The Hmong, a Southeast Asian ethnic group, were recruited by the CIA to fight during America's "Secret War" in Laos during the 1960s and 1970s. Following the American withdrawal from Vietnam, many were forced to flee to refugee camps along the Thai border. Many later emigrated to the United States.

Today, California's San Joaquin Valley is home to one of the largest Hmong populations outside of Laos, estimated at 70,000. Isolated by culture and language, many have returned to their agricultural roots as a means of making a living. In today's age of large-scale, industrialized agriculture, these small, family-run farms harken back to an earlier era.