Bryan Thao Worra

Bryan Thao Worra

A Laotian American writer, Bryan Thao Worra works actively to support Laotian, Hmong and Southeast Asian American artists and writers across the US. His books include On The Other Side Of The Eye, Touching Detonations, Winter Ink, Barrow and The Tuk Tuk Diaries: My Dinner With Cluster Bombs. He is the first Laotian American to receive a Fellowship in Literature from the United States government's National Endowment for the Arts. He has also received the Asian Pacific Leadership Award from the State Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans for Leadership in the Arts. In 2012 he was selected to be a Cultural Olympian serving as the delegate for Laos during the London Summer Games.

The Lao Minnesotan voice and vote in 2012

By Bryan Thao Worra (Little Laos on the Prairie) | November 8, 2012

Like the old Lionel Ritchie song, Lao Minnesotans could go all night long debating what worked and what didn’t with the elections, what surprised us and what we had confirmed. It’s been a long time since we’ve had such a nail-biter of an election, with so many opportunities and so many risks for our community in play. There are many areas where Lao Americans need to understand our potential for impact and where we we have room to grow. Continue Reading

Will Lao Minnesotans vote “No-No”?

By Bryan Thao Worra | November 1, 2012

Election day is around the corner, but where are Lao Minnesotan voices?

The need for new model builders for learning

By Bryan Thao Worra (Little Laos on the Prairie) | October 30, 2012

Recently, the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans held a forum in St. Paul to discuss its new report on Asian Pacific Students in Minnesota. Continue Reading

Blended learning for Lao Minnesotans?

By Bryan Thao Worra (Little Laos on the Prairie) | October 18, 2012

Recently, the San Francisco-based Silicon Schools Fund, announced a $25 million fund to create blended-learning schools in the Bay Area. Could such a program benefit Lao in Minnesota? Continue Reading

Celebrating Community Locally

By Bryan Thao Worra (Lao’d and Clear) | June 22, 2010

This year’s Boun Phra Vet festival for the Laotian refugees in Minnesota coincided with many events including World Refugee Day on June 20th. With nearly 2,000 participants throughout the weekend, this year was one of the best attended celebrations in recent years with friends, family and supporters gathering from across Minnesota and out of state to join us.

MN politicians leave Lao questions unanswered

By Bryan Thao Worra | June 16, 2010

In the June 1st community forum with Ambassador Huso and Sen. Franken, we witnessed a deeply underwhelming visit. Continue Reading

Compassion, charity, June and Boun Phra Vet

By Bryan Thao Worra (Lao’d and Clear) | June 9, 2010

For Lao in Minnesota, June is a time to observe Boun Phra Vet, a public festival with Buddhist roots. The key themes of this festival are the importance of compassion and charity. Continue Reading

Older refugees, art and economic recovery?

By Bryan Thao Worra | June 1, 2010

I’ll be the first to tell you, you can’t MacGyver a robust economy with quick fixes. But we’re in a scenario requiring us to get truly creative and to make the most of our opportunity.
Continue Reading

Standing up for Lao art in Minnesota

By Bryan Thao Worra | May 30, 2010

A Lao writer pointed an interesting fact to me last week: After 8 months and 7 free plays at the Playwrights Center with over 50 actors, 12 special guests, free food and drinks, 24 hours of driving from Mankato and 45 documented hours of writing scripts, only two Lao people came to see her plays. And I was one of them.

Lao’d and Clear

By Bryan Thao Worra | May 5, 2010

A Laotian American writer, Bryan Thao Worra works actively to support Laotian, Hmong and Southeast Asian American artists and writers across the US. Continue Reading

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