Abstract
As the largest Asian-American ethnicity at one large public Institution of Higher Education in California, undergraduate Hmong students as a whole are falling behind other sub-groups in graduation rates. Fortunately, a handful of Hmong students do find their way through the challenges of their collegiate experiences to attain academic success. This study identified and connected with four high achieving undergraduate female Hmong American students at the IHE to explore the factors for a successful academic experience counter-narrative. This qualitative asset-based in-depth, semi-structured virtual interview approach allowed discovery into unique and shared narratives regarding their academic achievements. Verbatim transcript analyses in relation to the current literature on Hmong American college students and the frameworks of the Model Minority Myth, Critical Race Theory, and Microaggressions, illuminated important themes as considerations to cultivate increased undergraduate Hmong American student academic achievement. These included aspects of recognizing the mismatch of traditional Hmong cultural norms and the individualistic values of the U.S. IHE, supporting student self-advocacy, and increasing awareness of the Hmong ethnicity as distinct from other Asian groups to dismantle the harmful consequences of the Model Minority Myth on Hmong student success.
Highlights
Learning to navigate the undergraduate years at an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) is a challenge in itself, and not every student is privileged to have the needed support to succeed (Supple, McCoy, & Wang, 2010)
This study identified and connected with four high achieving undergraduate female Hmong American students at the IHE to explore the factors for a successful academic experience counter-narrative
These Hmong student narratives surrounding their academic achievement are necessary to understand ways to counteract the negative published trends for this subgroup in order to attain an increase in educational attainment and in turn, socio-economic advancement. 1.1 Hmong in the U.S In order to better comprehend challenges faced by undergraduate Hmong students enrolled in American IHEs, it is essential first to provide the context of the Hmong people in the U.S During the Vietnam War
Summary
Learning to navigate the undergraduate years at an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) is a challenge in itself, and not every student is privileged to have the needed support to succeed (Supple, McCoy, & Wang, 2010). 1.1.1 Traditional Hmong Practices Over the 40+ years in which a growing number of Hmong have resided in the U.S, many traditional practices continue to maintain Hmong culture This includes the practice of animism, a belief in multiple souls working in conjunction for a balance of health, ancestor worship, and interconnectedness between living individuals and ancestors who have passed on (Gerdner, 2012), and a firm patriarchal social structure (Cha, 2010). In alignment with a patriarchal society, gender roles are crucial to cultural practices as males are expected to complete heavy physical tasks and maintain spiritual practices, whereas females are taught to dutifully complete household chores and childcare (Vang, 2013)
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