All posts tagged: Lao American

A Community for Us, By Us: Reflections on LAWS 2016

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What a weekend. This year’s Lao American Writers Summit (LAWS) was momentous in so many ways. Taking place in San Diego, California from May 27-28, 2016, it was the first time the Summit was held outside of Minnesota, the first Summit to take place in consecutive years, and the largest gathering by far. People came in from all over the U.S. to learn and connect. Although the event was held over a weekend, the Summit officially kicked off festivities on May 12 with the opening of the gallery installation titled “Intersectionalities,” curated by Catzie Vilayphonh and Sayon Syprasoeuth, featuring artwork from various Lao American artists from across the nation. The gallery and the Summit took place in the beautiful Centro Cultural de La Raza, which was the perfect venue for sharing art, making connections, and telling stories. If I were to break down some key observations from this year’s Summit, they would be: There is an ongoing need and desire for a space where Lao Americans can connect and express themselves. I attended the Lao American Writers Summit for the …

Krysada Binly Panusith Phounsiri: Back to Birthplace in Bokeo

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  Krysada Binly Panusith Phounsiri, better known as Binly, is a community builder, systems engineer, poet, b-boy dancer, and photographer based in San Diego, California. On his second visit to Laos last month, Binly captured intimate photos of daily life in his parents’ hometown and his birthplace of Huay Xai, the capital of Bokeo province in northwestern Laos. What was your first reaction visiting your birthplace?  “The first time I went back to my place of birth was 10 years ago. It was surreal to say the least. My mom was in tears. We hadn’t been there for 16 years. I sat where I was born for a little bit and let the ambiance seep in. I felt like I finally connected with the energy I was born into. 10 years later, I couldn’t go inside the house. We don’t own it anymore. This time around, it was a brief visit. I stood outside feeling good. I was almost convinced that I needed to buy this house and the land back. But the thing with my mom …