Effectiveness of a community-based advocacy and learning program for hmong refugees

The effectiveness of a community-based advocacy and learning intervention for Hmong refugees was assessed using a comprehensive, multi-method strategy, which included a within-group longitudinal design with four data collection points and in-depth qualitative recruitment and post-intervention interviews. The intervention's impact on five aspects of refugee well-being was examined: Participants' psychological well-being, quality of life, access to resources, English proficiency, and knowledge for the U.S. citizenship exam. Twenty-eight Hmong adults and 27 undergraduate students participated together in the intervention, which had two major components: (1) Learning Circles, which involved cultural exchange and one-on-one learning opportunities for Hmong adults, and (2) an advocacy component that involved undergraduates advocating for and transferring advocacy skills to Hmong families to increase their access to resources in their communities. Undergraduate paraprofessionals and Hmong participants worked together for 6-8 hr per week for 6 months. Growth trajectory analysis revealed promising quantitative findings. Participants' quality of life, satisfaction with resources, English proficiency, and knowledge for the U.S. citizenship test increased and their levels of distress decreased over the course of the intervention. Mediating analyses suggested that participants' increased quality of life could be explained by their improved satisfaction with resources. Qualitative data helped to support and explain the quantitative data, as well as providing insight into other outcomes and processes of the intervention. Policy, practice, and research implications are discussed.