A Study Of Older Hmong Refugees In The United States (Laos, California)
Author(s):
Hayes, Christopher L.
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ph.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : The Fielding Institute, 1984.
Pages:
213
Language:
English
Abstract:
This research on a population of elderly Hmong (Laotian) refugees living in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California, identified the problems and prospects of this largely unstudied segment of Indochinese refugees now relocated in the U.S. The purpose of the study was to provide agencies and individuals with a body of knowledge that would enhance their ability to deliver services and assist them in understanding the world view of the older Hmong. The methodology was phenomenological, based on two taped interviews with 19 elders, conducted with the assistance of an interpreter, and on in vivo observation. The resulting data was submitted to Hmong community leaders for corroboration and confirmation. The interviews were planned to explore six areas of inquiry: (a) life in Laos, (b) the Hmong view of old age, (c) the position of the elderly in the existing family structure, (d) intergenerational conflict, (e) the relationship of the older Hmong to social service providers, and (f) the extent of assimilation and acculturation into mainstream American society. These areas of inquiry were derived from the sociological, anthropological, psychological, historical, and popular literature on refugees, the elderly, and Indochinese political conflicts and culture. The findings of the study indicated that the older Hmong have experienced immense social and psychological upheaval which has left them physically and financially dependent upon their children, physically and psychologically isolated, lacking self-esteem, and with few of the skills necessary for adapting to mainstream society. It was further discovered that existing social service providers have little interest in or understanding of the cultural traditions and current plight of this population, and it was concluded that the most useful and acceptable forms of assistance come from within the Hmong community itself. Implications of the above findings were discussed, as were the limitations of the study (population size, language barrier) and suggestions for further research, especially the development of assimilation and acculturation models which are age-related.