology with a concentration in
linguistics. According to Smalley, he discovered his "intellectual niche" studying at SIL, while "the anthropological training at Columbia gave linguistics a broader cultural context." "I became absorbed in the challenge to understand my faith in Christ in light of all I was learning about human culture." (Smalley 1991)
In 1950, Smalley was sent to Vietnam by the Christian and Missionary Alliance. There, Smalley worked on language analysis problems in the southern region of the country. The following year, he was sent to Luang Prabang, Laos to analyze the Khmu' language and prepare language lessons for other missionaries to learn the language. While in Laos, Smalley also worked with Reverend G. Linwood Barney and Father Yves Bertrais in developing a writing system for the Hmong people. Together, they developed the Hmong Romanized Popular Alphabet (RPA), which is the most widely used Hmong writing system today.
With the outbreak of civil war in Laos, Smalley and his wife were forced to return to the United States in 1954. He completed his dissertation on the Khmu' language and was awarded his doctorate in 1956. An abbreviated version of his dissertation was later published in 1961 as Outline of Khmu' Structure.
Over the next several years, Smalley worked primarily in Southeast Asia as a translation consultant for the American Bible Society (1954-1969) and as a regional translations coordinator (1969-1972) and translation consultant (1972-1977) with the United Bible Societies. Due to his work, he resided in Thailand from 1962 to 1967 and from 1969 to 1972. (He also lived in Thailand as a Fulbright research fellow in 1985 and 1986.) In 1977, he decided to leave the United Bible Societies after 23 years. Unable to find employment, he worked briefly at a discount toy store.
In 1978, Smalley relocated to St. Paul, Minnesota, to accept a position as professor of linguistics at Bethel University (1978-1987). In Minnesota, he unexpectedly found that thousands of Hmong refugees were also settling in the Twin Cities, which guided his research over the next decade. As an Honorary Fellow (1982-1984) with the University of Minnesota Southeast Asia Refugee Studies Program, he took part in a project studying Hmong adaptation to life in the United States, publishing "Adaptive Language Strategies of the Hmong: From Asian Mountains to American Ghettos" (1985) and "Stages of Hmong Cultural Adaptation" (1986). He also studied the different Hmong scripts that had
developed since RPA, in particular Pahawh Hmong script, which was created in 1959 in Laos by Shong Lue Yang. Smalley published two books on the script and its creator— Mother of Writing: The Origin and Development of a Hmong Messianic Script (1990) and The Life of Shong Lue Yang: Hmong "Mother of Writing" (1990), both of which he co-authored with Chia Koua Vang and Gnia Yee Yang.
In addition to his work on the Hmong, Smalley researched the different languages and dialects of Thailand, publishing Linguistic Diversity and National Unity: Language Ecology in Thailand (1994); "Thailand's Hierarchy of Multilingualism" (1988); and
"Language and Power: Evolution of Thailand's Multilingualism" (1996). As a student at Columbia University, he had also studied Comanche phonology and morphology, coauthoring with Henry Osborn "Formulae for Comanche Stem and Word Formation" (1949).
In 1955, Smalley took over editorship of Practical Anthropology (now known as Missiology), which he edited from 1955 to1968. He also served as associate editor for
Bible Translator (1957-59) and Language Sciences (1983-92).
When he retired from Bethel College in 1987, he was awarded the college's first annual Distinguished Teaching Award. In his retirement, he continued to write extensively and also edited Jacob A. Loewen's book, The Bible in Cross-Cultural Perspective, for which
he wrote an introduction.
In 1997, Smalley died of a heart attack at the age of 74.
Sources Consulted
Smalley, William. "My Pilgrimage in Mission." International Bulletin of Missionary Research 15, no. 2 (1991): 70-73.
Beckstrom, Maja. "Scholar of Hmong language praised for 'invaluable' work." St. Paul Pioneer Press, December 21, 1997: 1B, 6B.
Chronology
1923 -- Born April 4 in Jerusalem, Palestine
1945 -- Earns B.A. from Houghton College in English Literature
1945-1946 -- Studies at Missionary Training Institute
1946-1947 -- Studies at Summer Institute of Linguistics at University of Oklahoma
1950 -- Serves as missionary linguist in Vietnam
1951 -- Assigned to Luang Prabang, Laos to analyze the Khmu' language and prepare language lessons for other missionaries to learn the language
1951-1953 -- Works with Reverend G. Linwood Barney and Father Yves Bertrais in developing Hmong RPA
1954-1969 -- Translation consultant for American Bible Society
1955-1968 -- Editor of Practical Anthropology (now known as Missiology)
1956 -- Receives doctorate in linguistic anthropology at Columbia University
1961 -- Publishes Outline of Khmu' Structure
1969-1972 -- Regional translations coordinator with the United Bible Societies
1972-1977 -- Translation consultant with the United Bible Societies
1978-1987 -- Professor of linguistics at Bethel College
1982-1984 -- Honorary fellow with the University of Minnesota Southeast Asia Refugee Studies Program studying Hmong adaptation to life in the United States
1985-1986 -- Fulbright Fellow studying linguistic diversity and national unity in Thailand
1990 -- Publishes Mother of Writing: The Origin and Development of a Hmong Messianic Script and The Life of Shong Lue Yang: Hmong "Mother of Writing"
1994 -- Publishes Linguistic Diversity and National Unity: Language Ecology in Thailand
1997 -- Dies of a heart attack at the age of 74 on December 16
Related Materials:
Smalley's Pahawh Hmong project was funded by the Indochina Studies Center, Social Science Research Council. Upon the completion of the project, the Indochina Studies Center arranged for some of his Pahawh Hmong research materials to be deposited at the Library of Congress as part of the archives of programs that the center has funded. The materials deposited at the Library of Congress include photographs, sound recordings, and a collection of published and unpublished manuscripts written in Pahawh and Sayaboury script. Indices and descriptions of the materials deposited can be found in
Series 2: Hmong, Sub-series 2.2 Pahawh, "[Pahawh Hmong Project]." Not all of the materials that were sent to the Library of Congress are present in this collection and vice versa. Among the materials absent from this collection are some of the photographs, four sound recordings, and most
of the Sayaboury manuscripts.
Provenance:
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Jane Smalley.
Restrictions:
Three tape recordings and the associated transcripts of the interviews that Smalley conducted for his research on the Pahawh Hmong script are restricted until 2040.
Access to the William A. Smalley papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation Search this
Indonesia : music from west Java -- Laos : traditional music of the south -- Viet Nam : Ca Tru & Quan Ho, traditional music -- Hong Kong : instrumental music -- China : Chuida wind and percussive ensembles -- Mongolia : traditional music -- Japan : Shomyo Buddhist ritual ; O-Suwa-Daiko drums -- Cameroon : Baka pygmy music -- Côte d'Ivoire : a Senufo-Fodonon funerary vigil -- Central African Republic : Banda polyphony -- Switzerland : Zäuerli, yodel of Appenzell -- Sicily : music for the Holy Week -- France : bagpipes of central France -- Ukraine : traditional music -- Argentina : tritonic music of the north-west -- Brazil : the Bororo world of sound -- Canada : Inuit games and songs. (cont) Pakistan : the music of the Qawal -- North India : instrumental music of mediaeval India -- India : North Indian folk music -- Tibetan ritual -- Azerbaijan : Azerbaijani Mugam -- Turkey : the Turkish ney -- Iraq : Iqa'at, traditional rhythmic structures -- Syrian Orthodox Church : Antioch liturgy -- Egypt : Taqāsīm & Layālī, Cairo tradition -- Algeria : Sahara, music of Gourara -- Solomon Islands : Fataleka and Baegu music from Malaita -- Australia : aboriginal music.
Track Information:
101 Kacapi Suling: Semarang and Banjapan / Uking Sukri, Ono Sukarna, Lim Ibrahim. Kacapi (Lute),Suling (Musical instrument),Zither.
102 Lot Fay Tay Lang / Theo Salilath. Khene-Calebass.
103 Coi-Gau / Ba Manh, Tu Van, Son Ma, Van Tich. Flute,Violin. Vietnamese language.
104 Pu Pu Chiao.
105 Taizi You / Chinese language.
106 Music for the Horse-Veile / D. Zhantsanchoy.
107 Dai Hannaya Tendoku E / Japanese language.
108 Suwa-Ikazuchi / O-Suwa-Daiko (Musical group). Japanese language.
109 The Water Drum / Water-drum.
110 Li Fugo Nyige / Bolonyen Orchestra.
111 Eci Ameya.
112 Zauerli: Sung in the Inn / Swahili language.
113 La Quarta Spada / Italian language.
114 Le Retour du Jardinier / Jean Blanchard. Bagpipe. French language.
115 Arcan, The Lasso / Ukrainian language.
116 Toque Abrapampeno / Mario Mendoza. Clarinet.
117 The Bororo World of Sound / Portuguese language.
118 Inuit Games and Songs.
119 Ghazal / Sabri Brothers.
120 Raga Darbari Kanada / Asad Ali Khan, Gopal Das, Mohamed Sakalain. Vina,Pakhavaj (Drum),Lute.
101 Mukhalif- Maqam Iraqi / Muhammed Jrifani, Mullah Adnan Ensemble.
126 Communion Chant.
127 Sama'I El Aryan / Suleiman Takhalov.
128 Song of the Meherza with Tebel Drum / Drum.
129 Faa Ta Gwouna.
130 Morning Star/ Pigeon and Rain Songs / Didjeridu.
Local Numbers:
UN-COMM-CD-08100-7
UNESCO.8100
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
Paris, France Audivis 1971
General:
Commercial
"This compact-disc proposes a selection of 10 new recordings and extracts from 20 reissues [in] the collection, in three series: "Music and Musicians of the world", "Anthology of Traditional Music" and "Traditional Music of Today"--Insert. Compact disc. Description of the Unesco collection with discography (32 p.: ill.) inserted in container.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Listening only. No Duplication Allowed.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Cuba: Mi tierra es asi (3:53) -- Turkmenistan: Gu.mmu.r-gu.mmu.rlendi (4:41) -- Central African Republic (2:55) -- Vanuatu: Kaimata (1:49) -- China: Huan lo ts'ao yuan (3:50) -- Turkey: Yulcelerden seyreyled im dostun izini (2:28) -- China: Liushui (4:10) -- Bulgaria: Harvest song (3:10) -- Byelorussia: Harvest song (:59) -- Bahrain: Bahri (3:42) -- Cameroon: The water drum (1:26) -- Viet nam: Phong xuy trich lieru (4:04) -- Mongolia: view over the Kherelen River (2:54) -- Portugal: Macelada (1:58) -- Benin: Musotie, harvest dance (3:07) -- Algeria: song for the insemination of the date palm (1:58) -- Cameroon: Music for the nganga dance (2:52) -- France: sur le pont d'Auron (3:21) -- Japan: Aiolos (2:39).
Track Information:
101 Mi tierra es asi / Cucalambe Ensemble. Spanish language.
Compact disc. Compilation of songs recorded worldwide, sung in their original languages. Previously released. Program notes in English and French (14 p.) inserted in container
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Listening only. No Duplication Allowed.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Festival Recordings: Talk Story: Learning the Vietnamese Language (Ngoc Nguyen)
Collection Creator:
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (compact audio cassette)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Date:
2010 July 4
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
The Folklore in Your Community featured several presentations based in communities of the Washington, D.C. area.
Vietnamese Americans For refugees, community is an immediate concern. Vietnamese were the newest wave of refugees to American shores, plucked from their families and communities very suddenly with the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Cultural change in Vietnamese American communities was rapid; in some families the grandparents spoke little English in 1979 and the grandchildren spoke little Vietnamese. Nonetheless, the traditional pattern persisted of three generations of an extended family living and working together. In Vietnamese terms, a family consists of passing on responsibility and gratitude from generation to generation. Arriving with fragments of their families and communities, the Vietnamese in Washington, D.C., had by 1979 vigorously woven a network of community activities through neighborhood grocery stores, restaurants, Buddhist temples, Catholic organizations, a bistro, Vietnamese language schools, senior citizens' groups, and newspapers.
D.C. Fire Fighters Since the first horse-drawn fire engines clanged down a city street, fire fighting has been an urban service occupation that continued to generate a feeling of romance and respect. Yet beyond the excitement and pride felt by those who advance the hose lines, make the rescues or throw the ladders, there are a variety of techniques, customs, gestures, and stories that form the work culture passed from one generation of fire fighters to the next. Fire fighting is dangerous and filled with sharp contrasts. Danger must be anticipated; life or death situations require all the knowledge and skill an individual can muster. A fire fighter prepares for this every day through training, experience, and the collective knowledge of past generations of fire fighters communicated through occupational folklore, represented at the Festival by workshops demonstrating the skills and lore of District of Columbia fire fighters.
CB Community Viewed broadly, the CB community included anyone who had and used a CB (Citizen's Band) radio. But for many CBers in the D. C. area, two way radio was more than an occasional convenience to help drivers. It formed the basis of an ongoing and richly-interactive community. CB people met and socialized over the radio and at CB events; they created informal networks and organized special clubs, such as the Legal CB Operators of America who helped prepare this year's CB presentation for the Folklife Festival. CB aficionados invited Festival visitors to learn their special jargon and to eavesdrop on the life of their community.
Street Criers and Corner Stores The places where cultures meet to do business with one another produce some of our most vital folk expressions. At markets where Italians sell to Jews, where blacks sell to Chinese; in streets where itinerant peddlers make their neighborhood stops, vendors combine talent, tradition, and business sense to sell their goods. Two programs focused on this domain: one looked at neighborhood and corner stores and the role they played for their proprietors, neighbors, and customers, and the other looked at the verbal arts of vendors and sellers - the cries and pitches of fish vendors, fruit peddlers, and others who used their skills to attract customers and to close a deal.
Truong Cam Khai, 1906-, calligrapher, painter, Arlington, Virginia
Nguyen Van Minh, lacquerware maker, Springfield, Virginia
Le Thanh Nghiem, narrator, costume, Washington, D.C.
Phan Bach Ngoc, silk flower maker, Falls Church, Virginia
Than Nguyen, narrator, immigrant experience, Springfield, Virginia
Nguyen Kim Oanh, musician, Alexandria, Virginia
Ho Thien Tam, musician, Falls Church, Virginia
Tam Vi Thuy, musician, Fairfax, Virginia
Ai Thi Tong, narrator, foodways, Washington, D.C.
Minh Nguyet Vu, narrator, immigrant experience, Arlington, Virginia
Ngo Vuong Zoai, musician, Alexandria, Virginia
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1979 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Essential matters : a history of the Cryptographic Branch of the People's Army of Viet-Nam, 1945-1975 : with a supplement on cryptography in the border guard (formerly the Armed Public Security Forces), 1959-1989 / translated and edited by David W. Gaddy
Title:
History of the Cryptographic Branch of the People's Army of Viet-Nam, 1945-1975
Angels in red hats : paratroopers of the Second Indochina War : Mu Do : elite Vietnamese paratroopers and their American advisors / compiled, written and edited by Michael Martin
Title:
Mu Do
Elite Vietnamese paratroopers and their American advisors
The Vietnamese Air Force, 1951-1975 : an analysis of its role in combat / [William W. Momyer] and Fourteen hours at Koh Tang / [prepared for Louis L. Wilson, Jr. by Thomas D. Des Brisay] ; edited by A. J. C. Lavalle
Vietnamese-English dictionary; with the international phonetic system and more than 30,000 words and idiomatic expressions. Prepared by Mrs. Le van Hung and Dr. Le van Hung
