AMER2052 Hmong American Literature and Life Stories Professor Mary Louise Buley-Meissner Hmong and American: From Refugees to Citizens: On Tuesday, September 21, please come to class prepared to discuss your responses to the following questions regarding Chapter 2 and Chapter 11. Chapter 2: “Searching for Sources of Hmong Identity in Multicultural America” by Vincent Her Key Assertions: What makes each of these quoted sentences significant in Her’s essay? 1) Delving into family history, the author points out: “On one side of the imagined line separating Laos and Thailand, Hmong were citizens unwanted; on the other side, we were refugees unwanted.” (p. 34) 2) The author is concerned that research about the resettlement of Hmong people in the US has given little attention to “emotional elements of their transition to urban life.” (p. 35) 3) In the Midwest, “Hmong American girls (are) breaking tradition to learn how to play the qeej.” (p. 39) 4) The author also is encouraged to see that “the performance of women at funerals is opening space for change in a sphere of power dominated by men and boys.” (p. 39) 5) The author emphasizes that in US history, “our nation’s immigration policies welcomed some and excluded others.” (p. 41) Key Terms: Why is each word in the list below significant in Her’s essay? 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) transformation (p. 31, first paragraph) experiential (p. 32, subtitle and third paragraph) reenvisioning (p. 33, subtitle) reviving (p. 36, subtitle) cultural absolutes (p. 43, concluding paragraph) Interpretation: Which of Her’s ideas about sources of Hmong identity do you find most persuasive, and why? ************ Chapter 11: “Pieces of the Puzzle: A Hmong American Teacher’s Multifaceted Identity” by May Vang Facts : Fill in these sentences and explain why these facts matter in Vang’s essay. 1) Vang remembers how she was wrongly judged to be an ________ student in a graduate statistics course. (p. 177) 2) In high school, Vang was startled to realize that the language of her dreams was ________. (p. 183) 3) She insists: “Without ever rejecting my identity as an ___________, I have realized that.my Hmong identity is ever present.” (p. 183) 4) She protests California and Arizona laws which have made ____________education illegal in public schools. (p. 187) Vocabulary: Why are these terms important to understand in Vang’s essay? 1) multifaceted 2) paradigm 3) proficiency 4) deficiency Interpretation: Vang argues that Hmong Americans should “ensure that our bicultural identities incorporate Hmong language as a vital component” (p. 178). Which of her reasons for this viewpoint do you find most convincing, and why?
