Understanding How Hmong American Undergraduate Students Resist Institutional Invisibility and Create Spaces of Belonging

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: The Importance of Equity-Centeredness in K–12 and Higher Education Institutions (Table 24)

Abstract

Guided by Asian Critical Race Theory and Community Cultural Wealth frameworks, this study seeks to understand the ways in which Hmong American undergraduate students at a four-year public university resist institutional invisibility and create spaces of belonging. Interviews were conducted with 10 (N=10) Hmong American undergraduate students about their experiences pursuing higher education, including different sources of support that have helped them in college and how they navigate and negotiate their racial and ethnic identities. Findings revealed the importance of fostering a “home away from home,” a growing appreciation of Hmong culture, and giving back to the Hmong community. These findings have important implications for how Hmong students are agents of change in education.

Author

• Chamee Moua, University of California - Davis