Mai Xiong

Mai Xiong/Maim Xyooj (she/her) is a Joint Master of Social Work (MSW) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Welfare student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work (SRSSW). Maim earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Davis.

Maim is interested in understanding the relationship(s) between social work practice and research with hopes to move forth fostering and implementing accessible, equitable, and holistic health practices and policies that honors all people’s ways of knowing and healing. Maim is specifically interested in examining HMong/HMoob people’s historical, cultural, and current health and healing knowledge and practices. During her PhD program, she plans to engage with critical qualitative methods, such as critical community-engaged and participatory action research methods, to co-create with her HMong/HMoob communities, as well as the mainstream health community to progress towards a more just world of care.

Maim has been a teaching assistant (TA) for Asian American Studies, Asian American 240: Hmong Refugee History (Spring 2024). Mai will be TAing for Social Work 640: Diversity, Oppression and Social Justice in Social Work, Fall 2025.

Primary Research Interests: HMong/HMoob, Immigrant, Refugee, Health, Mental Health, Holistic Health, Equity, Access, Policy