Description:
This is an interview with Tshiab Dua Yang, a Hmong student alum of UW–Madison. The first part of the interview focuses on Yang’s experiences at UW Madison, specifically their initial experience at the university and with international student organizations, the second part explores Yang’s experience of being a Hmong at UW, the third part focuses on instances of racism and discrimination on campus, and the fourth part is a self-reflection about Yang’s experience at UW and how it did and did not meet their expectations.
Audio File:
Click Here to listen to segment one (5 mins).
Click Here to listen to segment two (2 mins).
Click Here to listen to segment three (5 mins).
Click Here to listen to segment four (3 mins).
Click Here to listen to all four segments (15 mins).
Click Here to view the interview transcript.
Discussion Questions:
What does this oral history reveal about being a member of both the UW and larger Madison community?
How does this oral history connect with broader histories of discrimination and resistance in both higher education and the United States?
What are the advantages and limitations of using oral histories? What challenges arise when selecting participants, generating questions, and sharing only certain segments of people’s stories?
Yang explains that UW both did and did not meet her expectations in several ways. What examples throughout the interview highlight both phenomena and how do the examples you selected highlight this?
Yang mentioned the importance of both the Asian American Student Union and the Hmong American Student Association. Why were these organizations important and how did Yang differentiate between the two?