A Laotian American is a resident of the United States who was originally from Laos, a person of Laotian descent residing in America, or a citizen born in the United States whose parents were originally from Laos. Laotian Americans are included in the larger category of Asian Americans. The major immigrant generation were generally refugees who escaped Laos during the warfare and disruption of the 1970s, and entered refugee camps in Thailand across the Mekong River. They emigrated to the United States during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.

Although many Hmong people are from Laos, they have a distinct culture, language and ethnicity, and identify as a different ethnic group. They generally identify as Hmong Americans, rather than Lao American.

The "national origin" category of Laotian American, which is different than ethnic groups, includes all ethnic groups who lived within the borders of Laos, such as the Hmong, ethnic Chinese, ethnic Vietnamese, and ethnic French or other Europeans.

History and demographics[link]

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Laotian immigration to the United States was at its height after the Vietnam War. Refugees began arriving in the U.S. after a Communist government came to power in Laos 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. The group continued to grow, somewhat more slowly, to 167,792 by 2000.^[1] By 2008 the population nearly reached 240,532. Included are the Hmong, a mountainous tribe from that country with their own ethnic designation: Hmong Americans.

Most Laotian Americans (includes colonies of the Hmong from Laos) live in the western states of California, Washington, and Oregon. There are also substantial populations in Minnesota, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. Large communities are located in Ohio, Oklahoma, Iowa, Utah, Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Georgia, New Hampshire, Michigan, Maine, Alabama and Louisiana. There are about over 200,000 ethnic Lao in America. Approximately 8,000 - 11,000 Americans are of mixed Lao and other descent. Ethnic Lao people may identify as both Lao American and Laotian American (see also Hmong American).

Cities or regions with significant Laotian-American populations include the San Francisco Bay area (numbering at about 11,545); the Sacramento Metropolitan Area (9,814); the Seattle metropolitan area (12,190); Minneapolis – Saint Paul (18,031); the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area (10,500); San Diego (7,002); Fresno, California (6,381); Providence, Rhode Island (6,291); Elgin, Illinois (4,000);^[2] and the Greater Los Angeles Area (est. at 5,000-8,000); with the rest of Southern California having many Laotian and other Southeast Asian communities.

Smaller Laotian communities can be found at Anchorage, Alaska; Central Florida (principally Orlando); Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; South Philadelphia; and southeastern Washington state. The population of Laotian Americans in the Pacific Northwest region is roughly 30,000.

Wausau, Wisconsin and Fresno, California each claim the largest Laotian and Hmong-American communities. California also has communities in Banning and Merced in the Inland Empire (California) region; Tulare County, California (esp. Porterville); and Northern California: the areas of Santa Rosa, Chico, Eureka, Redding, and Stockton.)

The 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[link]

Laotian-American populations have constructed numerous Buddhist temples, called Vat or Wat. Usually attendees adapt a house for religious worship. Over time, the congregation donates money to customize and add on to the facility, as well as to add fine artwork and craftsmanship, resulting in a Laotian Buddhist temple that has some traditional features. Examples include Wat Lao Buddhavong located outside Washington, D.C.; Wat Lao Buddharam of San Diego, California; Wat Lao of S. Farmington, Minnesota; Wat Lao Buddhamamakaram of Columbus, Ohio; Wat Lao Mixayaram and Wat Lao Dhammacetiyaram of Seattle, Washington; and the Wat Lao Mixayaram in Lowell, Massachusetts. With the growth of Laotian communities in more diverse areas, they have moved to and constructed temples in rural areas, such as Lane Xang Village, located between Lafayette and New Iberia in Louisiana.^[3]

Music[link]

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; R&B, Rap, & Hip Hop artist ERANETIK of California; hip-hop artist Khan-X of Iowa; Supasang of California; Gumby aka Pryce of Minneapolis; Bird of Minneapolis; Supamon of Providence, LaoZBoyZ of Detroit, Lao Crimino Boys of California; and St.-509 aka Steven T of Tri-Cities, Washington.

Representation in media[link]

The first national Laotian-American publication, Lao Roots Magazine, was published in 2007. The English-language magazine is geared toward the younger generation of the Laotian-American community. Published in San Diego by a small volunteer staff, the magazine has reached widespread national circulation within the Laotian-American community. After the publication ceased, former staff member and Yale University graduate Siamphone Louankang created the popular online magazine LaoAmericans.com which continues to share stories by and about Americans of Laotian descent.^[4]

The documentary film The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) was directed by Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath. It portrayed the epic 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 won a Spectrum Award for the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival; it is nominated for an Oscar for best documentary.^[5]

The Souphanousinphone family, Laotian Americans, are featured on King of the Hill, an animated TV series.

The subject of Jamie Wyeth's painting Kalounna in Frogtown is Laotian American.

The subjects of Lancer & Eranetik, two brothers from San Diego, California who share the same passion for breakdancing, was featured on America's Got Talent (season 6) with a dance team called The Body Poets and are now current performers in the Jabbawockeez - "MÜS.I.C" Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are also part of a breakdance crew called "The Calamities", which they created in 2002.

Sports[link]

Some Laotian Americans have achieved notable success in badminton competition, including Khan Malaythong.

See also[link]

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

References[link]

v t e Asian Americans East Asian Chinese (Tibetan1) Japanese Korean Mongolian Taiwanese South Asian2 Bangladeshi Indian Indo-Caribbean Nepalese Pakistani Sri Lankan Tamil Southeast Asian Burmese Cambodian Filipino Hmong Indonesian Laotian Mien Singaporean Thai Vietnamese Other Afro-Asian Amerasian Asian Hispanic and Latino Americans Eurasian Multiracial American Punjabi Mexican History General Immigration Military Topics Arts and Entertainment Demographics Politics Stereotypes 1 The US Census Bureau reclassifies anyone identifying as "Tibetan American" as "Chinese American".[1] 2 The US Census Bureau considers Afghanistan a South Asian country, but does not classify Afghan Americans as Asian.[2]

Khan "Bob" Malaythong (born April 10, 1981 in Vientiane, Laos) is an American badminton player. He qualified for the U.S. badminton team as a doubles competitor at the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[1]

Malaythong moved to the United States at age 8. Malaythong teamed with Howard Bach in men's doubles. Malaythong graduated from William Jefferson Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Santa Ana College.

Malaythong portrayed a Chinese badminton player in a Vitamin Water commercial starring David Ortiz and Brian Urlacher.^[2]

Malaythong now currently coaches at the Royal Badminton Academy in Menlo Park, along with fellow Olympian and long time friend, Raju Rai.

References[link]

External links[link]

• NBC Olympics bio
• USA Badminton profile
• Malaythong's Olympic photo chronicles
• Malaythong's Blog