Then Chinese soldiers invaded the Hmong villages and attempted to drive the Hmong out of China. The Hmong tried fighting for their peace, freedom and equality but were unsuccessful. Due to persecution, the Hmong traveled south to Laos where they hoped to rebuild their lives.

After successfully rebuilding their lives in Laos, the Hmong were drawn into the Vietnamese Conflict which lasted from 1945-1975. The Hmong were again tragically persecuted and forced out of their villages. This story cloth shows the American soldiers supplying weapons to the Hmong men while the Hmong women were at home taking care of their families and working in the fields. Pursued by the Vietnamese, villages were burned and the population killed. After the communists won the war in 1975, the Hmong fled west toward Thailand. But in order to reach Thailand, the Hmong had to build rafts or swim to get across the broad and treacherous Mekong River as shown in the story cloth. There, they would be safe in non-communist Thailand.

In Thailand, refugee camps like Ban Vinai were established. After a short period of settlement in Thailand, many Hmong received opportunities to come to the United States. In order to do so, some Hmong people had to leave many of their loved ones behind to resettle in Phanatnikhom (a city near Bangkok, the capital of Thailand). This city is depicted on the story cloth because of its significance. It was where many Hmong were educated and given medical attention. In Phanatnikhom, they began their journey to the United States on the "dav hlau" (da lao) or the "big metal bird".