Immigrants

Around 10:00 on a clear May morning in 2008, two black helicopters circled over Postville, Iowa, a torn of two square miles and fewer than 3,000 residents. Then a line of S.U.V.’s drove past Postville’s main street and its worn brick storefronts. More than 10 white buses with darkened windows and the words “Homeland Security” on their sides were on their way to the other side of town. Postville’s four-man police force had no forewarning of what was about to happen. Neither did the mayor. Maggie Jones, “Postville, Iowa, Is Up for Grabs,” New York Times, July 15, 2012

In the late 1970s and early 1980s as Lao refugees resettled in the United States, the Lao New Year celebration became a tool of self-reflection and identity assurance. It served as an opportunity for the Lao to practice cultural celebrations and bestow their traditions to future generations. The sprinkling of water and well-wishes ceremony remains an integral part of the Lao cultural traditions. Cultural dances to songs such as ‘Champha Muang Lao” and “Tai Dam Lum Phan” speak to the yearning for Laos and the Lao lamenting their difficult journey from the homeland.