This qualitative thematic analysis study examined the motivations of first-generation college graduate Hmong American students in their educational attainment. Currently, Hmong American students are facing cultural and institutional barriers which continue to impact access to and achievement in college. Although there is an educational disparity,…

In this community-based participatory research article the authors bring attention to the Hmong Archives, a community asset in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The authors describe the Hmong Archives and how it has been used by K-12 teachers and college professors in a culturally sustaining manner. The authors argue that by focusing on the Hmong population,…

Hmong people in the United States of America have started to emerge on the national scene thanks to the recent rise of Hmong politicians winning State representative, senate, and assembly seats. The Hmong-American experience in the United States is a rollercoaster experience. While we have made America our home for the past 45 years, our presence…

Since their settlement in the United States, Hmong American women have established themselves in professional organizations across various disciplines as lawyers, teachers, university professors, medical doctors, and political leaders. However, the data on the education achievement of Hmong American women reveal that Hmong American women have one…

This study reviews empirical data from the U.S. Census, American Community Survey (ACS) and academic journals to explore K-12 and higher educational outcomes pertaining to Southeast Asian American (SEAA) males. We argue that the empirical dismissal of SEAA males in social science research reinforces a longstanding agenda of structural neglect and…

When Dr. Chia Youyee Vang arrived at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee five years ago, numerous Hmong students along with community residents called for more courses specifically examining their life experiences. Now, her university offers a certificate in Hmong diaspora studies. It's part of a growing tide within Asian American studies--more…

U.S. higher education institutions are enrolling increasing numbers of long-term immigrant students, who belong to Generation 1.5. Essentially beginning college while still in the process of learning English, these students often struggle in higher education, and they present new challenges to college writing instructors. This study explored the…

Investigated the meaning of early marriage among Hmong American female college students. Interview and observation data attested to the complexity of the meaning of early marriage in the Hmong American community. Results refuted explanations of cultural difference as underlying early marriage and indicated that early marriage was an expression of…

Argues that the rhetoric of preliteracy is a 19th-century narrative that offers a subordinate identity and obscures the conditions through which literacy development is promoted. Examines the literacy experience of the Hmong of Laos to demonstrate how their supposed preliteracy is an outcome of a dense and interconnecting network of historical…

"Hmong Language, Culture, and Learning" is a new required course for ESL and bilingual education minors at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Course elements include ethnographic research within the Hmong community; classroom discussion of Hmong language, culture, and learning issues; observing/volunteering in bilingual Hmong/English…

Low educational participation and achievement among Hmong American women can be attributed to economic, racial, cultural, and structural barriers. Racism and welfare policies have limited their experience, despite a movement in the Hmong community to question traditional gender expectations. (SK)

A descriptive study addressed student attrition in two Title VII Bilingual Education Career Ladder Programs for Hmong paraprofessionals and traditional-age college students working toward teacher certification in Wisconsin. Surveys showed that dropouts were disproportionately male and nontraditional students; factors included financial problems,…

A college collaborated with community organizations to create a neighborhood school for Hmong and Latino immigrants focused on citizenship education. Participation in the school by college students from a course on sociocultural aspects of clothing helped them place clothing instruction within a larger context. (SK)

The history of the Hmong people of Southeast Asia is based mainly on oral traditions, and until recent decades there was no written Hmong language. With the introduction of writing, a new view of history is beginning to emerge, as demonstrated by college student term papers. (SLD)

Hmong students represent how a relatively infant culture in the United States adapts to the education system. A study of three Hmong male university students and how they dealt with diversity on a personal and social level is presented here. The intent was to explore Hmong men's experience in college with their potential need to utilize student…