Discourses About Gender Among Hmong American Policymakers: Conflicting Views About Gender, Culture, and Hmong Youth

Abstract

In this article, we draw on research with Hmong American community members to contribute to a more complex understanding of Hmong culture. Specifically, in a critical discourse analysis of interviews with 3 influential Hmong American politicians, we highlight the divergent perspectives on early marriage, Hmong gender norms, and the struggles of Hmong parents and youth. We conclude with a discussion of language and identity, and point to the detrimental influence of dominant discourse on Hmong Americans.

Keywords:

• Hmong
• Southeast Asian
• immigrant
• gender
• culture

Notes

¹Teenage marriage was crucial for maintaining high rates of fertility, as families needed many children to ensure survival in the rugged landscape of Laos (Donnelly, 1994; Hutchinson & McNall, 1994).