This study describes a method for collecting data from nonliterate, non-English-speaking populations. Our audio computer-assisted self-interview instrument with color-labeled response categories was designed for use with helper assistance. The study included 30 dyads of nonliterate older Hmong respondents and family helpers answering questions…

Based on analyses of 1,622 Hmong adolescents in a large urban school district, we illuminate a positive association between school different-race exposure and Hmong limited English proficient students' reading achievement. However, we also note a negative association of neighborhood different-race exposure with Hmong students from low…

A partnership with the Hmong American community produced "The Wildlife and Wilderness Exploration Show," a DVD that puts a modern twist on traditional Hmong storytelling. Key educational messages in the DVD were identified through interviews with Hmong natural resource professionals. The messages are delivered in entertaining segments in the DVD,…

The existence of the achievement gap is more than just a black-white issue; contrary to stereotypes, it is a concern within Asian homes. Hmong students underachieve in comparison with many East Asian students. Traditional cultural practices and poverty have been identified as explanatory factors. Our data suggest that a more critical factor might…

The early 1980s saw an influx of Southeast Asian refugees from various demographic groups and backgrounds to Minnesota. As teachers, the author and her colleagues regularly added children from these groups to their classrooms, receiving little explanation of a student's history or language proficiency. To counteract increasing teacher resentment…

Since 1975, the United States has accepted more than 110,000 Laotian highlanders as refugees, the vast majority of whom are Hmong. The Hmong in America trace their Chinese ancestry back thousands of years, but their recent history is rooted in Laos where Hmong families escaped from China in the mid-1800s. It is difficult to overstate the culture…

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 case study of a hearing-impaired 7-year-old Hmong boy illustrates the complex process involved in identifying a limited English speaking child's learning, speech, language, and hearing disabilities. The process requires uncovering past experiences and evaluating environmental and cultural factors. The history and culture of the Hmong people are…

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…

Explored how Hmong American high school students interpreted the meaning of being Hmong in the United States, examining how the culture of whiteness shaped their experiences and understandings of being American. The culture of whiteness led these students to internalize the message that whites were the only real Americans. They were very aware…

This study investigated the attitudes of seven Hmong parents of hearing impaired children attending an American public school. Most parents reported limited knowledge of the policies, practices, and organizational structures of special education, and all cited communication barriers as impediments to involvement in their child's education.…

Although much research has been done on bilingual students from a variety of backgrounds, little research has been done specifically on the needs of K-12 Hmong students. Hmong students are refugees and children of refugees who immigrated to the United States since 1975, leaving their home country of Laos. California public schools have…

A collection in English of selected readings is presented from "Phau Xyuaum Nyeem Zaj Lus," a publication used as a Hmong literacy primer. The purpose of the collection is threefold: (1) to provide intermediate limited English proficient Hmong refugees with reading passages in English that they could relate to; (2) to present Hmong world views in…

Focus groups with Hmong American undergraduates examined their educational experiences in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Over 25 years after the first Hmong refugees arrived, cultural difference is still used to explain the status of Hmong communities. Hmong children are said to be excelling in school, though reports do not consider the high numbers of…

Information on the Hmong (Mong) people living in Wisconsin, their educational background, the reasons they came to the United States, and the problems they are facing is provided. The Hmong are a closely knit ethnic group from Laos who migrated there from China in the 18th century. The Hmong began arriving in the United States in the late 1970s as…