This supplement to the Chicago public schools' science curriculum, for use with Lao-speaking students in grades K-8, is designed to help students make the transition to learning science in English. English-Lao vocabulary lists, independent learning activities and teaching aids (in both languages), and study questions (in Lao) are included to…

The Hmong are a preliterate Southeast Asian tribe in the remote highlands of Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited many Hmong to fight rebel forces in Indochina. Losing to the Pathet Lao in 1975, the Hmong were forced to flee Communist-controlled Laos. The United States accepted…

This is a handbook for mental health workers and human service providers who deal with Indochinese refugees. Part I of the booklet provides an overview of the Indochinese refugee situation, discussing the refugees' experience, how they came to the United States, how they have adjusted, and factors that service providers must consider in helping…

This is a guide for teachers and administrators to familiarize them with the Laotian people, language and culture. The first section contains a brief geography and history of Laos, a discussion of the ethnic and lingustic groups of Laos, and information on the economic and religious life of these groups. Section two describes the Laotian refugee…

A longitudinal study of 24 Lao Hmong refugees in Nebraska examined need changes that occurred between 1980 and 1985 for certain areas. In 1985, Hmong reported fewer problems with housing, employment, nutrition, clothing, and family conflict and more problems with finances, homesickness, and concern for family in Laos. (Author/CH)

Background: Adult literacy rates are an important indicator for describing the status of education and development within a country. The Lao national literacy survey was undertaken in 2001 to provide a reliable source of literacy data which in turn will determine if the country will reach Education For All (EFA) goals agreed upon at the World…

This ethnographic study explored Hmong cultural and educational values. The interview data revealed some Hmong values similar to mainstream American values such as a respect for hard work; a concern about personal honor; and honesty. Some values, however, were in conflict with dominant American values such as: a strong clan-oriented society; a…

This booklet about the cultural background of Laos is one of three booklets that serve as a foundation for understanding the cultural diversity and values of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese students. Laos is a country of great cultural and ethnic diversity. The following political and economic factors have influenced the development of modern…

This is a bibliography of the collection held at the Indochinese Materials Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Various types of materials are cited, including: (1) textbooks and workbooks for teaching English; (2) curricular and supplementary materials for teaching Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians; (3) curricular and supplementary materials for…

This is a manual for teachers of Indochinese students. The manual begins with brief cultural, linguistic, and historical descriptions of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodian people. The tenets of animism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity, as practiced in Indochina are reviewed. Also discussed are Indochinese attitudes toward learning and…

The article discusses the cultural differences of Americans and Southeast Asians in their child-rearing practices. Guidelines are provided for teachers working with Southeast Asian parents, who may feel shame that their child is identified as handicapped. A chart compares American cultural values with Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian values.…

Presents the age-sex structures of refugee populations arriving in the United States from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam from 1975 through 1986. Differences in the composition of these young populations reflect varying flight and resettlement experiences and changing factors influencing migration. High fertility rates predict a generation of rapid…

A JTPA/FEL (Job Training Partnership Act/Family English Literacy) demonstration project is reported that involves a partnership between the Lao Family Community (LFC) of Minnesota, the City of St. Paul, and St. Paul Public Schools/Adult Basic Education. The goal is to provide workplace literacy instruction to refugees with limited English…

The concept of adolescence as a period during which certain kinds of behavior are to be expected has become institionalized in the American education system; acceptance of this "rite of passage" creates barriers for adolescent female refugees from the Hmong and Mien hilltribes of Laos, whose cultures do not include the concept of…

This paper summarizes the findings of a descriptive research project conducted among Southeast Asian parents in an Oregon school district, and discusses the issue of fieldwork methodology among refugee populations. The district studied had a student population of 18,000 (kindergarten through grade 12), with Southeast Asian refugees accounting for…