RESILIENCY AMONG HMONG WOMEN
WHO WERE TEEN MOTHERS
Pa Nhia Xiong, MSW
California State University, Fresno
May 2015
Background on Teen Pregnancy & Parenting
• Social Problem in society
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Negative Statistics & Outcomes
High School Dropouts
Higher Rates of Juvenile Delinquency
Substance Abuse / Mental Health Issues
Poverty / Homelessness
Welfare Dependents
Child Welfare Involvement
The Cycle of Poverty from generation to generation
• Occurs between ages 15 – 19 years old
Teen Pregnancy & Parenting Data
• In 2012, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Research:
• 116,212 babies were born in the U.S.
• Female teenagers 15 -19
• Asian/Pacific Islander Race = 11,981 (10.3%) babies
• California Alone – 4,385 babies born to teens of all ethnic groups
Theoretical Framework
1) Resiliency Theory
• Resilience is defined as:
• “The ability to successfully cope or bounce back regardless of
substantial adversity.” (Earvolino-Ramirez, 2007).
• “The ability to bounce back from adversity; there is hope embedded
in adversity and to believe in oneself that something positive will
result from misfortunes.” (Dyer & McGuinness, 1996).
• “The ability to recover from illness, change, or misfortune.” (The
American Heritage Dictionary, p. 1534).
Theoretical Framework
• The Strength-Based Approach
• Our Clients – stressed, voiceless, oppressed, abused, neglected
• “To examine and build upon their skills and abilities to survive against
great challenges, gain knowledge, access resources, obtain goals, and
require desires in life that may contribute to their success.” (Early &
GlenMaye, 2000).
• “It is believed that humans have the capacity to grow, change, and adapt
in life.” (Early & GlenMaye, 2000).
• “Social Workers need to listen, understand, validate, and honor the
clients’ strengths and build upon it.” (Early & GlenMaye, 2000).
Theoretical Framework
• Self-Efficacy Theory
• “Individuals’ beliefs in the capacity to successfully accomplish given tasks and the
impact that self-belief have on motivation and achievement.” (Bandura, 1993;
Martin & Dowson, 2009).
• “Personal self-efficacy is a strong factor in determining how a person thinks, feel,
behave, motivate themselves, and how he/she functions in society.” (Schultz,
2014).
• Academic Self-Efficacy
• “Individuals who trust their capacities and efforts are more willing to try harder
and put forth more effort toward academic achievement.” (Jamal, 2014)
• “It is not about the amount of skills that individuals have but it is how they use
their existing skills to enhance their future.” (Jamal, 2014).
Empirical Literature
• Hmong Women’s Pursuit of Higher Education (Huster, 2012)
• 1990 – 2000 Census Data on Hmong students:
1) HS Graduation Rate – 11% to 27%
2) Bachelor’s Degree – 3% to 12%
3) Master’s Degree – 1.5%
• 2010 Census Data on Hmong students:
1) Associate/Bachelor’s Degree – 25.9%
2) Master’s Degree – over 3%
• Hmong women are pursuing/achieving higher education despite
academic and personal challenges in America.
Empirical Literature
• The Challenges of Hmong Early Marriages and Cultural Dilemmas
(Vang & Her, 2014).
• The purpose of early marriages
• Cultural Norms
• Expectations of Hmong females
• “Old Mates”
• Factors that Prevent Hmong Women from Obtaining Higher
Education (Vue, 2007).
• Discrimination/Stereotyping
• Educational System – Teacher/Student/Classroom Segregation
• Cultural Challenges
Purpose
• Fill in the gap misinformation about minority teen mothers
• Highlight resiliency of minority teen mothers
• Empower minority teen mothers to have a voice in society
• Reduce and/or eliminate societal stereotypes about teen
mothers
Research Questions
1) How do Hmong teen mothers become resilient against all
odds?
1) What are the barriers to resiliency among Hmong teen
mothers?
1) How does teen motherhood impact and shape Hmong
women’s overall quality of life?
Research Design & Methods
• A qualitative research method – Phenomenological Framework
• Utilized a combination of snowball sampling and recruitment flyers
• Non-structured face-to-face & one-on-one interviews (1-2 hrs)
• Interviews were audiotaped
• Voluntary participation – Each received Incentives:
• A $10 Starbucks Gift card
• A copy of the Thesis
Findings
• Demographics:
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10 Hmong Females – Fresno County
Mothers before age 20
3 Participants – between ages 18-28
7 Participants – between ages 29-39
8 were born in the U.S.
2 were born in Thailand/Laos
10 were culturally married
Education levels
Family Income
Themes
• Traditional Family and Cultural Expectations
• The experiences of Becoming Teen Mothers
• Initial Reaction to 1 st Pregnancy
• Proving Society Wrong
• Challenges of Being A Teen Mother
• Role Models
• Goals That Were Put On Hold
• Most Rewarding Aspects In their Lives
• What Would They Change About Their Life Journeys?
Support Systems
• Husband
• Family Members (Biological and Extended)
• WIC
• Public Assistance Programs
• Social Workers/Job Specialist
• School Districts
Discussion
• Parental & cultural expectations
• Balancing traditional Hmong & Western cultures
• Driving forces & motivation
• The American dream
• Asian physicians VS other ethnic physicians
• Husbands’ putting their education on hold
• The reverse of gender roles within their marriage
Discussion Continued
• 2 Main Barriers to resiliency
1) Lack of financial support & resiliency-based
programs
2) Lack of childcare centers on school campuses
Limitations
• Small sample size – 10 participants
• Fresno County residence only
• All participants were culturally married, no unwed participant
• Hmong women only
Implications for Social Work Practice
• Micro Level
• Culturally Sensitive Social Workers
• Mezzo Level
• Programs need to be strength-based
• Macro Level
• Funding Sources
• Policy Changes
• Child Welfare System
• Foster youths
• AB12
• Family Finding Programs
Recommendations for Future Research
• More research on teen mothers’ positive achievements
• More qualitative research/studies
• More future studies among diverse groups and both gender
• Advocate for resiliency-based programs for teen parents and
their children
• Promote resiliency among teen parents
• Educate/Reduce/Eliminate stereotypes & discrimination
Motivational Quote
•“Never stop dreaming because once you do,
your future stops. Everyday, find the courage
to put one foot in front of the other because
the road seems bumpy and long...but once
you’re there...it’s worth it.”