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Authors (in alphabetical order): Lena Lee, Pangzoo Lee, Bailey B. Smolarek, Myxee Thao, Kia Vang, Matthew Wolfgram, Choua Xiong, Odyssey Xiong, Pa Kou Xiong, & Pheechai Xiong. Our HMoob American College Paj Ntaub.
“Our HMoob American College Paj Ntuab” is a qualitative research study conducted by the Center for College-Workforce Transitions (CCWT) in partnership with the HMoob American Studies Committee (HMASC), a University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) student activist initiative, to examine the sociocultural and institutional factors influencing HMoob American college experiences at UW-Madison. We found that the HMoob American students who participated in our study often reported feeling unwelcome or excluded at UW-Madison. Participants stated that they felt the campus community did not have any knowledge of HMoob history and culture, which put HMoob American students in the position of educating their peers and professors on who the HMoob are. Additionally, participants reported experiencing macro- and/or micro-aggressions in classrooms, residence halls, and on the streets near campus. Our participants also reported feeling unwelcome in certain schools, buildings, and professional student organizations, which has significant implications on HMoob American students’ academic majors, future career plans, and professional social networks. In contrast, the spaces in which our participants stated that they felt most comfortable, safe, and welcome were student support programs, race-specific student organizations, and HMoob specific classes. Participants described these spaces as places where they were able to cultivate their ethnic identity and find mentorship and other support systems.
Hora, M.T., Wolfgram, M. & Chen, Z. (2019). Research Brief #8: Closing the doors of opportunity: How financial, sociocultural and institutional barriers inhibit access to college internships. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Abstract: Internships are widely perceived as experiences that open the doors of opportunity, yet little is known about obstacles to participation. We report findings from surveys (n = 1,549) and focus groups (n= 100) with students at five postsecondary institutions. Results indicate that 64% of non-interns did not pursue one due to intersecting obstacles including the need to work, heavy course loads, and a lack of opportunities in their disciplines. First-generation students were more likely to report needing to work, Arts and Humanities students were more likely to report insufficient pay and heavy course loads, and full-time students were least likely to report insufficient pay. Colleges and universities must work to ensure that internships do not reproduce privilege and exacerbate inequality.
Smolarek, B. B., Vang, M., & Wolfgram, M. (2019). HMoob American Undergraduate Students at University of Wisconsin’s 4-Year Comprehensive Colleges – Background, Enrollment Statistics, and Graduation Trends. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, UW-Madison.
Summary: The Paj Ntaub Research Team is a collective of HMoob American student activists and scholars at the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions (CCWT) housed within the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). This report was compiled by members of the Paj Ntaub team and draws on institutional research data provided by the University of Wisconsin System Office of Policy Analysis and Research. We combine this data with U.S. Census and other demographic data reports to provide a profile of the basic higher educational statistics for HMoob American students in the UW System Universities.
The HMoob started arriving in Wisconsin shortly after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and continued to be resettled until about 2006, after the closing of the last refugee camp in Thailand. It was not until 2006, however, that UW-Madison, and in 2008 the rest of the UW System schools, began offering “Hmong” as an ethnic category on their application for admissions. Therefore, the data presented in the report only includes students who self-identified as “Hmong” since 2008. This report is the first time that disaggregated HMoob student data has been publicly reported as the UW system typically combines data on Hmong students with larger categories such as “Asian,” Southeast Asian,” or “Targeted Minority” when publishing publicly available data digests and other reports concerning students.