Hmong School Support

Multicultural education is the key to incorporating ethnic and racial identities in the classroom. I believe implementing a culturally responsive curriculum would work best for the students. I would like to be a future educator who acknowledges and welcome my students’ diversity in the classroom. It is important to bring cultural awareness to the classroom and school environment. I want my students to know that I respect, acknowledge and care about their differences. I would model this behavior because I want the students to do the same for each other. The steps I would take incorporate a positive, trusting and healthy learning environment are:

All minority groups seem to face similar barriers that make it difficult to adjust to schooling in the United States; barriers such as, language, cultural aspects, social economic status, etc. However, Ogbu advices to his readers, that a deeper cause is also at fault for poor academic achievement. In this article, the idea of voluntary and involuntary groups is introduced. Voluntary being those immigrants willing to move to the United

Prior to this course, I had little to no knowledge on Asian Pacific Americans (APA). After weeks of discussing and analyzing material that dealt with the hardships that minorities such as APA individuals faced, I can conclude that this ethnic group underwent experiences that were not too uncommon from that of Latinos and African Americans. Since population in California today, consist of an average of 60% Asians and Latinos as stated in the book, “Learning English/Learning America” by Juana Mora, Gina Masequesmay, Eunai Shrake, and Ana S. Munoz, it is safe to say that students in classrooms nowadays are mainly those within these ethnic groups (Mora, Masequesmay, Shrake, and Munoz, ix). I will be focusing on three of the many stories APA and Latino students have to share in this book, that I felt related to me most as I also, am a second generation student.

According to Geneva Gay (2000), “Culturally responsive teaching is defined as using the cultural characteristics, experiences, and perspectives of ethnically diverse students as conduits for teaching them more effectively.” (p.106) It acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, it builds bridges of meaningfulness between home and school experiences as well as between academic abstractions, it uses a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different learning styles, and incorporates multicultural information, resources, and materials in all the subjects and skills taught in schools.

Dominant white racial frames have led Asian minorities to follow outlines that they have been racially attached to. Americans have labeled Asian Americans as the “model minority” that other minorities should look up to in order to have successful futures. Thus, this title has led other Americans to either discourage themselves because they are not Asian, or to better themselves in order to fit the Asian American criteria through rigorous schoolwork.

Out of the many reasons why Asian high school students are not applying to colleges, this paper will discuss two reasons. First being, some Asian students are not able to pay for tuition. According to Gildersleeve (as cited by Hellen, 2002), for the past 20 years it has been more difficult for lower-income students to afford for college through merit-based financial aid in comparison to students who comes from middle to higher-income families. The second reason is because of their ethnicity. Which is why it is vital for school counselor to be multicultural competence and promote higher education for the Asian community. Within the Asian community, Hmong students are “among the poorest students, poorer than other immigrant and refugee students in the American educational system (Vang, 2005; as cited by Siu, 1996; Vang, 1999; Vang; 2001). According to Savitz-Romer (2012; as cited by Bolland, 2003), it is “common among low-income and minority youth and further deters students from actively engaging in college planning and decision-making behaviors (p. 100).

Moreover, the value of students from this background, such as second generation immigrants and international students, is not always acknowledged or appreciated (Peterson, Briggs, Dreasher, Horner, & Nelson, 1999). In addition to acculturative stress, they often encounter serious language, financial, psychological, and institutional barriers while in the school and receive very limited support (Mori, 2000). However, students from East and Southeast Asia have wealth of experiences, opinions, and cultural traditions that could contribute and expand the eyesight in both research and teaching, as well as the potential to enrich the university community (Delgado-Romero & Wu, 2010).

I got married when I was 21 and had a daughter one year after. It was common culture in Hmong to marry young, some even marry as young as sixteen with court orders. I had to work graveyard shifts as a security guard and go to school during the day to get by. This impacted my grades to a certain degree. I eventually adapted to the stress work and school put on me and was even able to add more extracurricular activities to my schedule. This came in the form of volunteering at a local independent pharmacy this year in Fresno called Scriptlife Pharmacy. Getting their however was not

The authors belief is that these are steps to help identify and create culturally sensitive classrooms and become members of an ever changing society. This statement connects to an impression left within many school systems that First Nation students are educated in;

Most research found regarding Alaska Natives contributes quantitative facts and figures ranging from dropout rates, and lack of education funding. Although good information for future generations of students there seems to be a lack of ways to be proactive for students in the moment. Many researchers cite statistics and quotes of Native student achievement from articles completed in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. How can colleges and universities remain sensitive to the historical context of this population, and adhere to the specific needs of their students. There is ample research on getting minority students to college; once there, are universities providing the tools needed to

When i was 7 years old, my family and I moved to United States where my parents believed my sister and I would have better “education opportunities.” Being raised in a whole different culture than where i was born made the person who I am today. My parents traditional Korean culture and the American culture has taught me how to integrate different perspectives, how to value every individual's culture, and how to listen, communicate and understand an individual more thoroughly and carefully. Even though i did not agree to all the cultural aspects that my parents expected me to follow, they imparted me with values, such as sympathy and respect to others, stressing the importance of giving back to the community. Through these assets, beliefs,

The Pacific Island community, one of the fastest growing ethnic communities face the serious issue of underrepresentation in higher education (UCLA, 2015). Since 2000, the Pacific islander community has grown over 50% and this rate is expected to increase even more in the future (Census, 2000). Pacific Islanders are those that have one or both parents with ancestry and identify from the Polynesian, Micronesian and Melanesian islands in the pacific (Census data & API identities). These communities can identify as Tongan, Samoan, Chamorro, Chuukese or derive from islands such as Fiji, Tahiti, etc. Outside of their islands, when these islanders migrate to the United States, they tend to have high concentrations in Hawaii, California, Washington,

However, many whites will probably object that Asian Americans are affect by their culture. Culture is a way to remember their past relatives, for an Asian culture means honoring their families, because Asian American have education in their culture to honor their families does not mean they have to get all A’s. Many parents from another ethnicity are strict about grades while others are led to the fact of education is important. Culture and parents are the cost of depression and self-destruct not stereotypes. In the article, “Predictors of College Adjustment and Success: Similarities and Differences Among Southeast-Asian-American, Hispanic and Whites Students” by Dr. Amy Strage from San Jose State University, she states that “the literature on children’ achievement motivation also documents a connection between parents’ values and practices, and students’ motivational profiles and adjustment to school, on the other” (Strage). Dr. Amy is explaining that parents have everything to do with the student’s education not stereotypes. Parents are pointing fingers to make reasons why their children are the way they are instead of realizing it is the culture. Adults are teaching children to find an excuse for their actions. The pressure that

Due to the effects of globalization, more and more people get to know about the Asian cultures including Asian parenting styles. Chinese parents are known for raising more accomplished, academically successful children. In today’s world, immigrants have brought their parenting style with them into the new land and operate their principles based on different cultural backgrounds. Seemingly to be more socially and economically successful as the “model minority”, Chinese Americans’ high levels of educational achievements have earned people’s attention. According to a social research on Asian education, “Asians have the highest proportion of college graduates of any race or ethnic group

It is true what you have heard about most Asian parents on their children’s education. My parents were a part of those parents that wanted their child to receive a good education. Going to an American international school made me culturalize myself to the American education system. It was something different from what my parents had received, especially my dad. My dad received his education in Asia, however my mom went to America when she was in junior high. My mom compared to my dad has a sense of what and how the American education worked. Yet in my opinion, she still carried the Asian traditions and traits of how education should be like. With my perspective of education being different from my parent’s, we often get on the wrong ground of