Yee Xiong - Research Proposal

In this research paper, I purpose to explore the motivations of Hmong queers coming out and their impacts on the Hmong American community.  There has not been an extensive study on how Hmong queer bodies navigate between the hetero-normative space in the Hmong American community and the larger LGBTIQ community.  Hmong parents also do not accept queerness in the family, why is this? I will figure out the reasons and motivations behind their disapproval and see if it has to do with more than just morals and beliefs.  Understand their background and approaches.  As a Hmong student and an ally of the LGBTIQ community at UC Davis, I want to explore more Hmong queer narratives and experiences to better provide resources and support Hmong queers coming out in our community.

SOY: Shades of Yellow is the first Hmong non-profit organization that provides for the LGBTIQ bodies in the Hmong American community.  It is based in Minnesota and has shown that the resources are very much needed and has been proven helpful to the Hmong American community residing there.  However, it is still being under attacked because parents and families are outraged that such queer communities exist in the Hmong American community. 

Using Foucault’s POWER AND KNOWLEDGE theory: how power is used to control knowledge and how it’s used as a form in socially controlled spaces.

Methodology: qualitative method; survey dedicated to Hmong queers’ narratives + Data on Hmong American socioeconomic trends, parents’ influence over children, and ability to communicate with parents and family