A Historical Analysis of Southeast Asian Refugee Communities: Post-war Acculturation and Education in the U.S.

Abstract

This analysis considers the circumstances of Southeast Asian refugee immigration following the Vietnam War as well as the political and social environment in the U.S. upon their arrival, in order to examine the historical factors that link to their subsequent educational trends. Receptive government policies enabled these communities to survive; however, with the exception of first-wave Vietnamese refugees, their limited job skills, English language knowledge, and education upon arrival were exacerbated by overall prejudiced societal reception and the lack of an existing co-ethnic community to buffer their entry into U.S. society. All groups have generally experienced low academic achievement except in the case of Vietnamese Americans, for whom a notable contingent demonstrates higher attainment. Implications for subsequent generations, and for research and practice, are discussed.

Working With Refugees in the U.S.: Trauma-Informed and Structurally Competent Social Work Approaches

“…Once resettled in the United States, many Cambodians experienced high rates of poverty and community violence (Berthold, 2000;Kula & Paik, 2016;Marshall et al, 2005). As noted above, Cambodians resettling from Thai-Cambodian border camps also had documented rates of poor self-reported health, depression, PTSD, various somatic complaints, physical pain, and functional limitations (Mollica et al, 1993).…”

“…Some Cambodians spent many years in these Thai-Cambodian border camps, where reports of lack of food, water, shelter, and medical care were documented (Mollica et al, 1993). Those who survived the Khmer Rouge regime were more likely uneducated and unskilled laborers, and also more likely to be widowed women (Kula & Paik, 2016). While high rates of poor self-reported health, PTSD, and depression have been documented in Cambodians in a Thai-Cambodian border camp (Mollica et al, 1993), a number of protective factors, such as positive work status and economic activity, involvement in religious practices, and involvement in caretaking activities have also been identified (Mollica, Cui, McInnes, & Massagli, 2002).…”

“…Approximately 190,000 Cambodian refugees resettled in the United States following the end of the Pol Pot regime (National Cambodian American Health Initiative, 2007), with the highest numbers arriving between 1979 and 1986 (Kula & Paik, 2016). Most had limited proficiency in English and were faced with restricted education and employment opportunities upon resettlement.…”

“…Those who resettled earlier (in the 1980s) reported greater persistent food insecurity than those who arrived later. Additionally, over one-third of Cambodians over 25 have less than a high school diploma (Kula & Paik, 2016), highlighting ongoing economic and educational disparities impacting the Cambodian community.…”

Learning About the Lives and Early Experiences of Notable Asian American Women: Productive Giftedness, Childhood Traits, and Supportive Conditions

“…This broad perception and stereotype of Asian American success, however, has often been one of the reasons for the lack of disaggregated research on diversity even within the Asian American population. Diversity in Asian American achievement exists across gender, generational status, ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic status (Kula & Paik, 2016;Paik et al, 2014;Paik, Choe, & Witenstein, 2016;Paik et al, 2017aPaik et al, , 2017bRahman & Paik, 2017). In researching the experiences of gifted women, Kitano (1997) found studies on gifted Asian American women to "be virtually nonexistent" (p. 3).…”