Laos

Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia bordered on the east by Vietnam, the northwest by Myanmar (Burma) and China, the west by Thailand, and the southwest by Cambodia. Most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested. Laos covers 91,429 square miles (slightly larger than Utah), and has a population of 6,368,162 (July 2010 estimate).

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Demographics

Laotian Population in the United States and Oregon

While there was some migration from Laos to the United States prior to 1975, the immigrants were so few that there is no official record of them. After the Vietnam War, thousands fled and relocated to the United States, aided by the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975. Immigration peaked at 55,500 in 1980, falling steadily afterward, though the resettlement of Laotians in the United States continued throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. Early Laotian immigrants included former government administrators, soldiers from the royal army, and shopkeepers. More recent immigrants from Laos included farmers and villagers who were not as educated as their predecessors. The total number of Laotians (including Hmong) in the U.S. in 2008 was estimated to be 240,532.

10 U.S. States with the highest Laotian population in 2000 (and 1990):

1. California – 55,456 (60,627)

2. Texas – 10,114 (9,494)

3. Minnesota – 9,940 (6,247)

4. Washington – 7,974 (5,878)

5. North Carolina – 5,313 (1,791)

6. Illinois – 5,235 (4,274)

7. Georgia – 4,531 (3,524)

8. Wisconsin – 4,469 (3,389)

9. Oregon – 4,391 (3,241)

10. Tennessee – 4,214 (2,597)

10 U.S. metro areas with the highest Laotian population in 2000:

1. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, California - 11,545

2. Sacramento-Yolo, California - 9,814

3. Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, California - 7,626

4. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota - 7,576

5. San Diego, California - 7,002

6. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas - 6,642

7. Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Washington - 6,572

8. Fresno, California - 6,381

9. Portland-Salem, Oregon-Vancouver, Washington - 4,502

10. Boston-Worcester-Lawrence, Massachusetts - 3,857

Laotian Culture

Religion

Buddhism is the most prominent religion in Laos, with most Laotians belonging to the Theravada tradition, which is based on the earliest teachings of the Buddha. A minority observe Mahayana Buddhism, which branched off in the second century B.C. Most men in Laos spend some part of their lives as monks, even if only for a few days. Other minority religions include: Christianity, Bahá'í, Islam, and Confucianism. Animism, which predates the introduction of Buddhism, continues to be practiced, and many animist elements have been incorporated into Lao Buddhist practice.

Music

Laotian folk music is known as Lam, and consists of extemporaneous singing accompanied by the khene (see photo), a mouth organ made of bamboo that has prehistoric origins. Among the various Lam styles, the lam saravane is probably the most popular. Mor lam is an emsemble form that typically includes two singers, one male and one female, a khene player, and other instruments including fiddles, flutes, and bells.

Cuisine

The staple food of Laotians is sticky rice, which is eaten by hand. Meals also generally include soup, a grilled dish, a sauce, greens, and a stew or mixed dish (koy or laap). The most famous Lao dish is Larb, a spicy mixture of marinated meat or fish that is sometimes raw (like ceviche) with a combination of herbs, greens, and spices. Another Lao staple is a spicy green papaya salad known as tam mak hoong or tam som. The French legacy can be found in the capital city, Vientiane, as baguettes are sold on the street, and French restaurants (or French-Asian fusion) are common and popular.

Implications for the SLP

Linguistic Considerations

SLPs should keep in mind the following when assessing and treating Lao speakers:

• Several English consonants /v z ɹ ɵ ð ʒ ʃ ʤ ʧ/ will likely not be present in a Lao speaker's phonemic inventory; this should be considered a language difference, not a language disorder.

• Lao is an analytic language (low morpheme-to-word ratio), whereas English words often contain several morphemes.

• Lao is a tone language, whereas English makes no phonemic distictions based on tone.

• The Lao language features phonemic distinctions based on labialization of consonants and vowel length that are not present in English.

• Lao uses particle words to change tense, unlike English where verbs are conjugated; a native Lao speaker may require instruction to understand this concept.

Information for parents and service providers in various languages including Lao.

Cultural Considerations

• Laotian culture tends to be collectivist, though this is tempered by the Buddhist belief that each individual is responsible for his or her own actions.

• Close family relationships are highly valued. Laotian Americans often live in close proximity to their extended family and family values such as respect for one's parents have remained constant.

• Children are expected to honor and care for their parents throughout their adult life.

• Authority goes with age or seniority, position, or status; children will generally avoid eye contact with authority figures so as not to show disrespect.

• To lose face, or to cause another to lose face, is serious.

• Children may appear shy and unresponsive in order to avoid losing face by giving an incorrect answer.

• Laotians have a polychronic view of time and don't tend to be as preoccupied as Westerners with “efficient” use of it. Appointments may be delayed or not kept at all, which is considered acceptable in Laotian culture.

• The formal greeting both for men and women is the wai. The hands are placed together in prayer-like fashion and raised while bowing the head and saying ”Sabaidi”. The most senior person is addressed first, then others are acknowledged by slowly turning around in the wai position.

• Avoid hugging or kissing, both in greeting and farewells.

• Touching a Laotian's head (or even taking a book from a shelf over their head) may be considered offensive. If offense is taken, an immediate apology should be made.

• Laotians tend to keep more physical distance from each other than Westerners.

• Competitive humour is much appreciated; a humorous rejoinder to a witty remark is likely to be well-received.