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From Migrant to Minority: Hmong Refugees and the Social Construction of Identity in the United States *
Author(s) -
Hein Jeremy
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-682x.1994.tb00393.x
Subject(s) - ethnic group , social dominance orientation , refugee , sociology , hierarchy , minority group , immigration , identity (music) , gender studies , social psychology , political science , psychology , law , anthropology , physics , authoritarianism , politics , acoustics , democracy
The social constructionist perspective of ethnicity suggests that international migrants may not consider themselves ethnic minorities even when they objectively hold this status. Interview data from forty Hmong refugee leaders support this thesis. One‐third have an entirely migrant orientation, while few have an entirely minority orientation. However, one‐third are primarily minority in orientation. The migrant orientation prioritizes the ethnic community and problems related to migration. The minority orientation prioritizes relations with U.S. society and problems caused by U.S. institutions. Consistent with findings of prior research, the minority orientation is most common among leaders who have the greatest potential for successful adaptation. But in contrast to prior research, the findings suggest that ethnic awareness among migrants depends not only on attitudes toward assimilation, but also on whether they attribute inequality to their status as newcomers in a host society or to their status as a minority in a racial and ethnic hierarchy.