Mohinee Sharma ASA 2 Week 6

In this week's reading, "Hmong Does Not Mean Free: The Miseducation of and by Hmong Americans," Kaozong Mouavangsou discusses how Hmong Americans are a group that is often overlooked in education regarding Asian Americans. More specifically, the education system preaches equality and fairness, but the history of Hmong Americans and the gender disparity between Hmong boys and Hmong girls is often bypassed and ignored. Moreover, researchers have even found that Hmong American students in the U.S. describe their educational struggles as due to gender expectations, language barriers, and peer pressure (Valverde & Dariotis, 2019, p. 191). This reminds me a lot of how the model minority stereotype tends to generalize all Asian American groups as hard workers, high achievers, and economically successful. However, the specific struggles that Hmong Americans face is a clear example of how this stereotype fails to recognize the realities of certain groups who are struggling financially, academically, and mentally. In turn, this stereotype may add even more pressure and expectations for Hmong American students which can have a negative effect on their mental health. This brings me to the question: How can we ensure that our education system is prepared to serve each individual group's needs?

References

Image: Hmong: Data on Asian Americans. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/fact-sheet/asian-americans-hmong-in-the-u-s/


Valverde, K.-L. C., & Dariotis, W.M. (2019). Fight the tower: Asian American women scholars resistance and renewal in the academy. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.