Laos In The House

That gold mask tho!!!

Last year we were promising ourselves to learn to speak, read and write better in Lao. This year, we’re stepping it up by putting together a comprehensive conversation starter about anti-Asian violence so you can make that dialogue happen with your older family members. Inspired by the work of Jenny Wang who runs @asiansformentalhealth on IG, other available translations include Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Hmong, Tagalog - and now Lao! Check it out and let us know how we did.

Restock Alert! Buatique aprons by Kham Sanavongsay, made especially for Laos In The House. Sourced directly from Southeast Asia, choose from Elephant, Plaid or Sinh Dham Patchwork Print.

Reunited - and it feels so good! This past weekend a few LITH volunteers came together for a vigil and parade for Anti-Asian Violence at FDR park organized and attended by fellow APIA organizations in Philly. The diversity of attendees included so many of our black and brown communities, who not only made their voices heard but blessed each other and enjoyed the smells and tastes of Southeast Asian food from the outdoor market vendors. Pictures by Bo Vongnarath, Naroen Chimm and Tyger Williams. #LaosInTheHouse #StopAsianHate #EndWhiteSupremecy #BlackLivesStillMatter

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Director Sourita Siri! Her debut film Come Undone screens this year at participating film festivals! In partnership with LAOSD, the film tells the journey of including Lao American Refugee History and Cultural Studies in California Schools with Assembly Bill 1393. While there are already a few films that tell the story of how Laos became the most bombed country per capita in the history of the world, Come Undone is uniquely the FIRST Lao-American film with a FULL Lao-American crew. WE ARE HERE FOR THIS SIS - CONGRATS!!!

What started out as a fun way to to celebrate Lao food before Lao New Year, turned into a complicated month for March... That being said, we do have a Lao Food Madness Bracket Challenge Winner. After nearly 3 long weeks of deciding which Lao dish was better than that the other, we can finally say that Thum MahkHoong is the champion, and the player who predicted the most winners of each round correctly is @lynnmymala! Congrats on your win and stayed tuned for your prize packages coming from us, and our friends at Laos Supply, TukTuk Box, Buatique and Article 22. Thank you to everyone for playing along and may we all have a healthy, safe and happy Lao New Year.

Yes to representation - and how fitting that boun also means celebration and good merit in Lao!

Here’s what you liked the most from us in 2020. We know we’ve been quiet this year and we thank you for still supporting us. Here’s to a more productive, self-care centering, more proactive storytelling, bigger community building, sustainable 2021. Happy New Year.

A Secret Santa, the Laos In The House way. Wishing all of our pinongs out there a Happy Holiday season surrounded by warm company, good memories and lots of laughing. Melly Christmas Oiiiii.

Nurse Chouphaphone Judy Bounthong tested positive for Covid-19. To keep her family and roommates safe, she quarantined herself in a hotel room. On the day Judy was scheduled to return to work, her body was discovered. The 58-year-grandmom was remembered as caring and giving, cooking Lao dishes for her friends and bringing supplies to the homeless near the hospital where she had been working extra hours. Judy died all alone. A loss in the Lao community, this has us asking, who looks after those who are looking after us?

Also, Catzie Vilayphonh is hosting a special zoom next Wednesday presented by Fleisher Art Memorial for all of you out there coping with 2020 by distracting yourself with plant care. Let’s grow together! It’s completely free! Just register at Fleisherart.org

We didn’t wanna go hard on Giving Tuesday this year - we’re ALL in need of support - but we’re grateful nonetheless for those who donated to Catzie Vilayphonh’s individual campaign on FB yesterday. We didn’t lose our office space but our staff miss seeing each other and we still worry about our elders. Artwork of our volunteers who participated in our gender-neutral Nang & Thao Songkhan contest for 2018 Lao New Year by Nor Sanavongsay.