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Gemma Wieberg

 

Research Topic

"Opening the Way: Hmong Kinship and Belonging in Far North Queensland"

The thesis weaves together an account of the resettlement experiences of the Hmong community, who resided in the coastal city of Cairns, Australia, and its immediate surrounds between July 2006 and July 2007. It explores the impact that the diasporic movement from Laos has had upon the structure, beliefs and customs of Hmong families. One strand of enquiry investigates the ideologies driving internal migration within Australia and the concept of the ‘house’ within Hmong culture. It illuminates the legacy of the ‘White Australia’ policy, which has shaped the Hmong community in Far North Queensland (FNQ), conflicting definitions of kin, as well as highlighting the dynamic way in which the Hmong have sought to overcome these restrictions. Another strand of the thesis considers the ever evolving relationship between ritual practices and kin identities. As such, it describes the impact of diaspora on communally held ritual knowledge and subsequently kin reckoning, tracking several families’ journeys since arrival to assess the degree of continuity and change. Comparison between first generation and second generation attitudes towards choosing spouses, reasons for marriage, and issues surrounding divorce provides a case study for assessment of these trends. Finally, the thesis charts the extent of language retention within the Far North Queensland community: investigating the influence of native language proficiency on parent-child relationships, the repercussions for kinship beliefs if the Hmong language is not retained, and mainstream Anglo-Australian attitudes towards speech and accent. At the end of the thesis the author reflects upon the (dis)junctures between global processes of diaspora and the experiences of locally situated families. Overall, the thesis concludes that whilst kinship concepts show consistency with Southeast Asian Hmong pasts, subsequent emplacement in Australia has fundamentally altered the knowledge base upon which kinship was conceived and subsequently, has had a profound affect on movement and migration patterns.

Supervisors

Primary: Dr. John Knight (j.knight@qub.ac.uk)
Secondary: Dr. Lisette Josphides (l.josephides@qub.ac.uk)

Contact:

Email: 16622014@qub.ac.uk

Phone: 07576198436


Interests:

Diaspora, Migration, Southeast Asia, Hmong Studies, Gender, Policy, Applied Anthropology, Refugees, Religion, Families.