The Laotian Refugee Story

The Struggle to Adapt in a New Country

Nicky K.D Chaleunphone

History 200
Prof Kirchmann
June 8, 2015

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In the years following the Vietnam War, Laotian refugees escaped the fallout of
the Vietnam war out of fear of being persecuted or because they helped out the United
States during the war. Those who came to United States came from the refugee camps
mainly in Thailand. The refugee camps in Thailand were the first stop on the road to
United States. When the Laotian refugees were finally able to come to the United
States, many came with what they can carry and some only came with what they wore.
When they arrived in United States, the Laotian refugees thought this country was very
strange to them. They knew very little English and had minimal understanding of the
western culture, society and norms.
My primary source is a published oral interview with a Laotian named Shoua and
his son Nhia Vang. Their story is about how they escaped Laos when the war was
ending and the Communist, Pathet Lao, was taking over. They talk about the struggle to
adapt to starting at the bottom and all over again. Shoua, who was a Lao Army officer,
made life and death decisions on the battlefield. When he came to the U.S, he started at
the bottom, working as a janitor and felt it was a major let down for him. The other issue
was the language barrier and learning to speak English. When they tried to talk to
people, they could not understand because they knew little to no English. It was very
tough for them to communicate with people such as the church and social services. The
other issue for them was that they had to adapt to a western culture that had material
goods such as appliances and TVs. When they came to United States, their kids
adapted very quickly to the Western culture and norms. The final issue they struggled
with was that in United States, their biggest worry was paying bills, rent and taxes. In

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Laos, they worried more about surviving and fearing death. When they came to United
States, their fear of death was replaced by the fear of bills.
Shoua and his family beginning when they arrived in the United States and over
time learned to adapt to the western culture and norms. As they started to assimilate
into the United States, they learned to carve a niche for themselves and for their
children. They began to help other Laotian refugees to immigrate to United States and
help set up social services network for them to adapt to the United States lifestyle. They
paved the way for other Laotian refugees to come to this country and live in United
States. As a result, Shoua and Nhia Vang are Laotian refugees who are living the ideals
of what it means to be an American.
The story begins in Southeast Asia in Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. The war that
started it all, which is commonly called the Indochina war, was a war that was between
North Vietnam, who were backed by the communists and the democratic South Vietnam
who were backed by the United States. The Vietnam War was between the North and
South, where the South Vietnam wanted nothing to do with the Communist in Hanoi.
Therefore, the South broke away from the North and tried to create their own country.
The North Vietnam, not being happy about that went to war and fought to unify the
South Vietnam into a larger Vietnam. The Vietnam War dated back to the days of the
first Indochina war with France to gain independence from the French. The war with
France was because Vietnam wanted independence and wanted a republic. It escalated
into the Vietnam War because of the United States getting involved and was trying to be
supportive of the South Vietnamese that were supportive of the French who was in
Vietnam and in Laos as well.

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Now for Laos, their part of the Vietnam War was because they were dragged into
the fight, when they did not want any part of it. In the beginning of the Vietnam War,
Laos was a neutral country, who tried to stay out of the Vietnam Conflict. Laos wanted
no part of the Vietnam Conflict and wanted to stay neutral as possible.1 Laos was
dragged into the Vietnam War when North Vietnam started to use Laos as a highway
into South Vietnam. Laos, with the assistance of the US military sent the Royal Lao
Army along the border of North Vietnam to stop North Vietnam from reaching South
Vietnam.2 It meant that North Vietnam invaded Laos in order to use the country as a
way to get into South Vietnam. With Laos having to drop, its pretense of being neutral
and trying to stay out of the Vietnam War.
In terms of the ethnic groups in Laos, there are two sub groups; in Laos Hmong
people and Lowland. The Hmong people are an ethnic group of Lao people who mainly
live in the Hills and Mountains of Laos. This group can trace their origins back to
southern China.3 Now as opposed to the Hmong that lived in the Mountains and hills of
Laos, you have the Lowland people such as myself and my parents who are Lowland
Laos. Lowland Laotians are those who come from the Mekong river valley and from
such towns and Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet. The only difference
between Lowland Lao and Hmong is what part of Laos they came from. Lao People
share the same religion, nationality and same language. The only difference is where in
Laos they came from. In the case of my family, and myself, my family came from Luang
Prabang and Savannakhet, which is classed as lowland Laos.
The Laotian refugees that came to this country carved a niche for themselves
and even made a name for themselves. One of those Laotian Americans who made a

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name for himself and even giving his life during the War on terror in Afghanistan is by
the name of Petty Officer 1st class John Douangdara, who was a dog handler that was
assigned with the US Navys Seal team 6. This is the same unit that Petty Officer 1st
class John Douangdara was in that was part of the take down of Osama Bin Laden.
Petty Officer 1st class John Douangdaras parents are also Lao refugees who escaped
Laos and came to the United States as well. 4
In terms of resettlement for many Lao refugees, most of the Lao refugees were
resettled in the top three states: California, Texas, and Minnesota.5 Many other Lao
refugees have resettled in other states such as Virginia, Massachusetts, and
Connecticut and even in Louisiana as well. Many of the Lao refugees who were
resettled in these states were resettled with the help of the United States State
Department and with the help of church groups who helped many Laotian refugees
settle in to those states. The states that took in Lao refugees such as California, Texas
and Minnesota, had a wealth of experience in working with refugees and helping them
resettle in America.
In terms of many cities where the Lao Refugees went to, many went where the
Social services and churches put them in. They were very much dependent upon where
the sponsors placed them in. In this case, most of the sponsors, churches and social
services were in the cities and states that took in Lao refugees. For example, many of
the Laotian refugees ended up in cities such as Providence, Rhode Island and St. Paul
Minnesota.6 At the time, the sponsors had offered refugees not only resettlement
assistance, but also offered them jobs and help in being acclimated to their new

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country. The cities that took in Laotian refugees had plenty of jobs that were available to
them when they arrived in this country.
In terms of Lao culture, it is very much important to Lao refugees because it is a
way of reconnecting back home and what they left behind. When the Lao refugees
came to the United States, they had to rebuild their Lao heritage and Lao culture all
over again. One thing that kept the Lao culture alive in the United States is food7. Lao
food is one thing that came to this country and is one of the healthiest food. Lao food is
a staple of Lao culture and the Laotian American community. When you come and visit
a Lao family, the first things we ask if you is have eaten. In Lao culture, everything is
centered on food. Lao people talk about things over food and Lao food brings the entire
family together. Lao people always make your that your well-fed, which is Lao food is
the one part of the Lao culture that came to the United States with the Laotian refugees.
This is why Lao food is really the Soul of Laos. Lao food is one way the Laotian
refugees are able to reconnect back home and share the same culture with their next
generation of Laotian American.
Another aspect of Lao culture that came to the United States with the Lao
refugees is Buddhism. Buddhism is very important to the Laotian Refugees because it is
what keeps them connected back home. The branch of Buddhism that Laotian refugees
practice is Theravada Buddhism. It is a branch of Buddhism that is distinct and different
from Mahayana Buddhism and other forms of Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism is very
important to Lao refugees because it is what ties them back home, a part of their
identity and part of their community. Lao culture is also centered on Theravada

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Buddhism because it is ingrained into Lao culture. It is part of the Lao people and their
heritage.
The one thing that brings Lao refugees and Laotian Americans together is a Lao
Wat.8 A Lao Wat is a place not only for worship but also a place to meditate and hold
Lao community events. A Lao Wat is a focal point for the Laotian American community
and every Lao refugee that comes to the United States, also finds their way to a Lao
Wat to call home and connect with one another. A Lao Wat is a place where every
Laotian knows one another and often times; a Lao Wat resembles a focal point in the
village where they all met, gather and worship. A Lao Wat is very important to the
Laotian American community because it is a place what everyone takes turns caring for
them monks or taking turns being the Monk.9 However, there are some monks who live
in the Lao Wat temple permanently because they came as refugees by themselves and
have no family ties back home other than the Lao Community and the Lao Wat. This is
also, why a Lao Wat is a place for Lao refugees to get help, support and even get
donated goods to help themselves get started in a new country.
The one aspect of the Lao Wat is the Lao New Year. Lao New Year is an event
that is celebrated by every Laotian. It is one part of the Lao culture that Lao refugees
have brought over to the United States. Traditionally a 3-day event is held in the Lao
Wat. Every Laotian American makes the trip to the Lao Wat for Lao New Year. It is
expected that every Laotian is to make the trip to Lao Wat to pay respects to Buddha
and the Lao monks. It is a way to honor the relatives who did not make it into this
country and to even pay respects to Buddha as well. The one part of Lao New Year is
the cultural celebration including the Water festival, music, dances and beauty pageants

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as well. It is a tradition that many Lao refugees had when they were in Laos and they
brought it over in the United States as well. It is a part of Lao culture that every Laotian
American celebrates in the United States.
When Shoua and Nhia Vang came to the United States, some came by
themselves; with others, arriving later on or some came with families that had infants
and children with them. The issue here is that how well did the Laotian refugees
adopted to the American norms and ideals. In other words, how did they Americanized
themselves and how did they assimilated into the American culture? Many Lao
refugees struggled to adopt to their new country. The Lao refugees that came to this
country such as Shoua and Nhia Vang are primary first generation and generation
with instances of infants and children who straddle the first and second generation.
Many first generation Laotian refugees that came to this country struggled to adopt
because for them this is was the first time seeing a modern, westernized country. Often
times it was very frightening for them to move to another country. For most first
generation Lao refugees, they were used to living in a rural farm life and not expecting a
very modern, westernized country.
In the many struggles that Shoua and Nhia Vang faced in the United States, the
first was the language barrier. Language was a big issue for many Laotian refugees that
came to this country. Many that came to this country spoke very little English and their
only knowledge of the English language was either in the refugee camps or in working
with the CIA and the US Military in Laos. The barriers that the Shoua and Nhia Vang
faced were the fact that they could not communicate their needs to people very well.
According to Shoua for example, The hardest obstacle was language. In Laos, I

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communicated with Americans, but with a few words. We mostly used hand signals.
Here, I had to learn new words and language concepts every day.10 Translation in the
beginning was very poor for them because at the time when the Laotian refugees began
coming to the United States. Many Americans did not speak Laotian and did not
understand Lao culture and traditions. On top of that, Shoua had a very hard time in
adopting their new language and there was very little in helping them learn the English
language and adopting to their new country, which is why language was and still is an
issue to many Laotian refugees and many of the first generation Laotians.
The other issue that goes along with language is employment issues. Without a
foundation in the English Language, employment becomes a major problem for the first
generation Laotian refugees. The problem with employment with Shoua is that many of
the jobs and skills that the Shoua held in Laos. They cannot be able to transfer the jobs
and skills they had in Laos into the United States job market, which means that Shoua
who come to the United States had to start all over at the bottom and work their way up
to the top. Many Laotian refugees, who came to the United States, worked in skilled
jobs back home in Laos such as farming or Nursing or even worked with the Royal Lao
Army or Royal Lao Air force.
In the United States, the issue with Laotian refugees is getting them into
meaningful employment that pays well and helps; them gain jobs skills when they want
to look for higher paying work. The one thing that Shoua bring into the employment
market is a hard work ethic and persistence mentality. Many Laotian Refugees who
come to the United States, work their way up to high paying jobs and even obtain a
college degree and a professional license. When Shoua came to the United States, they

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have always felt as a major let down when they had to start all over. To some, it was a
major ego bust because Shoua, who worked in the Royal Lao Army and had life and
death decisions. When Shoua came to the United States and started all over, it felt like
it was a disgrace for them. In Shouas case for example My first day on the job, my
face turned red. I felt that I was losing respectability.11 For many Laotian refugees such
as Shoua, the major issue is realizing that when they come to the United States, they
had to start all over again from the bottom, such as being a janitor and cleaning the
place. Eventually they started working their way up to where they can get good paying
jobs that can help them and their family.
The other issue that Shoua faced in coming to the United States is dealing with
the major finances that are very common in the United States. The issue is that Shoua
faced when they came to the United States is that have never dealt with the kinds of
finances that they normally see in Laos. Many that came to the United States have
never experienced issue of running to the super market or even buying expensive items
such as appliances. This was a shock for Shoua when they come to see how clean and
modern the stores were in the United States. Shoua have been used to the system of
bartering or paying later and never had the monetary system that is so common in a
westernized country. This is because for example In Laos, if you know a merchant who
trust you, theyll say,Okay, pay me when you can afford to. Any deal was a gold or
silver exchange. 12
The other issue that Shoua had when they came to the United States was that
they had to grapple with the bills and payments that they had to make when paying for
rent, telephone, and even cable TV. That was because for example, When we lived in

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wartime, the thing we feared was death. Now, in peacetime, the fear I have is bills.13 In
Laos, many of the Laotian refugees have never experienced in paying rent and paying
bills. They never had this kind of system or dealt with something that is so common in a
westernized society. They never understood what it meant to pay taxes; idea of paying
rent and bills for many Laotian refugees was foreign to them. They struggled to
understand the concept of paying for goods and services. Even the concept of banking,
savings and credit cards was something that people like Shoua did not understand and
struggled to understand. They literally swapped out one fear for another fear when they
came to the United States.
Education is also an issue that is very common with Laotian refugees. Many of
the first generation Laotian refugees that came to the United States never had the kinds
of education that was very common in a modern westernized country. The education
system that the Laotian refugees had was not compatible in the United States. Some of
the Laotian refugees that came to this country had the level of education of up to High
school and not into college. Fortunately, Shoua was in a place that helped him get
educated and that is because for example, Shoua said, We were fortunate that in the
Twin cities there are Americans at local universities who are familiar with Homing
culture. They helped create assimilation programs.14 When the Laotian refugees came
to the United States, many of the local colleges & Universities in the area helped
developed assimilation programs to help them adapt to their new country. When Shoua
and Nhia Vang came to the United States, they struggled with adopting to the new
education system and having to start all over again. In many cases, this was a letdown

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for them to have to start all over again. However, in the end they adopted to the new
education system.
The one major issue with the Laotian refugees is that it all goes back to the
language issue and employment issue. It is because when Shoua and Nhia Vang came
to the United States, they were never trained or immersed in the English language
before going out for a job. Education is very important for refugees because when they
came to the United States, they never had the opportunity to be trained in the English
language before going out to work. For example in the in the Sacred Drum, Shoua said:
I believe that it has been a mistake to send refugees into the job market before
understanding English or anything about the job market.15 For Shoua, the issue with
many Laotian refugees is reeducating them when they come to the United States and
teaching them English Language skills before sending them out to work. The fact is that
many Laotian refugees never placed a high value on education is an issue with Laotian
refugees who were never educated in a westernized country. Many do not see that
education is key to getting a good job and even a higher paying job, which is why first
generation Laotian refugees never saw the value of education but with second
generation and so on did see the value of education. The second generation Laotian
Americans saw the value of education and how it can help them gain a good job. The
universities even show the Laotian refugees that education is very important to them in
order to gain a job and gain a higher salary.
Shoua and Nhia Vang are Laotian refugees that overcame so many barriers that
their second and even third generation Laotian Americans are living off what they have
done for them. Many first generation Laotian refugees that came to the United States

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came because they either helped the United States in the Vietnam War or escaped
political persecution at the hands of the Pathet Lao Communist government. Many
came to the United States because if they stuck around in Laos, they would be
persecuted and would never be heard from again. When Shoua and Nhia Vang came to
the United States, they encountered a culture that was very shocking to them and it was
their first time seeing a modernized western world outside of Laos. Many of them were
terrified, but overcame them and started to adopt to their new country. As a result,
Shoua and Nhia Vang are an example of Laotian refugees that came to the United
States learned to adopt to their new country and learned what it means to be an
American

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Endnotes
1

Chia Youyee Vang, Hmong in Minnesota, The People of Minnesota (Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota
Historical Society Press, 2008), 1-2.
2

Shoua Vang and Nhia Vang, The Sacred Drum, in New Americans Immigrants and Refugees in the U.s. Today:
An Oral History, ed. Al Santoli (New York, NY: Viking, 1988), 308

Santoli, 309

Laotian American National Alliance, Inc., 'John Douangdara: American Hero, Asian American, Laotian
American, & Son Of Lao People', last modified 2011, accessed April 21, 2015, http://lanausa.org/?p=2798.
5G.P.

Kelly, 'Coping With America: Refugees From Vietnam, Cambodia, And Laos In The 1970S And
1980S', The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 487, no. 1 (1986): 143
6

G.P. Kelly, 145.

Peter Royle, Laos: The Prince and the Barb, in Southeast Asian Exodus: From Tradition to
Resettlement, ed. Elliot Tepper (Ottawa: Canadian Asian Studies Association, 1980), 61-62
8

Lao Wat is a term for a Lao Buddhist temple

Peter Royle, Laos: The Prince and the Barb, in Southeast Asian Exodus: From Tradition to Resettlement, ed.
Elliot Tepper (Ottawa: Canadian Asian Studies Association, 1980), 57
10

Santoli, 318

11

Santoli, 317-318

12

Santoli, 321

13

Santoli, 319

14

Santoli, 320

15

Santoli, 321

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Bibliography

Anderson, Wanni W., and Robert G. Lee, eds. Asian American Displacements.
In Displacements and Diasporas: Asians in the Americas, 3-22. New Brunswick, NJ:
Rutgers University Press, 2005.
Vang, Shoua, and Nhia Vang. 'The Sacred Drum'. In New Americans: An Oral History :
Immigrants And Refugees In The U.S. Today, edited by AL Santoli. 307-302. New
York: Viking, 1988.
Vang, Chia Youyee. Hmong in Minnesota. The People of Minnesota. Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota
Historical Society Press, 2008.
Scholarly Journals
Kelly, G. P. 'Coping With America: Refugees From Vietnam, Cambodia, And Laos In
The 1970S And 1980S'. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and
Social Science 487, no. 1 (1986): 138-149.
Royle, Peter. Laos: The Prince and the Barb. In Southeast Asian Exodus: From
Tradition to Resettlement, edited by Elliot Tepper, 55-69. Ottawa: Canadian Asian
Studies Association, (1980).

Nonwritten Sources
Laotian American National Alliance, Inc.,. 'John Douangdara: American Hero, Asian
American, Laotian American, & Son Of Lao People'. Last modified 2011. Accessed
April 21, 2015. http://lana-usa.org/?p=2798.