[Tlc] L-summer study

[justinm at ucr.edu]

Center for Lao Studies
PRESS RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
CONTACT: Dr. Vinya Sysamouth | Center for Lao Studies
Tel: (415)513-5108 | Email: vinya at laostudies.org | www.laostudies.org
 
A New Generation of Lao-Americans Discover Homeland and Cultural Identity
 
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- This summer, young Lao-Americans and those interested in Southeast Asian culturewill have the unique opportunity to learn about their cultural heritage firsthand, rather than through their parents' stories alone. The first U.S.-based study abroad program of its kind, the Summer Study Abroad in Laos program (SAIL) sponsored by the Center for Lao Studies and to be held at the Lao-American College in Vientiane, Laos will offer participants total cultural immersion through language lessons, country-specific course offerings, travel, social and volunteer opportunities. 

Rice fields in LaosThere are currently close to one million people from Laos living in the U.S. Many of these were refugees who, like their neighbors in Vietnam and Cambodia, fled their country in the 1970's and 80's when civil war broke out and new communist regimes assumed power. The war not only displaced 10% of the population, but left the country ravaged.  During this time, Laos had been involved in a "Secret War" - an unprecedented bombing campaign backed by the CIA to stop North Vietnamese supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. In a span of nine years, two million tons of bombs were dropped, making Laos the most bombed country in world history.
 
Dr. Vinya Sysamouth, a Lao-American who came to the U.S. at the age of ten, is familiar with the frustrations and cultural assimilation of the Lao community over the last 30 years. As the Executive Director of the Center for Lao Studies, Dr. Sysamouth saw the establishment of the program as one way to bridge the bi-cultural gap. "The SAIL program aims to educate Lao-Americans about Lao history and culture through eight weeks of cultural, volunteer and academic immersion. Many families don't have the time or money to take their families to Laos, so we've provided a structured, safe, and instructive venue through which participants can visit their homeland, learn the language, understand their parents better, and create new memories for themselves."
 
Although the program is open to anyone with an interest in Southeast Asian culture and language, response to the program has been strongest from Lao-Americans. Yaengsaeng Xayavong, a 25 year-old ethnic Lao-Lue (Tai Lue) who received a BS in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), sees the value of the program in raising awareness of Lao culture not only for herself, but for the greater community: "Sad to say, I do not know much about Lao history, but I know there is no better way of learning about it than going to Laos and studying it.  It is very important for me to learn about my heritage because it is something I would like to pass on to my children and grandchildren ...I will have the opportunity to discover the rich culture of Laos, which will give me a better understanding of my community so I can become an integral part of it."
 
Lao ladies dancingLeslie Chanthaphasouk, an International Development Studies, and Asian American Studies major at UCLA, responded enthusiastically to the academic opportunities of the program: "In Orange County, there's no place for me to study Lao, not even at the temple. Learning about my culture has always been a personal interest of mine, and I was excited to learn about the courses, such as Lao history, offered on the SAIL program. I also think the program is pretty cheap compared to other study abroad programs now to Europe or even Thailand."  
 
Even with its reasonable price tag, the economic downturn has prohibited qualified candidates, including Leslie, from applying. Scholarship funds are competitive, but are needed to help some participants offset the costs. "It's a shame that the financial crisis is affecting potential applicants as we launch the program for the first time" says Samantha Miller, who has lived in Laos for three years and is assisting with the SAIL program. "We've explored options to help students with the program cost, but Foundation grants are drying up too.  We are now appealing to individual donors to sponsor applicants for whatever they can. Even $1,000 would go a long way!" The SAIL application deadline is March 15th for those still interested in applying.
 
The SAIL program is part of the Center for Lao Studies' greater missionto advance knowledge and engagement in the field of Lao Studies through research, education and information sharing. Founded in 2006 as an outcome of the First International Conference on Lao Studies, the 501(c)(3) non-profit has established itself as a resource center for both the general public as well as those of Lao heritage, and serves as a liaison to cultural and community organizations, universities, and academic institutions. Among its programs are the publication of an annual peer-reviewed Journal of Lao Studies, and forthcoming Lao Oral History Archive that will document the experiences of Lao refugees in the U.S. through audio and video media, and create an on-line archive of interviews, videos, and historical documents. For more information about the Center for Lao Studies, please visit: www.laostudies.org.

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Center for Lao Studies
65 Ninth Street | San Francisco, California 94103 | Tel. 415.513.5108 | Fax. 415.565.0204
www.laonewyear.com | Email: info at laostudies.org 

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Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu