In this article, the author provides a brief history of Hmong and traces the origin of Hmong story cloths. The Hmong, a nomadic and agrarian people, may date back 5000 years. Today they live in China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos, where during the Vietnam War and its aftermath, many Hmong were killed or persecuted for siding with the American…

Asian American Education--Asian American Identities, Racial Issues, and Languages presents groundbreaking research that critically challenges the invisibility, stereotyping, and common misunderstandings of Asian Americans by disrupting "customary" discourse and disputing "familiar" knowledge. The chapters in this anthology…

Today's classroom is a rainbow of cultures, traditions, and languages. In Hmong culture, parents think of a teacher as an authority figure who understands student needs, knows what would help students learn to excel academically, and understands how to teach students to become productive individuals. In this article, the author presents some…

Drawing on ethnographic research on Hmongs, the author illustrates how her assumptions about literacy have been challenged and presents a new view of literacy with emphasis shifted from cognitive consequences to social context: literacy as a means through which relationships are negotiated. Makes suggestions for creating…

This book is designed as a guide for teaching students about Hmong culture while building appreciation of worldwide cultural diversity. After providing an overview of the distinct history and customs of the Hmong, co-author Dia Cha shares her experiences growing up in Laotian villages, escaping from communist soldiers, living in refugee camps in…

The relationship between Hmong refugees, immigration policies, and the United States educational system is examined. First, the immigration process and policy development are discussed. Federal intentions toward the Hmong refugees and the educational reality are then contrasted, and the reasons for policy failure are examined. It is contended that…

Chapters 1 and 2 of this guide provide an introduction to the history and culture of the Hmong people, including material on family life and education in Laos up to 1975 and on their experiences in Thai refugee camps and in the United States. Chapter 3, "Linguistic Characteristics of the Hmong Language," provides an introduction to the Hmong…

Describes a lesson plan that introduces students in grades 10-12 to the decorative arts as a vehicle for exploring the cultural framework as a means of communicating various aspects of the human experience. Students design a story cloth based on a visual symbol they have developed to represent a human issue such as famine or war. (LS)

Demonstrates ways that a classroom teacher can get a distorted picture of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students and their resources and how viewing literacy in a social context illustrates the way relationships are negotiated. Suggestions are made for teachers to create ESL classrooms where the role of literacy in students' lives can be…

An ethnographic study is reported using participant and nonparticipant observations, interviews, and analysis of school files on 77 Hmong students to probe factors affecting tendencies to incorrectly label Hmong students as learning disabled. Case studies are discussed in the context of Hmong history, refugees' experiences, and language factors.…

Personality type concepts have been introduced at Anwatin Middle School, an urban middle school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where nearly two-thirds of the students receive reduced price or free lunches. In Anwatin's diverse climate--approximately 70% of Anwatin's students are students of color, mostly Black and Hmong--looking at personality…

Materials for a workshop on vocational education for limited-English-proficient (LEP) students are gathered. An annotated outline presents the content and sequence of the workshop, which reviews the problems and suggests solutions to working with students who have a restricted understanding of the language of instruction. Issues addressed include…

To meet the needs of students who are Asian and Hispanic refugees, as well as the needs of a democratic society, teachers must be able to teach effectively an understanding and appreciation of the U.S. legal and judicial system while acknowledging, responding to, and integrating the cultural backgrounds and experiences of a diverse student…

The study reported in this paper describes the first school encounters of four Hmong third-graders and their difficulties in adjusting to classroom learning activities. Three boys and one girl were chosen for observation. Two of the boys were classified as learning disabled, and the other two children were being considered for recommendation to…

This action guide helps teachers understand student differences from an environmental and contextual perspective, explaining how to better engage students in the learning process so they can increase their academic performance. The guide focuses on students who are African American, American Indian, Mexican American, and Hmong. Section 1,…