California Museum exhibit shares stories from Lao refugees

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Museum is partnering with the Middle for Lao Research (CLS) to current a brand new touring exhibit named “Between 2 Worlds: Untold Tales of Refugees from Laos.”

The exhibit focuses on two ethnic Laotian teams, Lao and Iu Mien. It takes guests on the journey of refugees from Laos escaping warfare and discovering new properties within the U.S. It comes with pictures, paperwork, cultural artifacts and video recordings of refugees’ telling their tales in their very own phrases.

That features “tracing their lives amidst U.S. bombings and different makes an attempt to ‘comprise’ communism in Southeast Asia and Laos, specifically, and of their journeys from their properties in Laos to reeducation camps, refugee camps, and United States.”

“Although Laotian Individuals have been an essential a part of Sacramento for many years, many individuals outdoors the group stay unaware of their historical past,” stated California Museum Govt Director, Amanda Meeker. “We’re thrilled to be a venue the place they will share their tales with guests from many backgrounds.”

The concept for the exhibit grew out of CLS’ Lao Oral Historical past Archive (LOHA), which started in 2009 and concerned interviewing and recording the tales of greater than 20 households from Laos who now reside in the US. CLS fashioned a crew of cultural consultants, historians, museum professionals, graphic designers, media specialists, and writers who spent greater than a yr researching and planning the undertaking previous to placing the bodily exhibit collectively.

“The Between Two Worlds exhibit represents the end result of years of labor,” stated CLS Govt Director and Challenge Co-Director, Dr. Vinya Sysamouth. “The LOHA undertaking was so important as a result of it actually gave a voice to tales that had been saved silent for many years. Those that expertise the exhibit will achieve historic and contextual understanding of why refugees from Laos are in the US.”

The exhibit is made doable by help from The McConnell Basis, California Museum, California Humanities, and the Central Valley Group Basis, in addition to personal donations. 

“Sacramento is dwelling to the biggest Mien American group for the reason that mid-Eighties,” stated Dr. Kal Phan, an Iu Mien group chief of Sacramento. “Although they arrived in America as refugees from a tribal preliterate society with minimal formal training and employable expertise, they’re reaching their American goals at the moment.”

The Between 2 Worlds exhibit is at present on show on the museum till Oct. 28, 2022. For extra info or to buy tickets, go to the official web site of the California Museum.