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Navigating Multiple Worlds: A Qualitative Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Hmong Women Leaders, Lena Moua, Jim Riggs

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This article presents the findings from a narrative study that examined the leadership development and pathways of nine prominent Hmong American women leaders from Minnesota and California. Each of these women was able to break through the cultural and gender glass ceiling to become positional and influential leaders in mainstream American society. The study focused on the factors that contributed to the participants leadership development; strategies used in attaining and maintaining leadership roles; and barriers each participant encountered on her path to becoming a leader. Important findings included the impact of poverty, the prominent role of education, inner strength the …