Laotian American
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (June 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
| Laotian American |
|---|
| Total population |
|
206,000 (.08% of the US Population) |
| Regions with significant populations |
| California, Texas, Oregon, Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio |
| Languages |
| Lao, English, Isan, Thai |
| Religions |
| Buddhism |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Lao people, Southeast Asian Americans, Asian Americans |
A Laotian American is a resident of the United States who was originally from Laos or whose parents were originally from Laos. They constitute one group of Asian Americans.
Although many Hmong people are from Laos, Hmong Americans are usually not considered to be Lao American because they are not of the Lao ethnic group.
However, the category of Laotian American includes the Hmong and other Laotian groups, as well as Ethnic Chinese and Ethnic Vietnamese from Laos.
Contents |
[edit] History and demographics
Laotian immigration to the United States was at its height after the Vietnam War.
Most Laotian Americans live in the states of Virginia, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Kansas, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington or Rhode Island. There are also large communities in Ohio, Oklahoma, Iowa, Florida, and Pennsylvania. There are about over 200,000 ethnic Lao in America. 8,000 - 11,000 more Americans are mixed with another ethnic group and Lao. Ethnic Lao would be considered both Lao American and Laotian American. Cities or regions with significant Laotian Americans include the Bay Area (numbering at about 11,545), Sacramento Metropolitan Area (9,814), Minneapolis and St. Paul (7,576), Dallas Fort Worth (7,500), San Diego (7,002), Seattle (6,572), Fresno (6,381) and Providence (6,291).
[edit] Music
A number of Laotian American musicians have achieved some renown, such as the members of the Royal Lao Orchestra in Tennessee and the traditional singer Khamvong Insixiengmai of Fresno, California.
[edit] Portrayal in fiction
Perhaps the most famous Laotian American family is not a real one, but rather the animated Souphanousinphone family, found on the television show King of the Hill.
The subject of Jamie Wyeth's masterpiece Kalounna in Frogtown depicts a Laotian American.
[edit] See also
|
|||||||||||||||||||
