Urges social studies educators to explore textile art and interviews with textile artists as a tool for fostering understanding and empathy for Hmong Americans. Summarizes Hmong history and culture as they lived traditionally in Laos, as refugees in Thailand, and as immigrants in the United States suggesting examples of textile art. (CMK)

The purpose of this research was to ascertain whether the Hmong language and culture were shifting or were being maintained within a generational cross-section of 12 Hmong participants in Merced, California. Data was collected in the form of interviews, questionnaires, Internet research, and library research. The results of the study showed that…

This article analyzes how school reforms in the United States during the 1990s supported transformative literacy practices in the context of a Hmong-English third grade classroom. Using methods that allow for an analysis of both macro and micro discourses shaping the literacy practices of English language learners, this 2-year study illustrates…

A JTPA/FEL (Job Training Partnership Act/Family English Literacy) demonstration project is reported that involves a partnership between the Lao Family Community (LFC) of Minnesota, the City of St. Paul, and St. Paul Public Schools/Adult Basic Education. The goal is to provide workplace literacy instruction to refugees with limited English…

The United States has admitted more than 1 million Southeast Asian refugees since 1975. The impact of these refugees on language and literacy education has been profound; many innovations in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) education have derived from efforts to meet their language and literacy needs. The first wave of refugees in the…

The concept of adolescence as a period during which certain kinds of behavior are to be expected has become institionalized in the American education system; acceptance of this "rite of passage" creates barriers for adolescent female refugees from the Hmong and Mien hilltribes of Laos, whose cultures do not include the concept of…

A study was conducted concerning how Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, and Hmong refugees between the ages of 15 and 18 have faced the difficulties of adjusting to life in the United States. The study looked at some of the reasons behind the difficulties these youth experience, as well as their success at school, within the family, and in society.…

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…

Investigated the cultural identity of the second generation of a group of recent Hmong immigrants to the United States to determine the relationships among acculturation, ethnic identity, second-language acquisition, native language maintenance, self-esteem, and academic success. (JL)

Surveys 458 adult residents of La Crosse (Wisconsin) by telephone to determine knowledge about their attitudes toward Southeast Asian immigrants (largely Hmong). Data suggest that the community is evenly divided in support of immigrants. The greatest variance is accounted for by ethnocentrism, although economic factors play a role. (SLD)

The Hmong population in the US has grown since 1975. According to the 2000 US census, there are more than 160,000 Hmong living in the US. New waves of Hmong immigrants are re-settling in the US. Over 15,000 Hmong have come to the US from Thailand as refugees since summer 2004. California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are the States with the highest…

In this article, the author introduces the traditional Hmong culture and the background of the Hmong people and presents important aspects of collectivist cultures. The author discusses possible challenges in providing services to students living in the United States who are blind and visually impaired and from a Hmong background. She also…

A study examined specific reading competencies after participating in Hmong literacy instruction in an after-school setting in the Thermalito, California School District, grades kindergarten through 4. Control and treatment groups were established to compare the English literacy skills of the Hmong students who participated in 40 hours of primary…

A study of Hmong refugees settling in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) focused on the social resources (e.g., kinship, literacy) available for adapting to life in the United States and the refugees' use of those resources. The study also resulted in profiles of several Hmong adults, documenting language and literacy use in daily life and patterns of…

This study examined reasons for the recent wave of immigration to the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, area, interviewing Hmong, Somalis, Russians, and Hispanics/Latinos who were born outside of the United States. Interviews examined reasons for leaving the native land, what immigrants found when they arrived, and how they coped and adapted. Most…