Personally, I did not hear of the term "Hmong" until junior high. I only learned about the ethnic group in passing through online websites, but for the most part I was completely ignorant of the whole Hmong ethnic group. As mentioned in the paper, not much was mentioned about the Hmong in U.S. history in high school. I was completely ignorant about their unique struggles being one of the last Asian groups to immigrate to the U.S. I only learned more about the Hmong when I took ASA 1 here at UC Davis. However, even then it was very brief information which does not give them justice.
I was surprised to read that although the families that participated in the research mentioned their value in education, they still perpetuate the stereotypes between Hmong male and female, which counteracts the importance they place on education to their children. I wonder where exactly these stereotypes originated. The parents talked about their struggles in seeking refuge from their homeland but still expect their sons to slack off from their education and place more pressure on their daughters. This obviously can negatively impact their mental health throughout their lives regarding what is expected of them.
An anecdote from the paper mentions how a male Hmong felt ostracized being placed in more academically challenging classes in high school away from other Hmong males who were placed in the regular classes. Due to the different expectations placed on male Hmong, few of them feel inclined to academically challenge themselves resulting in the division between the Hmong community.
Question: Growing up in the U.S. education system, what was your experience in learning about your ethnic groups in history classes? How did that influence your perception of yourself and your community?
References
Mouavangsou, K. N. (n.d.). Hmong Does Not Mean Free: The Miseducation Of Hmong Americans. Retrieved from https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/courses/299229/files/folder/Week%20of%20Readings/Week3?preview=4936649
[Photograph of Hmong and Laotian veterans holding a U.S. flag] Retrieved January 20, 2019 from https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/ethnic-hmong-and-laotian-veterans-who-served-in-secret-for-news-photo/81123783
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