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The Hmong consist of 18 clans, all derived from one ancestor, and each clan has
a respected elder who makes decisions on behalf of the clan. Some common clan
names are Cha, Fang, Her, Lee, Ly, Lo, Moua, Thao, Vang, Vue, Xiong, and Yang.
While some clan members prefer to identify themselves as Hmong, others prefer
to use the term Mong. In 2003 a public debate revealed the internal political
friction over the term “Hmong,” in which the Blue Hmong (or Mong Leng)
argued that “Hmong” refers only to the White Hmong (or Hmong Der).
Some feel that there are cultural and linguistic differences between the two groups,
while others argue that other than slight  variations, they are one group, since
they share the same history and have intermixed through marriage.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 186,310 Hmong are in the United States,
residing mainly in California (71,741), Minnesota (45,443), and Wisconsin (36,809).
Smaller concentrations are in North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado, Oregon, Georgia,
Washington, Massachusetts, and other states. Concentrations in California are
in Fresno, Merced, Sacramento, and Stockton. St. Paul, Minnesota has the largest Hmong population
of any city in the world.
The majority of Iu-Mien arrived in 1979 and thereafter from the refugee camps after attaining refugee status. Approximately 40,000 Iu-Mien are in the United States, with large communities in Northern California. 
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