Our HMoob American College Paj Ntaub: student-engaged Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) as counter-invisibility work

Abstract

This article presents the institutional and historical context, methods, findings, and action-consequences of ‘Our HMoob American College Paj Ntaub,’ a qualitative, student-led Participatory Action Research (PAR) project documenting the sociocultural and institutional factors that influence HMoob American college students’ experiences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Drawing on concepts from Asian Critical Race Theory (AsianCrit), we identify sociocultural and institutional processes that misrepresent and erase HMoob American experiences, producing a profound and troubling experience of institutional invisibility which has serious consequences for students’ wellbeing and educational attainment. However, we also document that student-led PAR research can be an effective means of enacting what we term ‘counter-invisibility work,’ by producing compelling counter-narratives that expand social networks for activism, outreach, and policy enactment.

Keywords:

• Participatory action research
• Asian critical race theory
• race in higher education
• critical race theory
• equity in higher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 We spell the ethnic group of focus in this study - HMoob - in lieu of Hmong (the more common spelling, particularly in the United States). The capitalization of both H and M are intended to be more inclusive of various HMoob dialects because Mong Green/Leng is pronounced without the aspirated “h.” Additionally, capitalizing H and M challenges the history of White HMoob dominance in the United States. Borrowing from the Hmong Romanized Phonetic Alphabet (RPA), our spelling HMoob rejects the Americanization of this ethnic group name and allows us to reclaim and embrace HMoob identity, history, and heritage.

2 The Education and Social/Behavioral Science Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has approved our consent and confidentiality agreements that we employ with our research participants, and they have determined that we may identify UW-Madison as the site of this study in all publications and public communications about the study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bailey B. Smolarek

Bailey B. Smolarek holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction and is an Associate Researcher at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research

Matthew Wolfgram

Matthew Wolfgram holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and is a Senior Researcher at the Center for College-Workforce Transitions at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research.

Mai Neng Vang

Mai Neng Vang (pronouns: she/her/nws) is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Policy Studies program at UW-Madison with a broad research interest in the educational experiences of minoritized students.

Choua P. Xiong

Choua P. Xiong is a PhD Candidate in the Educational Policy Studies department at UW-Madison with a research focus on critical statelessness and refugee studies, citizenship education, and im/migration.

Lena Lee

Lena Lee is an intern at CCWT and is currently working on the “Our HMoob American College Paj Ntaub” research project. She has a B.A in Psychology and a certificate in Asian American Studies with a HMoob American Studies Emphasis.

Pangzoo Lee

Pangzoo Lee graduated with a B.B.A. in Marketing.

Myxee Thao

Myxee Thao (pronouns: She/Her/Hers/Nws) is an alumna of UW-Madison. She is completing her graduate work in Student Affairs Administration at UW-La Crosse.

Kia Vang

Kia Vang is a City Year Americorps Member serving in the city of Milwaukee. She has a B. A. in English Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin Madison and is currently publishing her creative work as a freelance author.

Pa Kou Xiong

Pa Kou Xiong is an intern at CCWT and a Behavior Support Specialist at Silvercrest Group Home in Neenah, WI. She has a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with Psychology.

Odyssey Xiong

Odyssey Xiong graduated from UW-Madison with a B.A. in Sociology and a certificate in Asian American Studies with a HMoob Studies emphasis.

Pheechai Xiong

Pheechai Xiong graduated from UW-Madison with a B.A. in Communication Arts and a certificate in Digital Studies.