In the United States, when two people marry and have children they have choices about what last name to use for their children. Some couples may choose to use both of their last names to create a hyphenated version for their children, while others might use the woman's last name as a middle name and the father's last name as the child's last name. In the Hmong culture, the male is the head of the household. Children take on the father's last name and in families that still maintain the traditional culture, the newly married couple may even move in with the husband's family. In many respects, the Hmong woman has given up her family and is expected to be a part of her husband's kin. What accounts for the differences between the American and Hmong culture?

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The main difference between the American and Hmong cultures regarding last names is that descent is patrilineal in the Hmong culture, meaning that children take on the father's last name, while it is bilateral in the United States, giving couples the option to choose from a variety of naming conventions. This is likely due to cultural and historical differences between the two societies.

In the United States, When Two People Marry and Have