Hmong students' personal adjustment in American culture

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gather information relative to Hmong culture and Hmong youth's personal adjustment in the American school system. A twenty-five-item interview was conducted with eight Hmong students in grades 7-12 in a public school district in Minnesota. The findings of the study showed that the educators' teaching techniques, positive attitude about the students and knowledge of the students' culture influenced the students' adjustment at school. Social support, students' sociality, and age at time of arrival in the U.S also influenced the students' adjustment. English proficiency and high self-esteem were also associated with the participating Hmong students' performance at school. The participating students' length of residency in the U.S. was not related to their adjustment. No gender differences were found. Further research with a larger sample size is recommended.