Creating college student support programs for Lao that work
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Colleges benefit from diversity and inclusion, and by extension so do our communities. Continue Reading
Giving and growing in the Lao community
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Next year we mark four decades since the beginning of the Lao diaspora. Regular readers of my blog know I’m deeply concerned about continuing disparities facing our community. The majority of demographic statistics suggest Lao Minnesotans and others across the country are living a very polarized experience. Continue Reading
Creating Councils that matter
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On March 14th, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor released a report that slammed the effectiveness of the Councils on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, Black Minnesotans, Chicano/Latino Continue Reading
Refugee nerdery
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MarsCon is coming up this weekend, one of the first major science fiction conventions of Minnesota each year, along such popular conventions as ConVergence, Diversicon, Crypticon, Anime Detour, Arcana, MinnCon, and the like, each a celebration of the fantastic and the futuristic. I enjoy these events. As I often tell my writing colleagues, I think many literary festivals could take a cue from events such as these, where you see so much passion and talent on display. Continue Reading
First thoughts: Year of the Horse for Lao Minnesotans
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This April, we’ll be saying goodbye to 2556, the Year of the Snake and “Sabaidee” to 2557, the Year of the Horse, which is considered the seventh animal on the traditional Asian zodiac. So, just for fun, what can we expect ahead? Continue Reading
Building meaningful education programs for Lao youth
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Youth programs are one of the big areas funders and community organizations serving the Lao community are interested in, and with good reason. Continue Reading
Laos in the House: Catching up with Catzie
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Catzie Vilayphonh was key figure in bringing the groundbreaking National Lao American Writers Summit to Minneapolis in 2010, and has been a frequent visitor to college campuses across Minnesota over the last decade. She is a Lao American writer and performer normally based in Philadelphia, where she is a member of the acclaimed spoken word duo Yellow Rage. She broke ground as the first Lao woman to appear on Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam in 2001. She has performed across the country with acclaimed figures such as Sarah Jones, Beau Sia and I Was Born with Two Tongues. She also writes for a variety of magazines and literary journals. Continue Reading
Dreams, history and passion: An interview with Mychal Mitchell
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What does it mean to follow your dreams and to tell stories for a living? How do we remember those who made a difference in our lives? Making movies has been one route many Lao and their families are taking because we have a generation coming of age that understands how vital it is to add the Lao perspective to the American Dream. Continue Reading
Memories and making a difference: An interview with Saysana Pommalath
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Saysana Pommalath is one of Minnesota’s community builders, and like many of them, he has a background in the arts and roots in Laos. Little Laos on the Prairie writers have often run into him at community events across Minnesota, including events organized by the Lao veterans. Continue Reading
Laomerica 40: Proposing New Voices
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Recently, there was an interesting request for proposals which you could use to develop and implement a self-selecting community-learning and enrichment plan. Continue Reading