Module 1: Introduction: Laotian Americans
Despite the US Secret War in Laos, have Laotian Americans found home in the United States?
Laotian Americans is used as an umbrella term to refer to individuals in the US who trace their ancestry to Laos. The Laotian American population encompasses diverse ethnic groups such as Lao, Khmu, Tai Dam, and Iu-Mien residing in the United States. For Laotian Americans, their lives as refugees in the US have predominantly been associated with the outmigration and fallout resulting from the Secret War (1954–1975), a clandestine US military and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operation carried out during the Vietnam War. According to the Pew Research Center, Laotian Americans are the thirteenth largest Asian group living in the US.
This first module provides a brief history of the US Secret War, the diverse ethnic groups known as Laotian Americans, their resettlement process as refugees in the US, and how a sense of home is forged. Finding home means more than a house or a job; it means creating a sense of belonging and familiarity in new places.
Image 15.01.01a — Refugees from Laos arriving at Hamilton Air Force Base in Marin County, California, with only what they could carry with them. The base was a Refugee Transit Center from 1980 to 1983.
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Image 15.01.01b — A Lao refugee arriving at Hamilton Air Force Base (with her bag, mat, purse, thip khao (woven basket used to serve rice), and silver bowl used for various ceremonies.
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Who are Laotian Americans?
Why did Laotian refugees resettle in the United States?
How did Laotian Americans build a sense of home in America?
