'Refugee Nation' confronts the past and present struggle of Laotian generations through stories
Eli Wray
Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: A & E
- Page 1 of 2 next >
After traveling across the nation, a project two years in the making finally comes to Anchorage. "Refugee Nation" is performed by L.A. acting duo Lelani Chan and Ova Saopeng as they share compelling, firsthand experiences of Laotian refugees in America.
The married couple started the project in Los Angeles, with a common goal in mind: Be true to yourself and your country. Saopeng is from Laos and wanted to create something that all generations of Laotians could make a connection with.
"We are looking for the stories that haven't been heard before," Saopeng said. "That is really what give the performance such an impact."
A cultural impact has been made from Boston to Los Angeles, where "Refugee Nation" has been connecting with all generations of Laotians by performing emotionally charged stories as different in their nature as the people they came from. While interviewing Laotians for stories, Chang noticed something concerning.
"There is a lot of intergenerational misunderstanding," Chan said. "The younger generation has almost lost communication with the older one."
Chan promotes not only communication between generations, but also communication about the past. Most young Laotians don't even know the history of how their family came to be in America, Chan said.
"Almost everybody in this country are refugees," Saopeng said. "Half of us don't even know how our family got to this nation."
Chan continued with a story about a Laotian boy who saw "Refugee Nation." After watching the play, he went home and questioned his mom about his heritage. Not only does the performance explore family roots, it raises awareness about the very real refugee situation that started in Laos and has made its way America.
"The war is over," Chan said. "Yet there is still a refugee crisis that has yet to be solved."
The war that Chan refers to is the Laotian Civil War, also known as the "Secret War." According to the Britannica Encyclopedia official Web site, the Laotian Civil War started during the Vietnam War, before Laos became the now-communist state known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The Pathet Lao forcefully took control of the country in 1975. In 1978, after the defeat of the Hmong resistance, thousands of refugees fled their home country and came to America.
The married couple started the project in Los Angeles, with a common goal in mind: Be true to yourself and your country. Saopeng is from Laos and wanted to create something that all generations of Laotians could make a connection with.
"We are looking for the stories that haven't been heard before," Saopeng said. "That is really what give the performance such an impact."
A cultural impact has been made from Boston to Los Angeles, where "Refugee Nation" has been connecting with all generations of Laotians by performing emotionally charged stories as different in their nature as the people they came from. While interviewing Laotians for stories, Chang noticed something concerning.
"There is a lot of intergenerational misunderstanding," Chan said. "The younger generation has almost lost communication with the older one."
Chan promotes not only communication between generations, but also communication about the past. Most young Laotians don't even know the history of how their family came to be in America, Chan said.
"Almost everybody in this country are refugees," Saopeng said. "Half of us don't even know how our family got to this nation."
Chan continued with a story about a Laotian boy who saw "Refugee Nation." After watching the play, he went home and questioned his mom about his heritage. Not only does the performance explore family roots, it raises awareness about the very real refugee situation that started in Laos and has made its way America.
"The war is over," Chan said. "Yet there is still a refugee crisis that has yet to be solved."
The war that Chan refers to is the Laotian Civil War, also known as the "Secret War." According to the Britannica Encyclopedia official Web site, the Laotian Civil War started during the Vietnam War, before Laos became the now-communist state known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The Pathet Lao forcefully took control of the country in 1975. In 1978, after the defeat of the Hmong resistance, thousands of refugees fled their home country and came to America.
Be the first to comment on this story