Laotian Americans

Laotian American

Regions with significant populations
California, Texas, Tennessee, Oregon,Washington, Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio
Languages
Lao, English, Isan, Thai
Religion
Theravada Buddhism
Related ethnic groups
Lao people, Asian Americans,Laotian Chinese American

A Laotian American is a resident of the United States who was originally from Laos or whose parents were originally from Laos. They constitute one group of Asian Americans.

Although many Hmong people are from Laos, Hmong Americans are usually not considered to be Lao American because they are not of the Lao ethnic group.

However, the category of Laotian American includes the Hmong and other Laotian groups, as well as Ethnic Chinese, Ethnic Vietnamese, and white Laotians of French blood from Laos.

History and demographics

Laotian immigration to the United States was at its height after the Vietnam War. They began arriving in the U.S. after a Communist government came to power in 1975 and by 1980, the Laotian population of the U.S. reached 47,683, according to census estimates. These numbers increased dramatically during the 1980s, so that the census estimated that there were 147,375 people by 1990, and the group continued to grow, somewhat more slowly, to 167,792 by 2000 .

Most Laotian Americans live in the states of Virginia, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Kansas, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Connecticut or Rhode Island. There are also large communities in Ohio, Oklahoma, Iowa, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. There are about over 200,000 ethnic Lao in America. 8,000 - 11,000 more Americans are mixed with another ethnic group and Lao. Ethnic Lao would be considered both Lao American and Laotian American.

Cities or regions with significant Laotian Americans include the Bay Area (numbering at about 11,545), the Sacramento Metropolitan Area (9,814),Seattle Metropolitan Area (9,190) Minneapolis – Saint Paul (7,576), Dallas-Fort Worth (7,500) , San Diego (7,002), Fresno (6,381), Providence (6,291) Smaller Laotian communities can be found around Anchorage, Alaska, Lafayette, Louisiana and southeastern Washington.The population of Laotian Americans in The Pacific Northwest is roughly 20,000.

The vast majority were estimated to live in the West (95,574), followed by the South (44,471), Midwest (37,820), and Northeast (15,382).

Theravada Buddhist Temples

Many Cities with a Laotian American population have constructed Buddhist temples called 'Vat' or 'Wat'.Usually they are first start out as a simple house then is customized to a Laotian Buddhist Temple. Examples of these include Wat Lao Buddhavong located outside of Washington DC, Wat Lao of S. Farmington, Minnesota, Wat Lao Buddhamamakaram of Columbus, Ohio, and Wat Lao Mixayaram and Wat Lao Dhammacetiyaram of Seattle,Washington. As the Laotian communities have been established around the United States, temples have even been constructed in rural areas, such as Lane Xang Village, located between Lafayette and New Iberia in Louisiana .

Music

A number of Laotian American musicians have achieved some renown, such as the members of the Royal Lao Orchestra in Tennessee, the traditional singer Khamvong Insixiengmai of Fresno, California, and Hip-Hop artist Khan-X of Iowa.

Media

The first national Laotian American publication, Lao Roots Magazine, was released in 2007. The English language magazine is geared towards the younger generation Laotian American community. Published in San Diego, CA by a small volunteer staff the magazine has reached wide spread national circulation within the Laotian American community. Recently a movie called The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) was directed by Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath. The story about the epic story of a family forced to emigrate from Laos after the chaos of the secret air war waged by the U.S. during the Vietnam War. Kuras has spent the last 23 years chronicling the family's extraordinary journey in this deeply personal, poetic, and emotional film. The film also has won a Spectrum Award for the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and is nominated for an Oscar for best documentary.[1]

Sports

Some Laotian Americans have become notable in the world of badminton, including Khan Malaythong.

Portrayal in fiction

Perhaps the most famous Laotian American family is not a real one, but rather the animated Souphanousinphone family, found on the television show King of the Hill.

The subject of Jamie Wyeth's masterpiece Kalounna in Frogtown depicts a Laotian American.

See also

• Lao people
• Hmong people
• Laos Memorial
• List of Laotian Americans