Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Department
Learning, Innovation and Design
First Advisor
Jonathan S. Toccoli
First Committee Member
Allison Rowland
Second Committee Member
Yua Thao
Abstract
This qualitative study examined the socioeconomic integration of the Mien community, a refugee minority sometimes overlooked in research and policy discussions, in the United States. Five participants shared their experiences through in-depth interviews and community observations. The study utilizes narrative inquiry and is informed by community cultural wealth and resilience theory. The analysis incorporated restorying, comparative, and performative approaches. The findings suggested that Mien integration depended on intergenerational storytelling, clan-based networks, multilingual skills, and the adaption of traditional practices within U.S. institutions. Community organizations were important for keeping culture alive and filling in the gaps in institutional services by giving people access to resources.
This study focused on Mien voices, which help people understand how refugees fit into society in more specific ways than just by their ethnicity. It also showed how cultural assets and resilience techniques changed over time. Implications included the need for culturally responsive policies, targeted community-based support, and further disaggregated research on smaller refugee groups.
Pages
203
Recommended Citation
Saefong, Teresa M.. (2025). Narrative Inquiry into the Socio Economic Integration and Resilience of the Mien Community in the United States. University of the Pacific, Dissertation. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/4316
Included in
Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies Commons
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