Women in cultural transition: Voices of Hmong mothers in an urban school
Author(s):
Getahun, Linde Joveda
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ph.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : University of Minnesota, 1997.
Pages:
218
Language:
English
Abstract:
This phenomenological study sought to gain a deeper understanding of the experience of parenting while being in the process of acculturation. The participants were 20 Hmong mothers between the ages of 17 to 21 years, who were enrolled in a St. Paul High School. Most had arrived in the United States in their childhood, but several came during adolescence. Each participant was interviewed two times. The sessions were tape-recorded and the full content of each interview was transcribed verbatim. A theme analysis was conducted to explore what it is like to be a Hmong parent while trying to be educated in the American mainstream. The most prominent and over arching theme was found to be On the One Hand, on the Other. It denotes a push and pull factor, the tension these women experience between living in the Hmong culture and the American mainstream. The study portrays the women's experience in terms of seven main themes and related sub-themes and dichotomies, and it presents the voices of the Hmong mothers in many of their original quotes. The meaning of the life-world of those young Hmong mothers is portrayed in rich tapestry. This information can benefit educators and service providers, people working with immigrant populations and researchers who investigate acculturation issues.