Hmong Resource Center Library Director, Hmong Cultural Center, St. Paul, MN. May 2000 – July 2006. As the Hmong Resource Center Library Director at the Hmong Cultural Center, I built up this institution’s collections and Hmong-related research databases into a nationally-recognized library of Hmong-related literature and research materials. I also initiated a monthly informational e-mail newsletter in Hmong Studies, authored a Hmong census study that has been purchased by libraries, universities, and social service providers across the United States, created a popular educational website for the Hmong Cultural Center along with Hmong-related research databases) and increased outreach to the Hmong, non-Hmong and academic communities while meeting with funders and engaging in fundraising and development activities. I also developed a website devoted to teaching about the Hmong traditional cultural arts with a 3M/COMPAS grant in the Award for Innovation in the Arts Program. This multicultural education website also earned an NEA grant. I successfully obtained grants from numerous national and local foundations for the Hmong Resource Center library and have been the main grantwriter for the Hmong Cultural Center, a non-profit organization with an annual budget of $300,000 for the past 5 years.
Editor, Hmong Studies Journal. Jan. 1, 2003 – Present. I am the editor of the Hmong Studies Journal, the only peer-reviewed academic journal related to the Hmong people and their culture. The Hmong Studies Journal has published more than 40 scholarly articles since 1996. The publication has recently come to agreement to be included in ProQuest's Ethnic NewsWatch journal article index as well as EBSCO's Academic Search Premier. The journal’s website is at http://www.hmongstudies.org/HmongStudiesJournal
Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, Philadelphia, PA, Resident Fellow. June 1999. Project Title: “Vietnamese Residential Trajectories and Institutional Development in Philadelphia.” This project involved follow-up data collection related to my 1994 MA Thesis research which focused on Vietnamese Adaptation in the Philadelphia region.
Visiting Assistant Professor. Department of Geography, Geology, and Planning, Southwest Missouri State University. Springfield, Missouri. Spring Semester 1999.
Lecturer. Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University. World Urban Patterns Course. Spring Semester 1994, Second Summer Semester 1994.
Winnet Internship in Community Service. Samuel S. Fels Foundation. Philadelphia, PA, 6/93-10/93. The Winnet Internship consisted of a research grant under the terms of which I compiled an oral history of the Awbury Arboretum neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
COMMUNITY SERVICE:
Hmong Cultural Center, St. Paul, MN. Advisor to Staff and Board of Directors. July 2006-Present.
Reviewer, Choice Magazine, American Library Association, Ethnic Studies and Geography. February 2007-Present.
Bush Library, Hamline University, St. Paul, MN. Volunteer Reference Librarian Assistant. In this volunteer position, I assisted in staffing the main reference desk, helping in answering patron research queries. I developed Research Guides for the Library including one in Urban Studies and one in Social Justice. February 2006-May 2006.
Lauj Youth Society. St. Paul, MN. Tutor for Hmong Children and Youth. November 1999-August 2000, Mentor to Hmong teens enrolled in Lauj Youth Society, 2001-2004.
Vietnamese Catholic Congregation of North York (Toronto), Ontario, Canada. English Language and Homework Assistance Tutor. January 1996-December 1998.
Vietnamese Catholic Congregation, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Philadelphia, PA. ESL Tutor. May -August 1994.
(2007). Editor, Hmong Studies Journal, Volume 8. Articles include: "Political Behavior and Candidate Emergence in the Hmong-American Community" by Steven Doherty, PhD, Dickinson State University, "Diaspora and the Predicament of Origins: Interrogating Hmong Postcolonial History and Identity" by Gary Yia Lee, PhD, "The self-rated social well-being of Hmong college students in Northern California" by Serge C. Lee, PhD, California State University, Sacramento, "Constructing a Social Problem: Suicide, Acculturation and the Hmong" by Paul Jesilow, PhD and Machiline Xiong, California State University, Irvine, "The Transition of Wat Tham Krabok Hmong Children to Saint Paul Public Schools: Perspectives of Teachers, Principals, and Hmong Parents" by Bic Ngo, PhD, Martha Bigelow, PhD and Kyla Wahlstrom, PhD, University of Minnesota, "Diabetes Knowledge, Beliefs, and Treatments in the Hmong Population: An Exploratory Study" by Miguel A. Perez, PhD and Koua Cha, California State University, Fresno, "An Assessment of the Hmong American New Year and Its Implications for Hmong-American Culture" by Kou Yang, EdD, California State University, Stanislaus and "Financial Management in Hmong Immigrant Families: Change and Adaptation" by Pa Nhia D. Yang and Catherine A. Solheim, PhD. View this publication at: http://www.hmongstudies. org/HmongStudiesJournal
(2006). Editor, Hmong Studies Journal, Volume 7. Articles include: “’Die Another Day’: A qualitative analysis of Hmong experiences with kidney stones” by Kathleen A. Culhane-Pera, MD, MA and Mayseng Lee, MD, MPH, “Food Preparation, Practices, and Safety In The Hmong Community” by Miguel A. Pérez, PhD, CHES; Long Julah Moua, MPH, REHS and Helda Pinzon-Perez, PhD, RN, CHES, California State University, Fresno, “Knowledge of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Among Hmong Populations In Central California” by Teng Vang, MPH and Helda Pinzon- Perez, PhD, RN, CHES, California State University, Fresno, “Learning from the experiences of Hmong mental health providers” by Linda Gensheimer, Saint Cloud State University, “Coming Home? The Integration of Hmong Refugees from Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand, into American Society” by Grit Grigoleit, MA, University of Passau, Germany, “Developing Culturally Sensitive Parent Education Programs for Immigrant Families: The Helping Youth Succeed Curriculum” by Zha Blong Xiong, PhD; Daniel F. Detzner, PhD; Zoe Hendrickson Keuster, BA; Patricia A. Eliason, MA and Rose Allen, MEd., University of Minnesota, “From a Refugee Camp to the Minnesota State Senate: A Case Study of a Hmong American Woman’s Challenge” by Taeko Yoshikawa, Hosei University, Japan, “The Texas Two- Step, Hmong Style: A Delicate Dance Between Culture and Ethnicity” by Faith Nibbs, Southern Methodist University, “Dreaming Across the Oceans: Globalization and Cultural Reinvention in the Hmong Diaspora” by Gary Y. Lee, Ph.D., “The Meeting with Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy A Case Study of Syncretism in the Hmong System of Beliefs” by Kao-Ly Yang, Ph.D., “‘Why Would We Want Those Students Here?’: Bridges and Barriers to Building Campus Community Partnerships” by Vincent K. Her, PhD, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Mary Louise Buley- Meissner, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. View this publication at: http://www.hmongstudies. org/HmongStudiesJournal
(2005). "Hmong and Cambodians in the Midwestern U.S." Encyclopedia of the Midwest, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University.
(2005). "Vietnamese in the Midwestern U.S." Encyclopedia of the Midwest, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University.
(2005). Editor, Hmong Studies Journal, Volume 6. Articles include: "Who is Hmong? Questions and Evidence from the U.S. Census" by Wayne Carroll and Victoria Udalova, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, "Hmong and Lao Refugee Women: Reflections of a Hmong-American Woman Anthropologist" by Dia Cha, Saint Cloud State University, “Hmong Resettlement in French Guiana" by Patrick F. Clarkin, University of Massachusetts, Boston, "The Myth of Sonom, the Hmong King" by Robert Entenmann, Saint Olaf College, "Hmong Cosmology: Proposed Model, Preliminary Insights" by Vincent K. Her, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, "The Shaping of Traditions: Agriculture and Hmong Society" by Gary Yia Lee, "What is the actual number of the (H)mong in the World" by Jacques Lemoine, "Hmong Refugee’s Death Fugue" by Sheng-mei Ma, Michigan State University, "Continuing the promise: Recruiting and preparing Hmong-American educators for Central Wisconsin" by Leslie McClain-Ruelle, University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point and Kao Xiong, University of Wisconsin-Madison, "Southeast Asian Fathers’ Experiences with Adolescents: Challenges and Change" by Zha Blong Xiong and Daniel F. Detzner, University of Minnesota, "Research Notes from the Field: Tracing the Path of the Ancestors – A Visit to the Hmong in China" by Kou Yang, California State University, Stanislaus. View this publication at: http://www.hmongstudies.org/HmongStudiesJournal
(2005). Editor, Hmong Studies Journal, Volume 5. Articles include: “Medical, Racist, and Colonial Constructions of Power: Creating the Asian American Patient and the Cultural Citizen in Anne Fadiman's The Spirt Catches You and You Fall Down." by Dr. Monica Chiu, University of New Hampshire, "Hmong Transnational Identity: the Gendering of Contested Discourses" by Dr. Roberta Julian, University of Tasmania, Australia, "Caught Between Cultures: Hmong Parents in America's Sibling Society" by Dr. Tamara L. Kaiser, University of Saint Thomas, "Hmong-American K-12 Students and the Academic Skills Needed for a College Education: A Review of the Existing Literature and Suggestions for Future Research" by Dr. Christopher T. Vang, California State University, Stanislaus, Hmong Parents' Perceptions on Instructional Strategies for Educating their Children with Disabilities" by Halee Vang and Dr. Manuel T. Barrera, University of Minnesota and "Southeast Asian Adolescents' Perceptions of Immigrant Parenting Practices" by Dr. Zha Blong Xiong and Dr. Daniel F. Detzner, University of Minnesota and Dr. Michael J. Cleveland, Iowa State University. The Hmong Studies Journal may be viewed online at the following link: http://www.hmongstudies.org/HmongStudiesJournal
(2004). Co-Editor. Hmong 2000 Census: Data and Analysis, a collaboration between the Hmong Resource Center, Saint Paul, MN and Hmong National Development, Washington D.C. This work features data tables and scholarly analysis of 2000 census trends. Articles in this volume include: “Hmong Population, Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Educational Trends in the 2000 Census” by Mark E. Pfeifer, PhD and Serge Lee, PhD, “Hmong Families in American in 2000: Continuity and Change” by Zha Blong Xiong and Arunya Tuicomepee, “Profile of Hmong Educational Attainment” by Kou Yang EdD and Mark E. Pfeifer, PhD, “Hmong American Womens’ Educational Attainment: Implications for Hmong American Women and Women” by Halee Vang, “What you cannot see in the U.S. 2000 Census” by Reverend Kou Seying (Kxf. Nyaj Kub Thoj), “Contested Economic Growth Among Hmong Americans” by Chia Youyee Vang and “Hmong Homeownership: Up Sharply in the 1990s but still lagging in the Central Valley” by Michael Grover and Richard M. Todd, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
(2004). With Dr. Serge Lee. “Hmong Population, Demographic, Socioeconomic and Educational Trends in the 2000 Census.” Hmong 2000 Census: Data and Analysis. Saint Paul: Hmong Resource Center, Washington D.C. Hmong National Development.
(2004). With Dr. Kou Yang. “Profile of Hmong Educational Attainment.” Hmong 2000 Census: Data and Analysis. Saint Paul: Hmong Resource Center, Washington D.C. Hmong National Development.
(2003). “The Hmong in America.” From The New Face of Asian Pacific America: Numbers, Diversity and Change in the 21st Century. Editors: Eric Lai and Dennis Arguelles. San Francisco and Los Angeles: Asian Week and UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press, pp. 96-98.
(2003). Editor, Hmong Studies Journal, Volume 4. Articles include: “The Hmong ‘Dab Pog Couple’ Story and its Significance in Arriving at an Understanding of Hmong Ritual” by Dr. Dia Cha, Saint Cloud State University; “Migration of Hmong to Rochester, Minnesota: Life in the Midwest” by Dr. Cathleen Faruque, Winona State University; “Contradictions in Learning How to Be Thai: A Case Study of a Young Hmong Woman” by Tracy Pilar Johnson- Messenger, Teachers College, Columbia University; “Hmong Americans: A Review of Felt Needs, Problems and Community Development” by Dr. Kou Yang, California State University, Stanislaus and “Hmong of Germany: Preliminary Report on the Resettlement of Lao Hmong Refugees in Germany” by Dr. Tou T. Yang. The Hmong Studies Journal may be viewed online at http://www.hmongstudies.org/HmongStudiesJournal
(2001). “Community, Adaptation and the Vietnamese in Toronto.” Vietnamologica: The Journal of Vietnamese Studies. Volume 5, Number 1.
(2000). “Vietnamese.” The Encyclopedia of Chicago History. The Newberry Library, University of Chicago Press.
(2000). “Refugee Resettlement, Family Reunion, and Ethnic Identity: Evolving Patterns of Vietnamese Residence in Two American Metropolitan Areas.” The North American Geographer, Volume 1, Number 2.
(1993). “A Tale of Two ‘Little Saigons’: Southeast Asian Economic Development in Chicago and Philadelphia.” Middle States Geographer 26:115-119.
RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS/CONFERENCES – GENERAL:
Hmong Studies Internet Resource Center Website. I am the founder and editor of the Hmong Studies website, which makes available to visitors extensive bibliographies of Hmong-related research and Hmong as well as Lao and Cambodian census data from the U.S. census. The Hmong Studies website may be viewed at www.hmongstudies. org/ I have composed 30 subject Hmong bibliographies for the Hmong Studies website. These bibliographies include articles and books related to the Hmong from the late 18th century to the present. The subject bibliographies provides comprehensive lists of resources related to such topics as: Hmong Men and Women and Gender Roles, the Hmong and Mental Health, Health and Medical Issues Affecting the Hmong, Hmong History, Hmong Music, Hmong Birth Customs and Parenting Practices, Hmong Views of Death and Funeral Practices, Race Relations and the Hmong, Socioeconomic Incorporation of the Hmong, Educational Adaptation of the Hmong, Hmong Courtship and Marriage Practices as well as Hmong in Southeast Asia and Hmong in China. This website has received a 5 star rating of "Essential" Scholarly Usefulness from the Asian Studies WWW Monitor website.
Vietnamese Studies Internet Resource Center (VSIRC) Website. I am the founder and editor of the VSIRC website, which focuses upon Vietnamese-related research and includes an on-line research article library as well as an extensive bibliographic library and comprehensive Vietnamese census data from the U.S. and Canada. I also initiated an online Vietnamese Studies academic journal called The Review of Vietnamese Studies which has published 3 volumes of Vietnamese Studies related articles since August 2001. VSIRC and the Review of Vietnamese Studies may be viewed at www.vietnamese-studies.org/
WWW Hmong Homepage Website. Since 2004 I have been the editor of the WWW Hmong Homepage, a Resource Portal website that has existed since 1994 and is an Asian Studies WWW Virtual Library Associate website. The WWW Hmong Homepage website may be viewed at www.hmongnet.org
(2006). “Resources for a Dialogue on a Hmong Studies” and “Hmong 101”, lectures presented at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire under the sponsorship of the UW-Eau Claire History Department, April 11-12, 2006.
(2006). “Hmong 101 – Basics of Hmong History and Culture, and Population/Demographics in the U.S.” and “Resources for Learning and Teaching Hmong History and Culture.” Presentations at Hmong History and Culture: A Workshop for K-12 Teachers, Asian Studies Center, Michigan State University, March 31, 2006.
(2006). “Overview of the Hmong Studies Journal and its Contribution to Scholarship related to Hmong.” Recent Research in Hmong Studies: Presentations from the Hmong Studies Journal, Panel Presentation, Asian American Studies Program, University of Minnesota, February 20, 2006. View this presentation online at the following link: http: //hmongstudies.org/OverviewoftheHmongStudiesJournalPresentation.pdf
(2005). “Overview of Recent Scholarship on Pre-Modern Hmong History.” Hmong Women’s National Conference, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, September 16, 2005. View the presentation at: http://hmongstudies. org/PremodernHmongHistory.pdf
(2005). “The State of Hmong-American Studies.” Presentation at the Hmong National Conference, Fresno, CA, April 9, 2005. View this presentation at: http://hmongstudies.com/HNDPresentation2005.pdf
(2005). Annotated Bibliography of Hmong Related-Works: 1996-2004 Hmong Resource Center, Hmong Cultural Center, St. Paul, MN. 80 Pages. This unique bibliography which has been updated periodically since 2001, is in over 50 academic and public libraries across North America according to WorldCat.
(2001-Present). Editor, Hmong Studies Newsletter. This bimonthly online newsletter contains bibliographic annotations of new works in Hmong Studies. 5 years of the newsletter may be viewed at: http://www.hmongcenter. org/hccnewsletter.html
(2004). “Serving Diverse Populations – Hmong and Vietnamese.” Presentation at the Minnesota Librarians Association Annual Conference, Duluth, MN, October 8, 2004.
(2003). Editor. Review of Vietnamese Studies, Volume 3. Articles include: “Ancestral Veneration in Vietnamese Spiritualities” by Jonathan Huoi Xung Lee PhD Candidate, Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara; “Regles Et Exceptions Dans L’Emploi Des Classificateurs Vietnamiens” by Minh Ha Lo-Cicero, Université de Madère; “The Future Lied: Three Women of Hanoi, a Personal Story” by Jay Martin; “Yijing Scholarship in Late-Nguyen Vietnam: A Study of Le Van Ngu’s Chu Dich Cuu Nguyen (An Investigation of the Origins of the Yijiing, 1916)” By Wai- Ming Ng, Chinese University of Hong Kong; “Propagandist Representation of Vietnamese Women: A Comparative Study” by Christine M. Pothier, PhD Candidate, Dept. of History, University of Ottawa, Canada and “Statistical Profile of Immigrants of Vietnamese Origin in Quebec and Canada: Comparison of 1991, 1996, and 2001 Census Data” by Eric Richard and Louis-Jacques Dorais, Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada. The Review of Vietnamese Studies may be accessed online at www.vstudies.org
(2002). “U.S. Census 2000: Trends in Hmong Population Distribution and Demography Across the Regions and Metropolitan Areas of the United States.” Paper Presented at the Annual Asian American Studies Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 27, 2002.
(2001). “U.S. Census 2000: Trends in Hmong Population Distribution Across the Regions and Metropolitan Areas of the United States.” Research Paper, Hmong Resource Center, Hmong Cultural Center, St. Paul, MN. 18 pages.
(2001). “Census Shows Cambodian Residential Distribution in the United States”. Asian American Press Newspaper, September 21, 2001.
(2001). “Census Shows Changing Residential Geography of Lao Population in the U.S.” Asian American Press Newspaper. September 7, 2001.
(2001). “U.S. Census 2000: National and Regional Trends in Vietnamese Population Distribution.” The Review of Vietnamese Studies Online Journal (www.vstudies.org) Vol. 1, No. 1. 8 pages.
(2001). “Review of New Hmong Books.” Asian American Press Newspaper. August 17, 2001.
(2001). “2000 Census Shows Change in Vietnamese Population Across the Country.” Asian American Press Newspaper. August 10, 2001.
(2001). “Census Shows Vietnamese Population Distribution in Minnesota and Midwest.” Asian American Press Newspaper. July 27, 2001.
(2001). “Hmong Resources Review.” Hmong Times Newspaper. July 1, 2001.
(2000). “A Demographic and Socioeconomic Profile of the Vietnamese Community in Canada.” Article Prepared for the Thoi Bao 2000 Annual Yearbook. This article was published in both English and Vietnamese in the 2000 Yearbook of Thoi Bao, a Vietnamese newspaper based in Toronto. The English version may be viewed at: http: //ceris.metropolis.net/Virtual%20Library/community/pfeifer1/pfeifer1.html Metropolis, Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement, Toronto, Virtual Library.
(1999). “Thong Ke 1996 cho thay so nguoi Viet gia tang manh me: Bang dan so goc tren toan Canada va Vung Do thi Toronto.” Article Prepared for the Thoi Bao 2000 Annual Yearbook. This demographic overview of the Vietnamese population in Toronto and Canada was published in Vietnamese in the 1999 yearbook of Thoi Bao, a Vietnamese newspaper based in Toronto.
(1998). “Do Ethnic Institutions Require Ethnic Neighborhoods? The Case of Vietnamese-Speaking Congregations in Southern Ontario.” Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Geographers Annual Conference, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. June 1998.
(1998). “`Refugees’ and `Gangsters’: Representations of the Vietnamese in the Mainstream Media.” Paper presented at the American Association of Geographers Annual Conference, Boston, MA. March 1998.
(1997). “The Social Construction of Ethnic Identity: Representations of the Vietnamese in the Toronto Print Media.” Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Geographers Annual Conference, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. August 21, 1997.
(1996). “Refugee Resettlement, Family Reunion, and Ethnic Identity: Evolving Patterns of Vietnamese Residence in Two American Metropolitan Areas.” Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Geographers Annual Conference, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. May 16, 1996.
PATHFINDERS AND INFORMATION LITERACY TUTORIALS DEVELOPED FOR ACADEMIC LIBRARIES
(2008). “How to Find Census Data with American Fact-Finder.” Bell Library, Texas A and M University, Corpus Christi. This online How-To guide is intended to be used by patrons at Texas A and M University in Corpus Christi.
(2008). “Web of Science Guide.” This online database guide is intended to be used by patrons at Texas A and M University in Corpus Christi.
(2007). "Introduction to Bell Library Resources." Bell Library, Texas A and M University, Corpus Christi. This tutorial is intended to teach students how to use the resources available in Bell Library.
(2007). "Citation Style Guides." Bell Library, Texas A and M University, Corpus Christi. This online research guide is intended to be used by patrons at Texas A and M University in Corpus Christi.
(2007). "How to Evaluate Internet Websites." Bell Library, Texas A and M University, Corpus Christi. This online research guide is intended to be used by patrons at Texas A and M University in Corpus Christi.
(2007). "Geology Research Guide." Bell Library, Texas A and M University, Corpus Christi. This online research guide is intended to be used by patrons at Texas A and M University in Corpus Christi.
(2007). "Urban Studies Research Guide." Bell Library, Texas A and M University, Corpus Christi. This online research guide is intended to be used by patrons at Texas A and M University in Corpus Christi.
(2006). "Geography Research Guide." Bell Library, Texas A and M University, Corpus Christi. This online research guide is intended to be used by patrons at Texas A and M University in Corpus Christi.
(2006). "Social Justice Research Guide." Bush Library, Hamline University Website. This online research guide is intended to be used by patrons at Hamline University in Saint Paul, MN.
(2006). "Urban Studies Research Guide." Bush Library, Hamline University Website. This online research guide is intended to be used by patrons at Hamline University in Saint Paul, MN.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENTS
External Peer Manuscript Reviewer, Ethnicity and Disease. February-March 2006.
External Peer Manuscript Reviewer, University of Hawaii Press. Fall 2005.
External Peer Manuscript Reviewer, Child Development. Spring 2005.
External Peer Manuscript Reviewer, New York University Press. Fall 2004.