suicide, identity, and acculturation: study of a social problem within the hmong community
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Suicide, Identity, and Acculturation: Study of a Social Problem Within the Hmong Community. Presented at the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium By Machiline Xiong. May 15, 2004. Hmong Culture. Children Traditional Gender Roles Withhold Emotions Academic Success Family Structure - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Suicide, Identity, and Acculturation: Study of a Social Problem Within the Hmong
Community
Presented at the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium
By
Machiline Xiong
May 15, 2004
• ChildrenTraditional Gender RolesWithhold EmotionsAcademic Success
• Family StructureHusband Ultimate AuthorityLarge, Extended Families
Hmong Culture
Hmong Culture (cont.)• Respect the Elders
• Collectivism vs Individualism
• Hesitancy to use Western Resources
Reliance on EldersSpiritual Healers
Source: Sacramento Bee
What is a Social Problem?
• A condition or issue that threatens the quality of life and the most cherished values of most people in a society, leading them to recognize and agree that something should be done to remedy that condition.
(Kornblum & Julian, 2001, p. 4)
Unless a problem is perceived or recognized as potentially harmful, there will not be a response or attempts to find a solution.
Overview of the Study• 15 participants from San Diego and Fresno Counties• Semi-structured interviews conducted
Gender 9 males6 females
Ethnicity • 27% Non-Hmong • 73% Hmong
Occupation • 5 Students • 2 Media Sources• 3 Business Professionals• 2 School Counselors• 3 Clinical Health Professionals
Table 1
2001 2002 2003
May 20018th Suicide
Nov. 2001Suicide
Prevention Program Aug. 2002
Media Headlines
2002Refugee InformationExchange Conference
March 2003HND ConferenceWashington, D.C.
July 2003Assembly Bill
78
Aug. 2001Southeast
AsianMeeting
Main Research Questions• How did the string of teen suicides affect the
acculturation of the Hmong?The suicides were used by community leaders as a means to accelerate the acculturation of the Hmong.
• “Prior to us, other resources have been looked at as the enemy, but when we go with them and explain to the Hmong families what we’re doing and how we can help them to prevent future conflicts, they’re pretty receptive and they understand.”
- Clinical Health Professional
Main Research Questions (cont.)
• How might the acculturation status of the Hmong be correlated with the suicides?
Children are raised to put the interest of others first so they often carry the burden alone
• “I usually don’t talk to anyone when I’m having problems…I might tell a friend at school, but I don’t go into detail. …That’s just how I deal with it.”
- Student
Conclusions
• Immigrant community leaders can use traumatic events to facilitate acculturation
• Suicides used to present to larger audience that the Hmong had a social problem
In Summary…• “The process of becoming an American is most simply called
"Americanization," which must always be a two-way street. All Americans, not just immigrants, should understand the importance of our shared civic culture to our national community.”
(U.S. Commission on Immigrant Reform Report 1997)
Acknowledgements
• Dr. Paul Jesilow• Dr. Valerie Jenness
• Funding:UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
• Participants from San Diego and Fresno Counties
For more information, please contact:
Machiline XiongDepartment of Psychology & Social Behavior
University of California, Irvine