Capital: Vientiane
Population: 7,234,171 (July 2018 est.)
There are over 100 ethnic groups in Laos:
Lao 53%,
Khmou 11%,
Hmong 9%,
Other ethnic groups 27%
(2015 est.)
Laotian Diaspora in the U.S.
According to the 2010 Census Bureau, there are about over 200,000 ethnic Lao in America.
California: 58,424
Texas: 13,298
Minnesota: 10,065
Washington: 9,333
Colorado: 7,434
Tennessee: 6,336
Illinois: 5,822
North Carolina: 5,566
Georgia: 5,560
Florida: 4,896
Oregon: 4,692
Sources: CIA World Factbook
Photo: economists-pick-research.hktdc.com/
About Laos
The Lao People's Democratic Republic, or Laos, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia.
Laos traces its history back to the 14th century to the Lan Xang Hom Khao Kingdom, which means “the Land of a Million Elephants.”
Laos came under French rule in1893 and gained its independence in 1949. Shortly after, Laos faced internal conflicts, and began a civil war between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government.
The CIA began covert operations in Laos, also known as the “Secret War in Laos.” Between 1964 - 1973, the U.S. dropped over 2 million tons of bombs in Laos, in order to fight off the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese Army. Because of this, Laos has become the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world.
Today, despite being a popular tourist destination, Laos remains one of poorest countries in Asia.
In 2009, the Center for Lao Studies (CLS) launched the Lao Oral History Archive (LOHA) project to document the untold stories of Lao refugees in the U.S. through audio and video media. The LOHA project team interviewed over 20 families of varying ethnicities in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN and captured the stories of their journeys from life in Laos, to experiences in “reeducation” and refugee camps, to relocation and settlement in the United States.
They interviewed over 20 families of varying ethnicities in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Minneapolis/St. Paul and captured the stories of their journeys from life in Laos, to experiences in “reeducation” and refugee camps, to relocation and settlement in the United States.
You can watch their trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=ZseH01taQMo&feature=emb_title
You can also access their History Curriculum Lesson Plans below: