Despite the rising divorce rates in some immigrant communities in the US, there has been scant scholarly attention on how immigrants experience divorce, particularly on the role of culture in the divorce process. The primary goal of the present study was to explore the diverse divorce experiences of Hmong immigrants in the United States. As a patrilineal and patriarchal community, divorce is generally frowned upon, with Hmong women often experiencing shame and stigma. A narrative design with nine Hmong women was used to capture their intricate stories that highlight such experiences. Using a thematic analysis, our findings highlighted the complexity and cultural nuances the women in our sample encountered from initiating divorce to the divorce itself: (1) No wants a divorce, (2) Divorce is the “last straw”, (3) Varying divorce pathways, and (4) Navigating systems as a Hmong woman. For those who have increased knowledge of both the US American court system and divorce laws along with the traditional Hmong mediations, they may be more equipped in navigating systems. Yet as Hmong divorce practices are performed by Hmong men, Hmong women may struggle with finding their voice or support needed to advocate for their divorce. In such cases, the US court system may be more appealing in assisting their cause (e.g., custody). Professionals working with such communities should be culturally aware and attuned to the different marriage and divorce practices to understand both cultural and legal barriers for those seeking a divorce.

中文翻译：

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“一男一命一婚”：苗族女性离婚经历的定性分析

尽管美国一些移民社区的离婚率不断上升，但学术界对移民如何经历离婚，特别是文化在离婚过程中的作用的关注却很少。本研究的主要目标是探讨美国苗族移民的多样化离婚经历。作为一个父系和父权社会，离婚通常是不受欢迎的，苗族妇女经常遭受羞辱和耻辱。采用九名苗族妇女的叙事设计来捕捉她们复杂的故事，突出这些经历。通过主题分析，我们的研究结果强调了样本中的女性从提出离婚到离婚本身所遇到的复杂性和文化细微差别：(1) 不想离婚，(2) 离婚是“最后一根稻草”，(3) 各不相同离婚途径；(4) 苗族妇女的系统导航。对于那些对美国法院系统和离婚法以及传统苗族调解有了更多了解的人来说，他们可能在导航系统方面更有能力。然而，由于苗族离婚做法是由苗族男性进行的，苗族女性可能很难找到主张离婚所需的声音或支持。在这种情况下，美国法院系统在协助他们的诉讼（例如监护权）方面可能更具吸引力。在这些社区工作的专业人士应该具有文化意识，并适应不同的婚姻和离婚做法，以了解寻求离婚的人面临的文化和法律障碍。