dr. ronald e. mcnair acknowledgements - University of St. Thomas

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72 A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS HMONG AMERICAN STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN MINNESOTA Mai-Eng Lee ’12 University of St. Thomas Mentor Kendra Garrett, Ph.D. Professor of Social Work University of St. Thomas ABSTRACT Minnesota has a growing population of Hmong American students who are dropping out of public high schools and graduating at lower rates than their counterparts at significantly higher rates, especially in the Twin Cities area. Through qualitative research, this study explores the perceptions of six teachers who have taught Hmong students throughout their teaching career in regards to the necessary parental and academic support that will empower Hmong students to excel in their academic success. The results show Hmong students have literacy challenges with reading, writing, and verbal communication in English. It is also evident from the current study Hmong students are in need of a culturally sensitive school environment to help them identify and learn about their own culture and language. In addition, Hmong students need a supportive home environment that provides a quiet study space and some hands-on learning activities to actively engage them in their learning. Moreover, regardless of the lack of Hmong parents’ academic involvement within and intimidation by their children’s school, they value education and want to understand the Western education system to better provide a supportive home environment for their children. Therefore, it is essential for teachers and other school professionals to collaborate and communicate with Hmong parents in assisting Hmong students with the academic learning activities to help them succeed in school. Further research is needed with Hmong parents and students in order to understand how they perceive the Western education system. The Hmong are an ethnic minority group of people. Though there are no accurate records or evidence to prove where Hmong originated, scholars suggested Hmong people came from the mountains of Southern China and migrated over centuries to Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Burma. After the Secret War of Laos in 1975, some of the Hmong people immigrated to the United States. According to the U.S. Census 2000, Minneapolis and Saint Paul are home to 97.3 percent of the Minnesota Hmong population at 44,205. However, the American Community Survey (2007) estimated that the Hmong American population in Minnesota is probably between 60,000 and 70,000 because Hmong have a young population and it is a fast growing community (Lee & Pfeiffer, 2010). Thirty-six years after Hmong arrived in the United States, education has continuously been one of the most challenging issues facing Hmong American children. Problems such as low educational attainment, high drop-out rates, low test scores, and other education-related issues have preoccupied the Hmong American community (Yang, 2003). According to Yang and Pfeiffer (2003), Hmong refugees were pre-literate before they entered the United States in 1975. This was not unexpected because most of the Hmong of Laos did not have their first village school until circa 1939, and only a few Hmong families could afford to send their sons to school at that time (Yang & Pfeiffer, 2003). This historical background and the cultural assimilation in America meant Hmong had to start their educational development and new way of life at the very base of society. After over thirty years in the United States, Hmong Americans have observed successes, though they continue to face challenges in academic achievement (Yang & Pfeiffer, 2003).
Mai-Eng Lee Social Work Teachers’ Perception towards Hmong Students Research on Hmong populations started emerging in the late 1980’s. Many studies have been done on family dynamics, cultural transitions related to student achievement, and lifestyle challenges (Lor, 2008). From these studies, Vang (2003) and Thao (2003) have found students from culturally diverse backgrounds need a lot of support from parents and teachers to perform better in school. However, little research has been conducted specifically on the types of collaboration and communication parents, teachers, and other school professionals need to engage in to assist Hmong children to achieve their full academic potential. In order to do so, this current study explores the perceptions of teachers in regards to the necessary parental and academic support that empowers Hmong students to excel in their academic success. The study seeks to answer the following questions: (1) What kind of school and home environment would be supportive of Hmong students’ academic success? (2) What kinds of communication and collaboration do parents, teachers, and other school professionals need to engage in to assist Hmong children to achieve their full academic potential in school? (3) What type of school and home activities are most useful in helping Hmong students succeed in school? By looking at literature on acculturation of Hmong American families, parent and teacher communication, and home-school factors that help and hinder Hmong children’s academic learning, it is hoped that there can be a better understanding of the needed parent and teacher collaboration to support students’ success. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES Studies have speculated that Hmong were unprepared linguistically, culturally, educationally, and economically to adapt to their new life in the United States (Yang & Pfeiffer, 2003). Hmong parents struggled with assimilation to Western culture while holding on to customs, spiritual beliefs, values, and roles of the Hmong culture; whereas children were placed in American schools where they quickly learned English and adjusted to their new surroundings (Thao, 2010). Suinn (2010) and McBrien (2005) have shown mixed findings on how acculturation, the process of changing beliefs and behaviors as a result of contact between cultures, impacts refugee students’ school performance. According to Suinn, (2010) the process linking acculturation and school work involves the attitude of parents. Asian American children are performing better academically than children of other ethnic groups because their parents aspired for them to earn better grades and progress toward higher education (Suinn, 2010). On the contrary, researchers have found that acculturation can contribute to anxiety among refugees in the way they cope with and succeed in their new surroundings (McBrien, 2005). This means anxiety and economic struggles endured by adults have direct influences on refugee children in terms of emotional challenges and school performance. McBrien (2005) also provides insights into the ways in which educational success is essential for refugee children’s acculturation. She found refugee students who can learn the language of their new country and be accepted by their teachers and peers are more likely to do better in school (McBrien, 2005). These perspectives on acculturation will be beneficial in addressing the very real factors that help and hinder Hmong children to attain an education in the United States. WESTERN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Today, refugee and immigrant students come to the United States from every part of the world. According to Vang (2005) language-minority students are one of the fastest-growing segments of the total student population in America. The Minnesota Minority Education Partnership, Inc. (2009) found students in Minnesota public schools speak 97 different languages, and the most predominant primary home languages spoken by students were Spanish (32,239 students), Hmong (22,665 students), and Somali (9,583 students). Moreover, St. Paul Public Schools are home to the largest Hmong student body in the State of Minnesota, with approximately 10,590 students enrolled each year (Xiong, 2008). According to gathered data by the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership (2009), students of color and American Indian students are dropping out of public high schools and graduating at lower rates than their White peers at significantly higher rates. The Minnesota Department of Education shows students of color and 73
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