Feb 27, 2010

Lao Americans Be Counted


I'm sure there are at least some Laotian Americans who sometimes read this blog.

During the next couple of weeks we should all be receiving a census from from the US Government in the mail. It's really important that all the people who have immigrated from Laos, and the children of those people, and even the children of those children write down their ethnicity as Laotian. The larger the number of  counted Laotians living in the US the larger the amount of funding for things such as government forms written in Lao language, more effort made for interpreters, more effort made to ensure that those veterans and spouses of veterans recieve thier full benefits for fighting for the Americans etc.

Much of the older generation have limited English Language abilities and as they age they will need assistance with all of the goverment  bureaucracy as well as fullfilling their obligations such as voting.

I'd really love to see funding to support Lao culture. I can't think of an instrument better suited to electification than the kaen, and I can't think of a  folk music that would be more suited to morphing into hard rock than Morlum. I'm waiting for the day when I hear Lumrock.
While I'm at it I'd like to give a hat tip to the Lao American woman at Laotian Teacher who writes a great blog about things sometimes Lao and sometimes not but always very interesting. I first saw the you tube on her blog.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Lao Bumpkin, thank you for posting this video on your website. The more people we have posted the better. I am part of LANA and we were one of the main ones to work on this census video. Sirch the CEO of LANA is in the video and he worked on the script. Our main idea for the video is to have people who moved from Laos to America to be counted. The Hmong have their own category because they fought for it. It is time for us to have our own category "Laotians" to represent other ethnic groups from Laos like Tai Dum also. They would fall under Laotians. Visit us at:http://lana-usa.org/. I wish you and your family can come to the first Laotian National Conference in SF on April 8th & 9th, because we will be discussing ethnicity or so much more!

somsai said...

Sabaidee Anasone,

I'm going to change the text of my blog post to simplify the request to register as Laotian. And I'm also going to list your org on my sidebar in hopes that any Laotian Americans will go and take a look there.

Somchai

Unknown said...

Somchai,

Thank you! This is a crucial time for us as a group. Personally, I think we should be tired of putting or checking Asian on our papers. Be Lao, Be proud!:)

Unknown said...

Somchai,

Thank you! This is a crucial time for us as a group. Personally, I think we should be tired of putting or checking Asian on our papers. Be Lao, Be proud!:)