Section: A02
Week 2: Marginalization and Miseducation
This week’s reading,” Hmong Does Not Mean Free: Miseducation
of Hmong Americans” by Kaozong N. Mouavangsou focuses on the passive
marginalization and miseducations of many subordinate groups in America.
Mouavangsou was initially taught that there are rules to everything yet when
she went to her belief changed based on how school taught equality and
fairness. She also addresses the gender disparities within the Hmong culture,
and the differences of gender roles. By her observation of various Hmong
families exposes how education plays a significant role in both boys and girls
life, yet negatively towards Hmong boys.
This concept seems to be relevant to most Asian American cultures; we
see that more Asian women pursue education more than boys do. The Lack of representation
of Asian American history, especially Hmong history creates a divide in
self-identity. Education is pushed on Asian Americans, yet due to the lack of
that information, many are misguided about their own history or tend to be
disconnected from their education because the lack of relativity that Asian
Americans have. The lack of the right acknowledgment of Asian American history
is concerning because many do not understand the culture, nor appreciate the
efforts and supports that Asian Americans have in American history.
This idea is very important, because just as in Native
American studies, many were taught about the tale of Pilgrims and the Indians,
Cowboys and Indians, or the naïve story about missions. All of these stories
are told in an outsider’s perspective or twisted to favor the American side,
mostly portraying Americans as the hero not the oppressor. I believe that the
different minorities history is important to tell, the actual truth of history
to help them understand their culture and make that connection. Similarly both
of my parents immigrated to America from the Philippines, and pushed a higher
education on me. I believed the ideology that my parents believed more
education will bring me a better future. Yet as I was learning, I was never
taught about my culturally history. Even here at UC Davis, I have only heard a
short ten-minute lecture about Filipinos working with the farmworkers union. There
is only one class offered that focuses on the Filipino experience. I have
always felt disconnected yet, I always tried to listen to stories that my dads
use to tell the stories or me my auntie tells me now.
Question: How could we implement the true history of
minorities groups, instead of the mainstream stories that are being told?
This image shows the strong need for our stories, not what
other have of us to be told and taught to minorites
Reference:
1. Mouavangsou, K. (2017). Hmong Does Not Mean Free: The Miseducation Of Hmong Americans.
2.Xánath Caraza. (2013)La Bloga. http://labloga.blogspot.com/2013/11/xanath-caraza-reads-her-poetry-in.html
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