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 3 Santoli, 309 4 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. 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. 7 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 9 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.