Vietnam 50 Years Later: Minnesota's Lao community
Not all immigrants have experienced the same successes moving to Minnesota. For the modest Laotian community, a big challenge has been access to funding and resources.
Recent census data found there are around 16,000 Laotian-born Minnesotans, but community organizers say that number could be almost twice as high.
Laos: The most heavily bombed country in world history
From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs on Laos, almost the equivalent to the population of the Southeast Asian nation.
More bombs were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War than on Germany and Japan combined during World War II.
Laos remains to this day the most heavily bombed country in world history per capita, with crews still working to find and defuse an estimated 80 million bombs that didn't detonate.
The Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota
While the Hmong community has largely thrived in U.S., particularly in Minnesota, the same cannot be said for the Laotian people, the majority ethnic group in Laos.
But community leaders in the Twin Cities still have hope in the future generations to grow and prosper.
Just north of downtown Minneapolis, you'll find a small and quiet community of Laotian refugees at the Olson Park public housing development.
Tu Ngonethong and Nouchee Vang-Lor have spent decades working to help the Lao people displaced by war.
"I believe this building, 1301, most of the Lao community lives because I heard people say this is the 'Lao Community Building,'" Vang-Lor said.
"They've framed it 'Lao Community,' 'Lao Building,' they want to anyway," Ngonethong said.
Even after almost 50 years of the first wave of Lao refugees coming to the U.S., many Laotians in the Twin Cities still live in public and Section 8 housing.
"A good percentage moved to the suburb, but a good percentage of the elders that live here because they don't have family anymore here," Vang-Lor said.
Ngonethong and Vang-Lor met in 2005 when they were working in Thailand to resettle the last wave of refugees at Wat Tham Krabok.
Much of their work these days, through the Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota, means making personal house calls multiple times a week to offer help to members of this community, many who are older, who may not have the means to drive, and who still struggle with the English language.
One of those community members is Somchay Koubandonh, who came to Minnesota in 1986.
"I like Minnesota," Koubandonh said, interpreted by Vang-Lor.
Part of her struggle is the trauma she still carries from the Secret War, and the devastation it left behind in her home country.
"In Laos, you know, it's not easy during the war, and then kind of like they're killing each other," Ngonethong said. "I kind of have flashbacks sometimes."
Finding mental health resources can be hard, especially with a language and cultural barrier. The same goes for finding good-paying jobs, and without enough money, owning a car, a home and pursuing higher education still only remains a dream for many in the community.
These are the types of things the Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota has tried to help the community with for decades. Executive Director Sunny Chanthanouvong estimates the center helps upwards of 15,000 people every year with services, including translation, filling out important documents, job searches and much more.
The phones ring constantly during normal business hours, but Chanthanouvong also says he still answers calls and Facebook messages late into the night.
"We have some emergencies. They have some need from our community and we want to be there for them," Chanthanouvong said.
That's what the Lao community is all about. They help each other.
"We cannot say no to them, we cannot reject them," Chanthanouvong said.
But even they can only do so much. Chanthanouvong believes part of the problem is access to funding for resources and programs tied to the U.S. Census. The most recent data collected in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, has the population at around 16,000 people in Minnesota.
Chanthanouvong believes that number is much higher.
"We did not have some resources available, and we try to be in survival mode at the time, so we're not passed to the stable mode yet," Chanthanouvong said.
The work is slow, but it is happening. So in the meantime, people like Oneta Senevilay are just grateful to keep the dream alive for their children.
"My children able to get to school and then graduated, and I'm so happy," Senevilay said, interpreted by Vang-Lor.
There is a sentiment of many in the Lao community that they appreciate being in Minnesota, and they have the best interest in mind for the next generations.
"It might even be higher barriers now from the past, because time has stretched so long and they weren't able to get the help, so it might be a little too late now," Ngonethong said. "But at least they're looking forward to the next generation."
The Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota is working to partner with other stronger organizations in Minnesota to help grow.
This story is part of the WCCO documentary "Vietnam 50 Years Later: Reflection on a War that Changed Minnesota," by reporter Pauleen Le and photojournalist Art Phillips.
Watch the full documentary below, or on our YouTube channel.
