General Vang Pao, considered by many to be the leader of the Hmong people, announced last night that he plans to return to Laos and seek reconciliation.

There are a lot of potential implications for this move. It could possibly mean a deal could be made to allow some of the thousands of Hmong in refugee camps or in the jungle to enter the United States. Education-wise, it could mean a new wave of pre-literate students entering schools in communities where there are large numbers of Hmong now. And, of course, it also creates a lot of grist for classroom lessons now.