The Underrepresentation of Hmong-Americans in STEM Careers

Abstract

Hmong-American students were underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs at one technical college within the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). This qualitative study employed a narrative inquiry and set out to understand the factors that influenced four Hmong-Americans to pursue their STEM careers. This inquiry generatedrich descriptive data from the participants who were meaningfully employed in STEM fields at the time of the study. After the interviews were transcribed, a thematic analysis was conducted using Lichtman’s (2013) Three C’s of data analysis. Four overarching concepts and twelve categories (themes) emerged from the analysis. The concepts that emerged were: (1) Parental influences on academic success, (2) Career actualization, (3) Support systems, and (4) Overcoming challenges and barriers. College attendance was encouraged by their parents as a means for social mobility, but parents did not influence their choice of STEM career. Career actualization in STEM was triggered at a young age by exposure to various experiences. Both financial support as well as support provided by various institutional agents was critical in allowing them to purse a STEM career. Participants were made aware of their minority status and at times faced subtle racial invalidations. Implications and recommendations based on these findings are discussed.