Hmong Studies Journal
Visit us on Twitter and Facebook for Updates
  • Home
  • Editorial Board
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Partners
  • Press Releases
  • Media
  • HSJ Volume 24(2022)
  • HSJ Volume 23(2021)
  • HSJ Volume 22(2020)
  • HSJ Volume 21(2020) Special 5th Hmong Studies Consortium International Conference Issue
  • HSJ Volume 20(2019)
  • HSJ Volume 19(2)(2018)
  • HSJ Volume 19(1)(2018) Special Issue on Hmong American Education
  • HSJ Volume 18 (2017)
  • HSJ Volume 17 (2016)
  • HSJ Volume 16 (2015)
  • HSJ Volume 15(1),(2014)
  • HSJ Volume 15(2),(2014) Special Hmong Across Borders Conference Issue
  • HSJ Volume 14 (2013)
  • HSJ Volume 13(2),(2012) 2010 Census Special Issue
  • HSJ Volume 13(1),(2012)
  • HSJ Volume 12 (2011)
  • HSJ Volume 11 (2010)
  • HSJ Volume 10 (2009)
  • HSJ Volume 9 (2008)
  • HSJ Volume 8 (2007)
  • HSJ Volume 7 (2006)
  • HSJ Volume 6 (2005)
  • HSJ Volume 5 (2004-05)
  • HSJ Volume 4 (2003)
  • HSJ Volume 3 (2000)
  • HSJ Volume 2(2),(1998)
  • HSJ Volume 2(1), (1997)
  • HSJ Volume 1(2), (1997)
  • HSJ Volume 1(1), (1996)
  • HSJ Articles by Author
  • HSJ Articles by Topic
  • Donation to support HSJ
  • Hmong Studies Resource Center
  • Hmong Studies Newsletter
  • Hmong Studies Bibliographies
  • HSJ Print Editions
  • Hmong Census Data
  • Hmong Studies Virtual Library
  • Hmong Resource Center Library
  • Related Open Access Journals
HMONG STUDIES NEWSLETTER, Fall 2013


ABOUT  THIS PUBLICATION: The Hmong  Studies Newsletter has since 2001 provided a very  consistent source of up-to-date information about new  works in Hmong Studies and  Hmong-related research resources. To access back issues of this online  publication dating back to 2001 visit: http://www.hmongstudiesjournal.org/hmong-studies-newsletter.html

Hmong Studies Newsletter Editor: Mark  E. Pfeifer,  PhD

ABOUT THE HMONG STUDIES INTERNET  RESOURCE CENTER:

The Hmong Studies Internet Resource  Center (www.hmongstudies.org)  is the online home of the Hmong  Studies Journal academic journal.  This unique scholarly site also  contains extensive bibliographies in Hmong Studies as well as census data and an online research paper library.

Many of the Hmong Studies articles, books and dissertations listed in this newsletter and on the website  may be found at the Hmong Resource Center Library (www.hmonglibrary.org) at the Hmong Cultural Center in  Saint Paul, the largest depository of Hmong Studies academic journal  articles and graduate theses and dissertations in the United States.
NEW WORKS IN HMONG STUDIES:

Books/Theses/Reports


Todd J. Bohm. (2013). Influences on High School Attainment of Hmong American Males. EdD Dissertation, Edgewood College. This graduate study explores positive and negative influences that affected potential
graduation of Hmong American male students from a high school in central Wisconsin. The author
reports surveys and interviews with Hmong American male graduates and non-graduates from
the graduating classes of 2011 and 2012, and while identifying themes that indicated influences on their
probability of graduating from high school including parental involvement, English language
acquisition, inter-generational conflict, and student engagement.

Mai Yang Vang. (2013). For whom is “Successful Aging” Relevant?: (Re)defining the Aging Experience through the Voices of Hmong Elders. MA Thesis, University of California, Los Angeles. Through interviews with Hmong elders, the author of this graduate thesis attempts to contest the current theoretical framework of successful aging and articulate how it has been exclusive not only to the diversity of the aging population but also to Hmong elders as it is conceptualized. Utilizing an Asian American Studies framework, the author also discusses culture-specific approaches to successful aging and suggests methods to establish more fluid concepts of aging than those observed in the mainstream gerontology literature.

TangJudy Vang. (2013). The Role of Psycho-Sociocultural Factors in Suicide Risk Among Mong/Hmong Youth. PhD Dissertation, Portland State University.
This graduate study examines psychological, social, and cultural factors that can affect suicide risk among Mong/Hmong youth between the ages of 18 and 25. The author conducted surveys among 165 Mong/Hmong youth in California.

Ger Xiong. (2013). “A Matter of Life and Death”: Biocitizenship and (In)Voluntary Reproductive Sterilization of Hmong Refugee Women in California (Post-1979). MA Thesis, University of California, Los Angeles.
This graduate thesis explores how women’s reproductive choices and capacities are regulated through state apparatuses and medical processes in the optimization of life. The author examine the reproductive sterilizations of six Hmong refugee women in California as part of medical procedures and the women's role in the decisionmaking processes involved.

Kou Yang. (2013).
Laos and Its Expatriates in the United States: A Memoir of an American Professor. Frederick, MD: Publish America. This work covers Laos, its past and present as well as its land, its peoples, and its interaction with Laos' former citizens living in the Unites States of America. The work also includes a brief coverage of Laos in the re-orientation of the U.S. priority in the Asia-Pacific. The work also gives attention to the Secret War and its impact on the country, the refugee exodus and their adaptation to the United States, postwar relations between Laos and the United States, and the process of healing the scars from the war years. More information about this book is here: http://www.amazon.com/Laos-Its-Expatriates-United-States/dp/1462693059


Academic Journal Articles/Other

Nazneen F. Bahrassa, Mary Joyce D. Juan, and Richard M. Lee. (2013). "Hmong American Sons and Daughters: Exploring Mechanisms of Parent–Child Acculturation Conflicts."  Asian American Journal of Psychology, 4(2): 100-108.  This article examines gender differences in parent– child acculturation conflicts among Hmong American college students (N =  120). The authors also assessed whether cultural attributions or perceived control explained the relationship between acculturation conflict and psychological distress.

Moon S. Chen, Jr, Dao M. Fang, Susan L. Stewart, et al. (2013). "Increasing Hepatitis B Screening for Hmong Adults: Results from a Randomized Controlled Community-Based Study." Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, 22:782-791.
This article discusses an initiative involving researchers and Hmong leaders who collaborated in the design, conduct, and evaluation of a 5-year randomized controlled trial testing a lay health worker (LHW) intervention to promote HBV testing among 260 Hmong adults in California through in-home education and patient navigation. The intervention was intended to address the high rate of liver cancer among Hmong.

Dao Moua Fang, Dian L. Baker. (2013). "Barriers and Facilitators of Cervical Cancer Screening among Women of Hmong Origin." Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 24, 2: 540-555.
This qualitative study assesses barriers and facilitators to cervical cancer screening among women of Hmong origin. Hmong women experience a high rate of cervical cancer incidence. Utilizing a community- based participatory research approach, the authors conducted focus groups (n=44) with Hmong women in California.

Lisa Franzen-Castle and Chery Smith. (2013). "Shifts in Hmong Culture: Competing Medical Frameworks." Journal of Immigrant Minority Health. 15:829–835.
The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which language changes, acculturation, and perceptions of modernity impact medicinal practices among younger and older generations of Hmong. Focus groups were conducted with newly immigrated and well established Hmong adults in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Thongchue Khiatthong, Kla Somtrakool & Pirat Tidpard. (2013). "Hmong Needlework: Development of Interior Decoration Patterns and Products for a Creative Economy." Asian Social Science; 9(13): 196-201. This research study explores the embroidery techniques of the Hmong in Northern Thailand. The researchers investigate the possibility of creating a larger variety of products associated with Hmong embroidery techniques for use in interior housing decoration, such as curtains, pillow-cases and place-mats.

Kham Yang Lee and Kris Clarke. (2013). "The Significance of Social Memory in 1.5-Generation Hmong-Americans:
Implications for Culturally Competent Social Work Practice." Journal of Ethnic And Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 22:2, 162-177.
This exploratory research study assesses how the 1.5 generation of Hmong in higher education make meaning of the trauma of the Secret War in Laos as a part of their identity and current lives in the United States.

Bic Ngo. (2013).
"Culture Consciousness Among Hmong Immigrant Leaders: Beyond the Dichotomy of Cultural Essentialism and Cultural Hybridity." American Educational Research Journal  50 (Published online). 
This article explores the culture consciousness of Hmong immigrant community leaders as they work to improve the educational experiences of Hmong American children and families.

Faith Nibbs. (2013).
"Kinship at the intersection of lineage and linguistics: a study of Hmong relatedness in Western contexts." Language and Intercultural Communication 13(4): 371-385.
  This comparative study focuses on the Hmong who came as refugees to Texas and Gammertingen, Germany, examining the ways connections and disconnections of relatedness have come to be understood not only in terms of blood and clan, but also in terms of dialect.

Toshiyuki Sakuragi and Judith W. Fuller. (2013). "Shape and Function in Hmong Classifier Choices." Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 42:349–361.
This linguistics study explores classifiers in the Hmong language. A particular focus of the author is on gaining insights into the underlying cognitive process of categorization involved with classifier usage in Hmong.

Sheryl Thorburn, Karen Levy Keon and Jennifer Kue. (2013).  "Sources of Breast and Cervical Cancer
Information for Hmong Women and Men."  Women & Health, 53:5, 468-478.
This qualitative study examines sources of information about breast and cervical cancer, including screening, and identifies barriers to seeking such information for Hmong women and men residing in Oregon.
HMONG CULTURAL CENTER RECEIVES MULTI-YEAR GRANT FROM THE HENRY LUCE FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT THE HMONG RESOURCE CENTER LIBRARY
Picture
Picture
Picture
In November 2013, Hmong Cultural Center’s Hmong Resource Center Library was awarded a 3 year grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support collection development, cataloging and digital initiatives of the library, a unique and established institution with a strong track record of promoting knowledge and accessibility to Hmong-related research and resources both at the Hmong Cultural Center’s offices in the Little Mekong neighborhood in Saint Paul and through a virtual collection accessible at www.hmonglibrary.org Founded in 1999, Hmong Cultural Center’s Hmong Resource Center Library is the largest centralized collection of Hmong-related books, dissertations, theses and journal articles in the United States. The collections include the following holdings: 570 Hmong related books, 275 Hmong-related theses and dissertations, 800 Hmong-related academic journal articles, over 3,800 Hmong-related newspaper articles and 311 videos as well as 52 CDs and 32 DVDs. The Resource Center Library is open to the public Monday through Friday and by appointment on weekends. The Library’s website at www.hmonglibrary.org includes full catalog listings of all of the institution’s holdings. The website also includes the unique Hmong Studies Virtual Library, a comprehensive and quickly growing centralized webpage initiated in 2012 currently providing links to more than 300 full-text books, journal articles, theses/dissertations and reports available on the internet related to the Hmong.

Txongpao Lee, Executive Director of Hmong Cultural Center said: “We are very grateful for this important new multi-year support from the Henry Luce Foundation to support our unique library. This grant will allow us to continue to build our collections and website to help provide Hmong-related research and resources to both Hmong and non-Hmong in Minnesota and around the United States. It will also assist us as we continue to plan the future Hmong American History Center and Library at our offices in Saint Paul.” Mark E. Pfeifer, PhD, Librarian Emeritus, stated:  “Over the past several years, the Hmong Resource Center Library has grown into a very significant collection for students and scholars doing research related to the Hmong. Hmong Cultural Center was very grateful to receive the important support of the broader Hmong Studies scholarly community as we submitted our request for multi-year funding to the Luce Foundation.” 

OTHER NEWS IN  HMONG STUDIES:

Diversity in Diaspora: Hmong Americans in the Twenty-First Century. Friday, February 7, 2014 from 3:30 - 5:30pm Location: Ingraham Hall Room 206, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison:

Dr. Mark E. Pfeifer and Dr. Yang Sao Xiong will present papers from the recently published Diversity in Diaspora scholarly compilation on Hmong Americans from the University of Hawaii Press. This program is sponsored by the Asian American Studies program at UW-Madison.

Hmong American Data released from 2012 American Community Survey:


In November 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau released the new Selected Population Profile for Hmong Americans in the U.S. View the data here: http://hmongstudies.org/Hmong2012ACS1YearEstimate.pdf

Hmong Across Borders Conference, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, October 4-5, 2013 May Be Viewed Online:

The Consortium for Hmong Studies between the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of Wisconsin-Madison held the
"Hmong Across Borders" conference on October 4-5, 2013 at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Streaming videos of all panels and keynote speakers from this interdisciplinary conference focused on Hmong Studies research may be viewed at the conference webpage by clicking on the links of the respective sessions:  http://ias.umn.edu/2012/11/30/hmong-across-borders/

University of Wisconsin-Madison Hires Its First Hmong American Studies Professor:

Dr. Yang Sao Xiong, the first tenure-track Hmong American Studies Professor
to be hired at UW-Madison was recently profiled in the university's College of Letters and Science newsletter. Read the profile here: http://news.ls.wisc.edu/announcements/xiong-adds-hmong-american-expertise/ 

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOLARLY ANTHOLOGY PUBLISHED ON HMONG AMERICANS:
Picture
Diversity in Diaspora: Hmong Americans in the Twenty-First Century, a scholarly compilation, was published by the University of Hawaii Press at the end of February 2013. This book wrestles with Hmong Americans’ inclusion into and contributions to Asian American studies, as well as to American history and culture and refugee, immigrant, and diasporic trajectories. A demographic analysis of the Hmong American community and bibliographic essay on the research landscape of Hmong American Studies are also presented. The volume is likely the most comprehensive volume of research related to Hmong Americans to be published since the mid-1980s. This book recently received a "Highly Recommended" review in CHOICE. Read the review here. The work is already in more than 175 academic and public libraries. Check to see if your local university or public library has it yet in the WorldCat database. 

For more information about this new work including information about the Table of Contents and full-text of the book's Introduction, visit: http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-8939-9780824835972.aspx

HMONG STUDIES VIRTUAL LIBRARY CONTINUES TO EXPAND:

Picture
The Hmong Cultural Center in Saint Paul has developed a growing Virtual Library of links to full-text books, research articles and published reports related to Hmong Studies and Southeast Asian American Studies as the part of the website of its Hmong Resource Center Library. The Hmong Studies Virtual Library consists of links to more than 300 full-text journal articles, books, dissertations and theses and research reports available on the internet. Visit the Hmong Studies Virtual Library at: http://www.hmonglibrary.org/hmong-studies-virtual-library.html

Mark E. Pfeifer, PhD, Librarian Emeritus at Hmong Cultural Center stated: “Today’s students and scholars often look online first for full-text research as they work on term papers and research projects. The Hmong Studies Virtual Library is a unique resource that provides more than 300 full-text research studies related to the Hmong in one place. The online Hmong Studies Journal publishes several peer-reviewed research articles each year and colleges and university systems including multiple schools in the California state system, as well as the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin-Stout are now posting full-text theses/dissertations and other research materials online as part of digital depositories. This online library will play an important role in facilitating easy access in one place to full-text research documents pertaining to the Hmong and will help the Hmong Resource Center Library continue its mission as a key research collection to community members, students and scholars.”  

HMONG WEDDING AND FUNERAL PROCEDURES TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH IN NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM HMONG CULTURAL CENTER

Picture
The Hmong Cultural Center has completed a major project initiative involving the translation into English and production of two books - Tshoob Kos (Wedding Procedures) and Kev Cai Pam Tuag (Funeral Procedures). Earlier versions of these books were compiled by Tougeu Leepalao, the Cultural Consultant of Hmong Cultural Center between 1995 and 2005. The procedures outlined in these books form much of the curriculum of the Wedding and Funeral Ceremony classes offered on the weekends at Hmong Cultural Center. The earlier versions of the books were available in the Hmong RPA script and printed in limited numbers for distribution by Hmong Cultural Center. Key personnel on the translation project were Xai Lor, Librarian and Txongpao Lee, Executive Director of Hmong Cultural Center. The Tshoob Kos (Wedding Procedures) and Kev Cai Pam Tuag (Funeral Procedures) project was supported by a fiscal year 2012 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage grant from the Minnesota Historical Society. This activity was funded, in part, by the arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008. Western & Southern Life’s Saint Paul office provided generous financial support for the printing of these newly available publications. “Supporting the Hmong community is very important to Western & Southern Life and especially to me,” explained Roger Soung, Western & Southern Life’s agency manager in St. Paul. “Having a common pride in our Hmong heritage brings us all closer together as a community.” 

How to Order the Books: Visit http://www.hmongcc.org/hmong-weddingfuneral-books.html or the Hmong Cultural Center offices in Saint Paul to order copies of Tshoob Kos (Wedding Procedures) and Kev Cai Pam Tuag (Funeral Procedures). Individual copies are $12.00 a piece if picked up at the Hmong Cultural Center or $15.00 if ordered online. A check in the amount of $15.00 or $30.00 for both books may also be mailed to Hmong Cultural Center, 995 University Avenue, Suite 214, Saint Paul, MN 55101. Institutional Purchase Orders are accepted and may be mailed or faxed to 651-917-9978. Please allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery.

HMONG 101 WEBINARS:
Picture
To respond to the need for community education about the Hmong refugee experience, Hmong history and culture and Hmong American contributions to the United States, the Hmong Cultural Center provides comprehensive and interactive multicultural education presentations about the Hmong to groups in  Minnesota, the Upper Midwest and the broader U.S. through its groundbreaking Hmong 101 workshops and webinars. The United States Department of Justice Community Relations Program based in Chicago has worked with the Hmong Cultural Center to adapt our presentations for anti-discrimination seminars and trainings throughout the Midwestern U.S.  To learn more about the Hmong 101 Program visit:  http://www.hmong101.com/

COMPREHENSIVE  AND EXPANDED HMONG STUDIES RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHIES ARE ONLINE:

Doing research on a Hmong Studies  research topic? More than 40 comprehensive and frequently updated online subject bibliographies of Hmong Studies works are available at the  following link: http://www.hmongstudiesjournal.org/hmong-studies-bibliographies.html

A 2007-Present research bibliography is updated every few months with information about the latest research publications in Hmong Studies, online links to full-text are included where applicable:
http://www.hmongstudies.org/HmongStudiesPublications2007Present.html
Picture
Picture