Laomerica 50: Democracy & Diaspora now open!
In the Lao language, democracy is ?????????? “Pa-xa Ti-pa-tai”. The idea of diaspora, or Lao living outside of Laos is often considered as ?????? “Lao Nawk” two ideas that are relatively new to the Lao people.
2023-2025 marks the 50th anniversary since the end of the US Secret War in Laos and the transition from the Royal Lao Government to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the start of a journey for many with roots in Laos around the world, including the US.
How have these communities transitioned from monarchy to democracy? This is a question we are exploring in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Central Library in downtown with an exhibit of over 80 items reflecting over 100 years of history in Southeast Asia, the US and across the globe.?This exhibit runs until September 27th on the 2nd floor in the Cargill Gallery, at 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401 on most days starting at 9AM until 8PM (M-T) and 5PM (F-Su). ??This exhibit is free to the public and is suitable for families of all ages.?You can see some of the images from the opening week here.
Minnesota has the third largest Laotian refugee population in the United States, which includes over 13,000 ethnic Lao, Khmu, Tai Dam, Iu Mien and others, and over 60,000 Hmong per Census 2020 and the American Community Survey. Our history with Minnesota in many ways began with Vice-President Hubert Humphrey’s historic visit to Laos in 1966, and our global stories are still intertwined with Minnesota’s history in many unexpected ways. For example, the United States dropped more bombs on Laos than on any other country in the 20th century, and 80 percent of all bombing casualties in Laos were civilians. The war is estimated to have killed 10 percent of the population. Over 30% of Laos remains contaminated with cluster bombs, many initially manufactured in Minnesota. Many fled to the United States because of their role in assisting the US during the Vietnam War, but few Americans know the full story.
As a community, fewer than 14% successfully graduate college and fewer than 1% go on to a Masters degree or higher. Many live in low-income multigenerational households with limited English, with an estimated 30% below the Federal poverty line.
Over the decades the community grappled with culture shock, anti-Asian racism, gang issues, early teen pregnancy, untreated PTSD and depression, substance abuse and gambling addictions, extreme domestic violence concerns, police brutality, challenges and gender equity issues. These issues were particularly challenging during the pandemic.
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At the same time, Minnesota has served as the home to internationally recognized writers, artists, educators, entrepreneurs and community builders who’ve represented Laos and Minnesota at the Olympics, the Smithsonian, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Library of Congress and many other institutions.
While Laos has often been described as a quiet peaceful Eden, much of its history is marked by turmoil and invasion, occupation and upheaval. Lao arts often searched for the best of their traditions, celebrating harmony and nature, the search for truth, wisdom and compassion, and the rejection of violence. More easily said than done at times. Over the last 5 years we gathered archival photographs, visual art, short films, textiles, ephemera, rare books, and cultural objects that reflect the inner and outer lives of our community, not only focusing on our memories, traditions and customs, but our dreams and visions for our community in both Minnesota and across the globe.
We hope you'll join us and tell others about this ground-breaking exhibit, one of the first of its kind in the Minnesota library system. "Laomerica 50: Democracy and Diaspora" coincides with Lao American Artist Heritage Month in August. This exhibit also celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Lao Center of Minnesota, the 30th anniversary of the Paj Ntaub Voice Hmoob Literary Journal, 20 years of Legacies of War and 10 years of Sahtu Press, the first Lao American publishing company!
Related events include:
Several of these programs are made possible through money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. These were made possible by the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.