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Hmong
culture a key subject for St. Paul students
James Walsh, Star Tribune
Published February 3, 2004
It was a writing lesson. Nonfiction. And the students in Pam Lindberg's first-grade class at Dayton's Bluff Elementary in St. Paul probably jumped into it like any other assignment for any other class.
It took only seconds, though, to see a big difference.
One little girl, Sheila Her, 7, started reciting the words for baby and rice and chicken to classmate Chrishod Taylor in Hmong.
And Tsua Lee was explaining images from a Hmong storycloth to classmates Jaylin Pierce and Deja Collins.
Children were learning about writing by learning about the Hmong.
Instead of Hmong language, culture and tradition being "show-and-tell" or an "extra" in this and dozens of other classrooms, it is being inserted, seamlessly, into everyday lessons.
In a nod to the growing number and prominence of Hmong families in the district, St. Paul is meshing Hmong culture into its social studies curriculum in kindergarten through third grade. National experts are hailing that move, and other district efforts to reach out to Hmong students, as an extraordinary effort to boost the achievement of English-language learners.
I know of no other district making connections to this extent," said Roland Tharp, director of the Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The center has researched effective teaching of English-language learners for the past 20 years.
St. Paul officials say it will improve the cultural literacy of all students.
It will also send a clear message of belonging to Hmong students who too often have felt like outsiders in schools that are increasingly theirs. Approximately 14,000 of St. Paul's 45,000 students are Hmong.
The message we are giving students is: 'This is important to other people, this is important to my teachers, this is important to adults,' " Lindberg said. "It's been a lot of fun for all of us."
Valeria Silva, head of the St. Paul schools' English Language Learner programs, acknowledged that the move follows years of requests by Hmong parents and community leaders to see their culture reflected in what their children are learning. But there is real educational value in exciting a child, in giving students a chance to learn more about their own culture and connecting those lessons to their everyday education.
The eyes of the little kids just light up, to hear about their Hmong background. And, then, to have a chance to explain to other kids is really vital," Silva said. "They see themselves as valued citizens of the city of St. Paul. And it gets them over the feeling that they don't feel a part of our culture by helping them better understand their culture."
About 120 teachers have received extra training -- as well as books, compact discs, dolls and other materials -- to make Hmong history, culture and tradition as prominent in the curriculum as other cultures. Ninety more teachers will receive training next week. The cost is about $250 per teacher, Silva said, and the money is coming primarily through federal refugee aid.
It is the latest item on an expanding Hmong-friendly menu within the St. Paul schools. Four schools in the district now provide Hmong literacy to students in the third through sixth grades. The program at Phalen Lake, Webster, Jackson and World Cultures and Languages schools will help students who speak Hmong also become skilled in reading and writing Hmong. Education research has shown this approach helps students gain better fluency in English.
An after-school enrichment program in Hmong culture, including dance, music and art, will also be offered at Webster, Jackson and Nokomis. And officials are adding a wider array of authentic ethnic recipes, including Hmong fried rice, to the schools' lunch menu.
Not 'touchy-feely'
Experts say such moves expand all students' understanding of other cultures. But, Tharp said, it could also accelerate Hmong student learning. "It's really an extraordinary systemwide program," he said, adding that such efforts aren't just "feel-good" concessions.
It's not touchy-feely. It works," he said. "The reason it works is because we're taught not just to give information, but to connect it."
By including Hmong traditions in the overall curriculum, Hmong students will be better able to understand and remember the lessons, he said. "It takes it beyond the abstract and it applies it and makes it exciting."
He added that the steps St. Paul is taking will improve the connection to school for Hmong families, enhancing parental involvement. Tharp said he knows of no other school district in the country making such an extensive connection to the Hmong community.
Xue Lee, cochairman of the Hmong Parent Advisory Council to the St. Paul schools, said the moves are welcome in the Hmong community.
It's very good for both the school and for the Hmong students," he said. "It shows the Hmong students they have something to value in their culture and that their culture exists in the mainstream."
Hmong parents, an increasingly influential force in school politics and policy, have been asking for this, Lee said. This is a sign that the district understands the needs of Hmong students now more than in the past. It is also a nod, he acknowledged, to competition from a growing number of Hmong-centered programs in charter schools.
Thai Thao, an educational assistant working in Lindberg's room, came to the United States from Laos as a 13-year-old in 1986. There was nothing like this when he was a student, Thao said. He said welcomes the new curriculum as a way to benefit all St. Paul students.
I believe in the next five years, most of the kids in the district will recognize our traditions," he said.
James Walsh is at jwalsh@startribune.com
