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Laos is a country in Southeast Asia about the size of Oregon. It is a land of high mountains and fertile valleys and a powerful river called the Mekong River. Laos was once known as the Land of a Million Elephants.

The first Lao refugees arrived in Oregon in the 1970s. Refugees are people who are forced to leave their home country because their lives are in danger due to war, famine or other reasons. Most of the refugees from Laos escaped on foot and could only carry a few of their belongings. They left behind homes, family members and everything that was familiar so they could be safe to live their lives and raise their children.

During the 1960s and 1970s, a war raged through Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The United States was heavily involved for much of that time. In 1975, the U.S. withdrew its armed forces from the entire region. The Southeast Asian governments that had been involved with the U.S. collapsed.

In Laos, the communist Pathet Lao party took over the country. Hundreds of thousands of people who had worked for or supported the former government were put in prison camps or killed. Three-hundred-fifty-thousand Laotians fled from Laos to save their lives. Many had to live in refugee camps in Thailand while they waited to resettle in foreign countries.

Today there are about 400 Lao families living in Oregon. 400 families equals about 3,000 individuals. Most of these families live in the Portland area. Vancouver, Eugene and Salem have smaller Lao communities of 20-30 families each.

Activities

Activity 1: Using a world map, show students where Southeast Asia is located. Southeast Asia is generally said to include Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar (formerly Burma), the Philippines and Malaysia. Ask a student to point to Laos on the map. Ask another student to point to and count the countries that share a border with Laos. Have another student name these countries. Write the name of each country on the board as the student reads them. Discuss the fact that Laos is landlocked which means it is completely surrounded by other countries. Point out the long borders Laos shares with Vietnam and Thailand, mentioning the war in Vietnam, northern Laos as a place U.S. backed fighting took place, and how the many thousands of Laotian refugees had to cross the Mekong River to reach safety in Thailand.

Activity 2: Download a printable copy of Vilay's Story. Have students read this story in sections, responding to the Reading Questions aloud or in writing after each section. Ask students to describe their own first days at school. Have them imagine what it would be like to move to a new city or even a new country. Have students write a short essay, poem or draw a picture about the following situation: Imagine your family had to leave home forever. You cannot say goodbye to family or friends, and you can take only what you can carry. Describe what you would take with you, how would you feel about leaving, what would you miss most about your home.

Activity 3: Download a printable map of Laos. Have students identify major cities and geographic features, including Vientiane, the capital of Laos and Luang Prabang, the former royal capital. Click here for images of the Old and New Flags of Laos. Explain how the new government created a new flag to represent the country's change from the Kingdom of Laos to the Lao People's Republic. This is one indication of how drastic the changes were that were taking place in the country at that time.

NOTE: The history and political situations leading to the Communist takeover of Laos are complicated to explain. Even Vilay did not fully grasp the changes that forced her family to leave until she was in high school and college. Explore the subject as you are able. If students have knowledge of the war in Vietnam, explain that the war in Laos happened around the same time and for many of the same reasons. Students may be familiar with communism in connection with the former Soviet Union and/or China but not Southeast Asia.

An important fact to emphasize is the vast number of refugees who fled Laos did so because their lives were in danger with the change in government. These refugees fled first to Thai refugee camps and then were moved to permanent homes in many countries, including the United States. Ask students to speculate about moving to a new country. What might make the transition easier?

For more information and teaching resources on refugees, see the United Nations High Commission on Refugees Web site at http://www.unhcr.ch/teach/teach.htm.

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