"In the Hmong culture, us men are the ones that make all the rules. With the females, they feel like they have nowhere else to go," her brother said.
Trigger warning: This article contains details of domestic abuse, gun violence, and death by suicide that may be distressing to readers.
A 36-year-old mom-of-three was killed by her husband at an Andover, Minnesota home. The victim, identified as Jennifer Yang, was shot to death by her 40-year-old husband Fue Her before he used the same gun to kill himself, according to authorities. The pair of Hmong descent appeared to have suffered from fatal gunshot wounds. They leave behind three children, aged 2, 8, and 12, according to PEOPLE.
360 Communities remembers Jennifer Yang, the fifth confirmed victim of intimate partner homicide in Minnesota in 2023.
— 360 Communities (@360Communities) March 15, 2023
Learn more here: https://t.co/uAnkYXnApk#WeRememberMN pic.twitter.com/BJsUeui0fI
The victim's brother now hopes to spread awareness of domestic abuse in the Hmong community. David Yang told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that he adored his sister and he never saw any signs. “I loved her. She always tapped me on the shoulder and was like, ‘Hi, David.’ I’m going to miss those moments,” David said as he fought back tears. He would often spend time with his sister and her husband and therefore was shocked by the news along with the rest of the family.
“We probably hung out every other weekend. I didn’t see anything. She didn’t show any signs [of domestic violence] other than reaching out to my parents sometimes about disagreements they may have had,” David said. “Till this day, I still don’t understand. I think she was just trying to protect us.”
Man murders wife before killing himself in latest Hmong domestic violence tragedy in Minnesotahttps://t.co/s7f0NIsKEq
— Nextshark (@NextShark) March 21, 2023
He believes the culture's glorification of patriarchy is responsible for his sister's death. "In the Hmong culture, us men are the ones that make all the rules. With the females, they feel like they have nowhere else to go," he continued. "They always say, 'siab ntev netv,' [which means] 'have a long heart," said David which is often told to wives when they were experiencing domestic violence.
As a result, many victims keep silent about the abuse. “Because relationships are so important across clans, they want to keep that relationship,” Xay Yang, executive director for Transforming Generations, said. “So instead of having the victim survivor leave [their partner], they ask the victim to go back. That’s the Hmong patriarchy.”
According to a GoFundMe, Jennifer is being remembered as "such a force of life and positivity," per the fundraiser description. "A caring daughter and sister, devoted mother, and friend to all – that is the Jennifer we want to remember."
If you are being subjected to domestic abuse or know of anyone else who is, please visit The National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522.
References:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/honor-victim-jennifer-yang-and-children
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
