Week 2 - Jiaqi Huang

Jiaqi Huang
A02
Week 2: Marginalization and Miseducation

This week's reading, The Miseducation of the Hmong, Kaozong explores the empowerment as well illusion of US education on the Asian American community, specifically Hmong Americans. She begins her research by focusing on the question: why is there such a academic difference between male and female Hmong students, more so why is it a prevalent and accepted difference? Through extensive interviews with six Hmong families, Kaozong formulates conclusions; there are two types of miseducations, 
"about" the Hmong by non-Hmong individuals and "by" Hmong (4). These miseducations lead to standard (e.g. what is taught about) Hmong "history", a history written by the winner (e.g. the real foreigner who is non-Hmong). Over time, this compilation of stereotypes and wrong knowledge imprints a "Hmong" of Western Society. 

"I lost the knowledge when I went to school"(2). This statement caught my attention because it sums up my Kaozong's experience as well as my own. Western culture emphasis the melting pot theory but its education system does not support it. The experience of learning (i.e. values) at home with your parent links back to native culture but at a governed institute, the "culture" is different and because this system is so lawful (13), children who grow up through K-12 are under constant impression that their native culture must be rectified to fit Western standards. Of course, there are similar goals in both cultures but the same students of the education system must abandon some part of their native tongue, history, and community. My grandparents are constantly bickering my younger US-born brother to speak Cantonese at home and "threaten" to send him to China to learn basic culture and the language. While, my brother faces this situation at every family meeting, I'm privilege to have been born and live in China for a sufficient amount of time to acknowledge what the US education hides but am still under the silent impression that my knowledge is not fit for American society. 

Question: Did you every contact your family during the time this paper was written? If so, how did your parents and siblings feel about this system?

Education is a double edged tool, depending on its use, human development may be positive or negative. 

References:
Mouavangsou, K. N. (2016). The Mis-Education of the Hmong in America (Doctoral dissertation, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS).

T. (2011, December 10). [The double edged " Sword"of rebellion]. Retrieved April 9, 2017, from https://swedishgarden.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/double-edged-sword-rebellion/