Redefining Hmong American woman identity in higher education: A scholarly personal narrative
Abstract
Recent educational trends for Hmong American women have been the pursuit of
postsecondary education and the development of new self-identities as first- and second-
generation college students. As the researcher and participant, I am exploring how my
lived experience within the broader context of the postsecondary American educational
system shaped my identity as a Hmong American woman at a predominantly White
institution in the Midwest. Through qualitative research, this scholarly personal narrative
study is guided by one main research question and four sub-questions. The guiding
question: How has my lived experience within the broader context of the postsecondary
American educational system shaped my identity as a Hmong American woman? The
sub-questions include: (a) Who am I? (b) Who do I pretend to be? (c) Who do I want to
become? and (d) Where do I belong? Using a postmodernist paradigm, the conceptual
framework utilized the Hmong story cloth and the culturally engaging campus
environment models. Three themes were identified. The researcher recommends more
narrative studies about the Hmong American women experience in higher education.
Subject
Hmong American women
Education, Higher
Identity (Philosophical concept)