The early 1980s saw an influx of Southeast Asian refugees from various demographic groups and backgrounds to Minnesota. As teachers, the author and her colleagues regularly added children from these groups to their classrooms, receiving little explanation of a student's history or language proficiency. To counteract increasing teacher resentment…

Based on interviews with Laotian refugees living in Kentucky, illustrates characteristics of Lao religion that affect the adaptation of these refugees to life in the United States. Provides a glossary of terms. (GC)

After a brief description of the origins and languages of the three major groups of Indochinese refugees in the United States--Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians--and short references to subgroups, 20 observations on the general cultural traits of the Indochinese are given. These observations touch on the following: the importance of harmonious…

This guide is intended for use with two videotapes--"Pain and Promise" and "Fitting In"--that address the educational needs of Hmong and Lao students. Information presented in the guide includes brief descriptions of the social organization, religions, languages, and educational backgrounds of Lao and Hmong refugees.…

An illustrated guide to aspects of life in the United States is presented in Lao for recent Laotian arrivals. The guidelines address such topics as resettlement agencies, community relations and national customs, the U.S. government, local and long distance transport, mail and telephone communication systems, employment practices, the educational…

A conference on Indochinese refugees, attended by representatives of Southeast Asian countries of first asylum and Western resettlement countries, has developed a Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) prescribing new measures to address continuing emigration from Vietnam and Laos. The CPA calls for the following measures: (1) controls on departures…

This document provides a State by State overview of the child count and grant awards under the Indochina Refugee Children Assistance Program for fiscal years 1978 and 1980. The Indochina Refugee Children Assistance Program provides Federal financial assistance to States for educational services to Indochinese refugee children aged 5 through 17…

The study described in this paper focuses on English language acquisition by adult Hmong Laotian immigrants in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program in a city in the Northeastern United States. Preexistent levels of literacy and second language familiarity are discounted as influences on the speed of students' acquisition of language.…

A few years ago, the concept of non-formal education was virtually unknown in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Today, however, many understand the importance and relevance of non-formal education activities. This evolution is due to the implementation in several Laotian provinces of "Women's Literacy and Basic Skills Training," a…

Firsthand accounts by refugees from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, telling how they escaped from Indochina and how they are adjusting to life in Canada (and particularly Nova Scotia), form the greater part of this book. Most of the accounts are by Vietnamese. Information is also provided on the history of the Canadian refugee program, and on the…

A questionnaire was given to 33 Indochinese (Vietnamese and Laotian) immigrant parents residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in order to discover their views of the education their elementary school children were receiving. The results indicated that the parents were, in general, pleased with their children's education. Many felt, however, that…

The perceptions of Laotian refugee parents about what constitutes a "best teacher" were studied. The study focused on the Lao Loum ethnic group, and did not include members of Hmong or other ethnic minority groups. Twenty-eight Likert-based interviews were conducted with Laotian refugee parents residing in 5 states in the United States. Parent…

Similar to other Asian American students, Southeast Asian American students are often stereotyped by the popular press as hardworking and high-achieving model minorities. On the other hand, Southeast Asian American youth are also depicted as low-achieving high school dropouts involved in gangs. The realities of academic performance and persistence…

This annotated bibliography provides information for use in developing culturally appropriate mental health services for South East Asian refugees in the United States. The annotations are divided into four sections by population group: Cambodian, Laotian and Hmong, Vietnamese, and Indochinese. For each annotation, the primary audience is noted,…

The history and development of the Laotian education system is described. Emphasis is placed on the transition from a colonial western oriented system to a system that focuses on Laotian cultural identity. (DE)