Sumeth Prasertsud (Bienh, Zoih Daqv) is one of the few individuals who have taken on the monumental task of writing and compiling full-length dictionaries for the Iu Mien language. With years of dedicated study, Sumeth has become a specialist in the language, providing invaluable resources to Mien communities around the world. In this piece, we delve into his journey of becoming a Mien language expert and explore the intricate process he undertook to write a comprehensive dictionary.

Where were you born?
I was born in a small village called Ban Maengon Noy. It is no longer a village nowadays. All the villagers have moved down to Ban Pang Khwai, Tambol Maengon, Fang District, Chiangmai province, Thailand.

How long have you been in the US?
I have been in the US for 37 years.

What is your educational background?
I possess a Masters of Art in Teaching.

When did you know you wanted to be a Mien language specialist?
I was planning to write an Iu Mien Dictionary in 1990. I took some subjects and acquired some linguistic knowledge when I went to graduate school. I started to contact Ms. Sylvia J. Lormbard who I knew her when I went to a graduate school in Vermont and Dr. Herbert C. Purnell who is expert in the Iu Mien New Roman orthography and both of them had been written an Iu Mien Dictionary and a lot of articles about Iu Mien before. Especially Dr. Purnell is a linguist who helped to create Iu Mien writing system for us. In 1983 Mr. and Mrs. Callaway went to visit me and observed our Native Language Literacy (NLL) program in Phanat Nikhom refugee camp and I knew them since then. Around 1984-1985 Dr. Purnell went to visit me in Phanat Nikhom refugee camp where I was a teacher trainer and supervisor for the Iu Mien Native Language Literacy program, and we became friends until today. They are my role model and inspired me by their example about how much time they have spent with Iu Mien people and dedicated to help Iu Mien to preserve our language all their lives.

How did you learn the Iu Mien Script?
In 1982 when I was sophomore at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok my father passed away I had to look for a job to support myself and I was offered a job in Phanat Nikhom refugee camp as an Iu Mien teacher. At that time I knew nothing about Iu Mien language. I could barely speak Iu Mien language. My supervisor gave me 2 months to go back to Bangkok to do research and learn Iu Mien New Roman Written Language. There were not many Iu Mien books and materials about Iu Mien language at the time. I went to almost every colleges and universities in Bangkok, to no avail. I finally went to Siam Society Library which is one of the oldest small libraries under royal patronage. I was very lucky to get Ms. Sylvia J. Lormbard’s dictionary (1982 version or the old script) and the librarian was kind enough to let me borrow it.

I took it to a photocopy shop and make copies. Then I went back to Phanat Nikhom refugee camp and found a student who knew how to read a little Iu Mien language. His name is Bungz, Saeng-Wangc. He taught me how to pronounce all the alphabets and vowels and then I started to “self-study” the rest of Iu Mien Written Language by myself. However, when I had questions I would write a letter to ask Dr. Purnell and later on when we had PC I e-mailed and asked him whenever I needed help.

Describe the process you took to write the Mien dictionary?
It took me 3 years to learn and collect Iu Mien vocabularies from every resources such as family members, friends, books, articles, all kind of Iu Mien language teaching materials either in English, Iu Mien or in Thai languages, social medias and even Iu Mien social gatherings I would listen to people talk carefully and learn new words that I have never heard of before from people. I would jot down everything I could think of and put them in an alphabetical order. Then I started to put them together little by little. If I had questions or had any doubt about any words I would write them down and tried to look for our elders to ask for clarification in order to make sure  I understood and use the word correctly. It took me 13 years to write and/or compile everything together to be a dictionary. And took me for the total of 15 years all together in order to compile the Iu Mien – English – Thai Dictionary.

What are some future plans?
My future plan is to travel to as many as  Iu Mien communities, villages, and countries that have Iu Mien population in order to advocate, promote and do the presentation to educate Iu Mien people about how significant it is to have an Iu Mien written language of our own. We need “an Iu Mien Universal/International Written Language” for all Iu Mien in the world to use, otherwise preserving Iu Mien language and culture is going to be impossible in this era. I also plane to do at least 50 or more inspirational and Iu Mien language presentations in Iu Mien communities and villages in Thailand. If there is an opportunity, and if my health and times compromise I will go to Laos, Vietnam, China, France, and Canada to do the same as well.

My ultimate goal and hope is to set up something like an Iu Mien Museum, Language, and Cultural Center or a World Iu Mien Language and Cultural Learning Center in Thailand.

Nevertheless, I do aware and quietly observe the behavior and characteristic of our Iu Mien people that no matter where they live, they are not different. There are not many people interested in their own societal problems such as imminent language and cultural extinction in the near future in which we are trying to advocate and promote. In another words, they don’t see what we see, that’s why it’s very hard to get them to participate. I also understand about their struggle that surviving of the family is more important than anything else. Therefore, I have to analyze everything day by day after I have visited a village and met with people.  If my plan A doesn’t work out I will try plan B which is “Iu Mien Languange School Without Border”. I’ll go wherever that Iu Mien people value what I’m doing and I will stay with them and teach them. Once I have passed on enough Iu Mien language literacy, teaching techniques and pedagogy for them to be able to teach themselves in their own community I’ll move on to another place. And if it doesn’t work out again I might have to completely retire from everything.

However, if my health and time permit I might just need to concentrate on writing more books about all the aspects of Iu Mien that no one has even written before in the future.