“I am inspired by my parents’ refugee stories of settling in the U.S. to start a new life. ”
“My father is from Vietnam and my mother is from Laos. Both left their homeland during the war to steer away from political warfare and seek asylum. They didn’t meet until they started working in the US.
My grandparents emigrated from Laos in the late 90s and felt it was best to come live with my parents, brother, and me. At the time I was a newborn.”
“ I didn't grow up on PB&J sandwiches, instead I had Lao delicacies like khao jao, sa ew, and kai dow. “
“My grandmother was the one who mainly raised me while my parents worked. She clothed me, bathed me, fed me, and walked me to the bus stop every morning, doing everything possible to meet my needs. We sang Lao songs together all the time and since Lao was the only language she spoke, I did not have a choice but to speak it as well.”
“Although my grandmother is handicapped and is not as mobile as she was before, her stories, life teachings, and love for music still remains ingrained in everything I do.”
“My grandmother was and continues to be my inspiration and I am incredibly blessed to be able to communicate and understand the Lao language. I embrace being able to speak Lao fluently. As a child I didn't realize how powerful it is to be able to communicate with others in a different language.”
“My husband is caucasian and I can honestly say my grandmother loves him more than she loves me, and that is A LOT. If this was back a few decades ago, this would have never been allowed. “
“My husband is always asking questions about my culture and eats everything! When I say EVERYTHING, this boy eats jaew as if it was ketchup. A man who understands where I come from and constantly wants to learn more about my culture is most definitely a keeper!”
“I was struggling to live up to my parents and grandparents expectations. As an adult I realized that my heart was in therapy because I love working with kids and young adults. My parents didn't understand. It took some time for them to accept my path towards social work, but once they saw how passionate I was, they realized it was meant for me, and continued to support me. “
I went to a private Catholic school in our city that my parents chose to enroll me to, and I was one of the few Asian (let alone Lao) kids that attended. I was exposed to racism for the first time in middle school and begged my parents to enroll me elsewhere. I was bullied throughout middle school and it made me absolutely hate myself and where I came from. It took me a long time to indulge in my culture and background. To love myself and all that I truly am was one of the biggest challenges in my lifetime.
“Despite the bullying, I was always reminded by my supportive teachers and other adults in my life of how cool it is to know another language and be so rooted in my heritage through my stories, and the things I brought to show-and-tell with no shame. “
Once I found LAOSSUPPLY and connected with a lot of content creators, I started to feel more and more comfortable exhibiting our culture and language. I love making people laugh through my short videos and clips that others can relate. It brings joy to my heart!
“When I was younger, I was what you would call a “sore loser” and was SO quick to give up on projects that did not seem to work out in my favor. I would cry and scream - the whole nine yards.“
There are times I think back to my younger self and say "How did I become who I am today?" and my answer is always GRIT. I have always been a people person but without grit, I would have never overcome my fear of public speaking or helping strangers.
“The advice I would give to my younger self would be to continue to show up regardless of what barriers were in my way. The tell myself to "Keep Showing Up” in all aspects of my life. I continued to show up for myself, everything I was involved in, my family, my friends, and my loved ones; and they continued to show up for me.”
“The biggest way I embrace Lao culture with my friends is to continue to educate them and include them in Lao celebrations and traditions. One of the special moments I’ve had with my friends was at my wedding. They all dressed up in Lao traditional clothing and looked absolutely stunning.”
“At that moment, I did not see anybody for their race or background, but more as human beings who were accepting and curious to learn more about our culture. It brought tears to my eyes.”
“I also loved how much my in-laws were involved in the baci ceremony during our Lao wedding. My husband and his family are incredibly close with mine and love learning about new traditions and our culture as a whole. I could not ask for anything more! ”
“I have always had such a great support system from my grandparents and parents, to my Lao friends and their families. We stuck together and spent so many years dancing and participating in different festivals and showcases. I grew up going to the temple and had a lot of Lao friends around my age that almost felt like I was a part of a super exclusive club that none of my school friends were part of. ”
“My vision for the next few years is to have a home with a couple of little baby Herman's running around.
I plan to have my children be fluent in speaking Lao. Also as an independently licensed social worker, I plan to own a private practice, naming it in honor of my grandfather. “
Sarina’s story is part of The Lao Project, a collection of narrative portraits of Lao Americans.
My name is Vekonda Luangaphay and I started The Lao Project In light of Asian History Month of 2020 and Lao New Year in April. Click below to read more stories from The Lao Project.
