Tub Txawj, Ntxhais Ntse: Experiences of Hmong American Undergraduates

Abstract

Exploring the educational experiences of 13 Hmong American undergraduates attending a predominantly White university, a total of six males and seven females participated in four semi-structured 90-minute focus groups (2 all female, 1 all male, and 1 mixed gender) framed within a psychosociocultural approach. Students shared their narratives about the individuals who influenced and the factors that informed their educational experience. The narratives were analyzed for emergent themes using a social constructivist approach and a multi-step content analysis. Twelve emergent meta-themes were identified and framed within the psychosociocultural approach. The psychological themes were college self-efficacy, feelings of intellectual phoniness, experience of microaggressions, and cognitive flexibility in making sense of the unwelcoming environment. The social dimension themes included different types of support from parents, siblings, Hmong college peers, and student-based groups and programs. Four themes emerged for the cultural dimension that included shifting perceptions of gender roles, community responsibility, community pressure, and shifting parent-child relationships. The study’s findings aligned with the extant research on Hmong American undergraduates and extended the understanding of gender scripts and the influence of familial and cultural expectations within higher education. Directions for future research and implications for student affairs professionals working with Hmong American undergraduates are discussed.