Where You Can Find Hmong Shamans, Oaxacan Tamales, and the Blues

In the City of Merced, Cultural Gems Come From All Over—But They Can Now Be Found on One Map

A wall of sound often emanates from an open classroom at the Merced Lao Family Community Center. It’s bagpipe-like and pulsating—the sound of a half-dozen boys practicing the qeej (pronounced gheng), a bamboo reed mouth organ played at Hmong funerals, other ceremonies, and social events.

At Hmong New Year, these young musicians will perform traditional songs on the qeej, the music coming into harmony with the jangly rhythm of the coins dangling from their vests.

The qeej is significant to the Hmong community; it binds people to each other and to their …