Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Preface and Acknowledgments vii
4. 1. Upland Alternatives: An Introduction 1
5. 2. Frontier Dynamics: Borders and the Hmong 20
6. 3. Borderland Livelihoods: Everyday Decisions and Agrarian Change 38
7. 4. Livestock Transactions: Buffalo Traversing the Borderlands 63
8. 5. Locally Distilled Alcohol: Commodifying an Upland Tradition 84
9. 6. Farming under the Trees: Old Skills and New Markets 104
10. 7. Weaving Livelihoods: Local and Global Hmong Textile Trades 125
11. 8. The Challenge: Making a Living on the Margins 148
12. Notes 173
13. Glossary 187
14. References 189
15. Index 217