All posts tagged: Lao Women

10 Lao Diaspora Women You Should Know in 2018

Published by littlelaosontheprairie

It’s not every day that there’s a holiday celebrating the greatness that’s women. #InternationalWomensDay is celebrated in almost every country in the world except for America– surprise! Not only should you acknowledge the great women in your life right before your eyes; but learn from the inspirational shakers and movers in our community who have blazed trails and opened pathways for others along with them. You may be lucky enough to know some of them and even luckier to have worked with them. These are women who have done inspiring work to lift their field and communities with them and we know they’ll continue to put us in awe throughout 2018. This isn’t an exhaustive list and no particular order, but it’s a great teaser. Keep watch, Lao America. Catzie Vilayphonh runs Laos in the House out of Philly doing cultural productions and storytelling. She’s a spoken word artist who was half of the now-retired badass duo, Yellow Rage. Channapha Khamvongsa leads Legacies of War out of DC, pressing our top officials to up the budget and …

Behind Every Lao Community is a Strong Lao Woman

Published by littlelaosontheprairie

It’s 5am. Mom quietly shuffles in to pick up baby Coraline. Her hands plagued with age and diabetic stiffness carefully cups Coraline’s little head against her chest.  She sways and sings a lullaby. Mellow and sweet, it pierced my memory bank. Where did I hear that before? Familiar. Comforting. An hour passed by. Then I woke up wondering how I fell asleep. Mom laughs. Then quietly remembers. “When the soldiers drove us to the labor camps, you were only a year old. You broke out in hives and couldn’t stop crying. I tried everything. The driver threatened me that he would put a bullet in your head if I didn’t soothe you in one minute. Then I sang and sang and sang my heart out. You finally stopped crying. It was the only lullaby that saved your life.” There’s a Lao saying that your first guardian, your first teacher, and your first love is your mother. My mae is my earth and my moon. That’s the power of being a woman. So when we think …