University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Open Access Dissertations 2015 “I AM A HMONG AMERICAN”: AN EXPLORATION OF THE EXPERIENCES OF HMONG STUDENTS IN COLLEGE Ducha Hang University of Rhode Island, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss Recommended Citation Hang, Ducha, "“I AM A HMONG AMERICAN”: AN EXPLORATION OF THE EXPERIENCES OF HMONG STUDENTS IN COLLEGE" (2015). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 308. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/308 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “I AM A HMONG AMERICAN”: AN EXPLORATION OF THE EXPERIENCES OF HMONG STUDENTS IN COLLEGE By DUCHA HANG A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILSOPHY IN EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND AND RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE 2015 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DISSERTATION OF DUCHA HANG APPROVED: Dissertation Committee Major Professor Carolyn Panofsky Annemarie Vaccaro David Brell Minsuk Shim Donald Halquist Dean, Feinstein School of Education – RIC Nasser H. Zawia Dean, The Graduate School – URI UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND AND RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE 2015 Abstract As the changing demographics in the United States are steadily shifting the student populations in colleges and universities, the focus on retention and college success becomes ever more important. When marginalized and underrepresented students like Asian Americans enter post-secondary education institutions and are assumed to fit stereotypes like the Model Minority Myth which suggests that all Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students are high achievers, how do these students succeed and continue with their education under challenges including discrimination, language barriers (Lee, 2008) and cultural tension (Xiong and Lee, 2011; Ngo, 2007)? This study explores the experiences of Hmong college students. More specifically, the goal of this research is to describe how Hmong students make sense of their college experiences from their perspectives by examining two research questions: How do Hmong students make sense of their experiences in college? What contexts and situations influence the experiences and success of Hmong students in college? This research uses a phenomenological approach consisting of in-depth interviews with Hmong students from a New England college and Hmong individuals who have graduated from college. The first interview required the participants to respond to questions exploring their family backgrounds, experiences in schools prior to college, and their experiences in post-secondary education. The second interview was facilitated to provide opportunities for participants to elaborate on statements and stories from the first interview and was used for member checking. The students’ responses from the interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Using phenomenological analysis and specifically thematic inductive analysis, the data were analyzed to develop themes. Three themes emerged from the data and captured how Hmong students make sense of their college experience: navigating the college system, support structures, and living in a bicultural world: “I am Hmong American”. These themes were used to develop recommendations for practitioners in higher education and suggestions for future research. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to thank my Major Professor, Dr. Carolyn Panofsky, for all of her feedback, encouragement, and guidance throughout this entire dissertation process. I could have not completed this work without her support, great humor, and spirit! Dr. Panofsky provided me such valuable critiques and really helped me to drill in on my focus and research. Her enthusiasm and interest in my topic helped me to finish, and I am so thankful for her expertise and friendship. She has been such a great mentor to me, and I admire her, her work and her expertise. Throughout this process, we discovered that I operated better with deadlines especially under the craziness of my work schedule. Thanks to Dr. Panofsky for giving me deadlines and keeping me on task! I will always cherish our meetings at Whole Foods and the wonderful conversations we had during this process. I would also like to thank the members of my dissertation committee. Thanks to Dr. Annemarie Vaccaro for steering me back to my original research topic during our Social Justice course. I lost my way somehow, but she brought me back to where I needed to be! Thanks to Dr. David Brell for the wonderful critiques on my work, for believing in me, and for supporting me throughout my years in the program. Thanks to Dr. Minsuk Shim for the opportunities to explore different ideas that emerged in my work. Thanks to Dr. Leslie Shuster for serving as an outside committee member and providing additional support and encouragement. I have been touched by all of their dedication and interest in my work. Thanks to all the amazing participants who took time to share their stories with me. I am forever thankful for their generosity and candid reflections. I truly believe iv that sharing stories is a great way to learn new things, and they have helped me to learn new things about myself. Last, but not least, I would like to thank my family. My parents are the greatest parents anyone can ask for. Their unconditional love, encouragement and belief in us – four daughters (!) – have been the key ingredients to our success. Thanks to my three sisters for listening to me during my panic attacks, cooking me delicious meals, and getting the wine ready. Thank you to my nephews for always making me smile and bringing light into my life – Auntie Cha loves you! Thanks to my grandmothers for their support and love. And thanks to my grandfathers, Xay Ge Kue and Nhia Ly Hang – veterans of the Secret War, former leaders in the Hmong community, and the heart and rock of our families. Thank you for your service in the Secret War and for paving the path for us here in the United States. They left this life a few years ago, and I dedicate this work to them and their legacy. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………..……...ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………….…...….....iv TABLES OF CONTENTS …………………………………….……………...…….….vi LIST OF FIGURES …………………………………………………………..…….…..ix Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………….….1 Statement of the Problem ………………………………………………...……….…1 The Model Minority Myth ………………………………………………….…..2 Aggregated Educational Attainment Data for Asian American and Pacific Islanders …………………………………………………………………….…..3 My Personal Connection to the Study ………………………………………….…...5 Purpose of the Study and Research Question ……………………………….………7 Significance of the Study ……………………………………………………….…...8 Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ……………………………………………….…..9 Introduction …………………………………………………………………….……9 Unpacking the Model Minority Myth ………………………………..……….……11 Aspects of the Model Minority Myth ………………………….………….…...11 The Social Mobility and Socialization of AAPIs ……………………………...13 The Voices: Asian American High School Students and the Model Minority Myth ………………………………………………………………………...…16 Disaggregating the AAPI Data: Bringing the Facts to the Table ...………..…..19 The Hmong ……………………………………………………………………..…..24 History of the Hmong ……………………………………………………..…...25 The Secret War …………………………………………………………….…..26 A New Life: Adaptation to America …………...…………………………..….31 America: Sociocultural, Socioeconomic, and Language Challenges .....31 Intergenerational Conflict and Experiences with Discrimination ……..36 From an Ecological and Cultural Lens: Bronfenbrenner and Lareau …………..…..39 Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………….……..45 vi Introduction ………………………………………………………………….……..45 Research Design ……………………………………………………………….…...45 Timeline Overview …………………………………………………………….…...49 Sampling Procedures…...……………………………………………………..…….50 Characteristics of Participants …………...…………………………………….…...53 Data Collection Procedures …………………………………………………….…..55 Data Analysis ……………………………………………………………….….…...58 Trustworthiness ………………………………………...……………………..……62 My Role as Researcher ……………………………………………………..…...62 Credibility ……………………………………………………………….……....63 Assumptions and Limitations ……………………………………………….……...64 Chapter 4: FINDINGS …………………………………………………………..……..65 Introduction ………………………………………………………………….……..65 Navigating the College System …………………………………………….………66 “I don’t think my parents really understand what college is”……......…….…..72 Academic Transitions ……………………………………………………..…...77 Choosing the Right Major …………………………………….………….……81 “College isn’t easy”: Balancing Everything …………………………….……..86 Support Structures …………...………………………………………………….….91 Pre-College Experiences: Bridge Programs and High School Support ……......92 Institutional Support ………………………………………………………….100 Parental Support …………………………………..………………….………107 Moral Support and Encouragement ………….……………………………108 A Focus on a Better Life …………….……………………………….…...112 Sibling as Role Models …………………………………….……………..…..117 Peer to Peer Support ……………………………………….…………….…...126 Living in a Bi-Cultural World: “I am a Hmong-American”………….……..….…132 Cultural Values and Responsibilities …………………………………..……..133 Role of Gender as Motivation for Success …………...……………..………..140 Importance of Diversity …………………………………………………..…..147 vii College as Self-Exploration ………………………………………………..…160 “You learn more about