September 18, 2009
Approximately 250 people of Lao and various ethnicities gathered to celebrate the Center for Lao Studies’ first annual banquet, themed “Spreading Wings” on Sept. 12 at the Women’s Building in San Francisco.
Guests sipped on BeerLao and munched on delicacies including Lao fried noodles, green papaya salad, and lemon grass chicken.
Leilani Chan and Ova Saopeng dressed in red t-shirts that read “LAO’d and Proud” entertained the crowd with excerpts from their theatrical play “Refugee Nation” which is a series of short performances based on the stories of multi-ethnic Lao American refugees and their descendants.
Lao Seri Natasin performed three traditional dance pieces, Lao pop sensation Ketsana Vilaylack sang her rendition of “The Greatest Love of All.”
“People came near and far to celebrate and taste wonderful Lao food, experience Lao culture, and learn about the Center for Lao Studies’ programs,” says Dr. Vinya Sysamouth, Executive Director of the Center for Lao Studies. “It was a rare occasion to see so many community members engaging with members of other communities. For the Lao community in San Francisco, this event was the first of its kind for over ten years. ”
Keynote speaker Torm Nompraseurt of the Laotian Organizing Project and Asian Pacific Environmental Network spoke of the need to bridge gap between the “elder and young” generation.
“We need to find common ground,” he said. “It is important for the young to learn about the past.”
Recently crowned Miss Asian America Amy Chanthaphavong became the first ever Miss Asian America of Lao descent last month in San Francisco and performed for the crowd the traditional dance that she demonstrated in her talent portion.
“As a girl I struggled with my identity, growing up as a Laotian American,” says Chanthaphavong. “Its great to have an organization and event like this to help unite and strengthen our presence in the community.”
The Center for Lao Studies was established in 2006 to meet the need to promote Lao Studies as an academic field. This year the organization launched two programs – 1) the Lao Oral History Archive (LLOHA) will document the untold stories of Lao refugees in the U.S. through audio and video media and create an on-line archive of interviews, videos, and historical documents and 2) the Summer Study Abroad in Laos (SAIL) program, where six students spent 8 weeks studying the Lao language and culture at the Lao American College in Vientiane, Laos. Next year, the program will partner with San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies department.
“Laos has always been a shadow of Thailand,” says Sandra Siharath, a SAIL participant. “It is important to showcase Lao culture and heritage to share and educate those unfamiliar with it.”
Photos by Scott Kong. View more photos from the banquet here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/letphotospeak/sets/72157622383924992/
Written by Angela Pang · Filed Under Bay Area
http://www.asianweek.com/2009/09/18/center-for-lao-studies-spreads-its-w...
