Abstract
Re-membering Culture: Erasure and Renewal in Hmong American Education is a valuable contribution to the growing field of critical Hmong studies and education studies in general. This ethnographic study critically examines power dynamics between U.S. schools and Hmong Americans by centering narratives that highlight Hmong knowledge systems. The book provides insights from over 50 Hmong American leaders, parents, students, and district staff (Hmong and non-Hmong) that exemplifies re-membering, the recovery of culture and history to reclaim rights, space, and voice in the present. Although education is often seen as the great equalizer, especially for immigrants and refugees, the realities of persistent racial equity gaps among Hmong Americans challenge this liberal narrative on schooling. The author offers a nuanced analysis of how schools contribute to the erasure of Hmong culture and identity. The book provides examples of how the Hmong community has refused hegemonic logic and re- claimed their culture and identity to dismantle the assumption that Western schools are designed for all students to succeed.
Recommended Citation
Vang, Mai H.
(2025)
"Book Review of Re-membering Culture: Erasure and Renewal in Hmong American Education,"
Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement: Vol. 20
:
Iss.
1,
Article 22.
DOI: 10.7771/2153-8999.1427
Available at:
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/jsaaea/vol20/iss1/22
