Book excerpt: With so many individuals, couples, and families now living in the United States from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds, there are various communication styles among the different ethnic groups that play a key role in determining the success and failure of today's marriages and family relationships. Throughout the years of personal struggles as a formal political refugee from Southeast Asia, the author survived many levels of challenges, such as escaping from Laos to Thailand to be freed from political persecution, surviving in a refugee camp from sicknesses and hunger, coming to America with zero English skill, in order to become a language instructor, marriage and family counselor, and Mien language and cultural consultant. The combined years of his research and personal experiences in working with individuals, couples, and families from different cultural, social, and educational settings, he has the honor and privilege to write this book, with practical implications for individuals, couples, parents, pastors, community leaders, counselors, educators, and researchers.