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Reconfigured Hmong Womanhood Through Work and Social Inclusion in Australian Society

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Handbook of Social Inclusion

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the interplay between labor market participation and social inclusion of Hmong migrant-refugee women in the Australian cities of Sydney and Canberra. Hmong women’s participation in the Australian paid labor market has transformed them from women who held traditional roles and subordinate positions in patriarchal households into agentic individuals. Lacking skills needed to participate in the Australian industrialized workforce, they capitalized on deeply ingrained qualities of hard work and discipline that they developed from a young age. Thus, their work attitude, diligence, and tenacity became their driving force in engaging in industrial work that gave them financial and bargaining power within Hmong households and broader society. Today, the women find meaning in their continuing engagement in economic activities that provide them with a sense of worth and belonging within the Australian diaspora.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Asia and the Pacific, School of History and Language, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    Ma. Cristina Saulo

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  1. Ma. Cristina Saulo
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Correspondence to Ma. Cristina Saulo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia

    Pranee Liamputtong

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Saulo, M.C. (2021). Reconfigured Hmong Womanhood Through Work and Social Inclusion in Australian Society. In: Liamputtong, P. (eds) Handbook of Social Inclusion. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48277-0_119-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48277-0_119-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-48277-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-48277-0

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