The process of Assimilation: Interview
Narratives of six Lao American Women Refugees
Vinthany Souvannarath* and Pamela Schaefer**
*McNair Scholar
**Professor
Department of Psychology
UW-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI
USA
After the communist takeover in Laos in 1975, about 16,000 Laotians fled to the
U.S. The Lao currently constitutes less than one percent of the total U.S.
population (Reeves & Bennet, 2003) and have been the least noticed of the groups
who fled from Southeast Asia (Silberman et al., 2001; Cerquone, 1986). In this
study I gathered narrative analyses from six Lao women refugees aged 18-45 from
who have lived in the U.S. for an average of 19 years in a Midwestern state.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore 1) the challenges and
adjustments they had in adapting to the U.S, 2) the extent to which they feel
they have integrated in the U.S. society, and 3) the importance of preserving
their cultural identity.
The findings reveal the women’s cultural and linguistic isolation as newcomers
and a range of challenges the women experienced. Challenges of overcoming
traditional behavioral expectations of women, adapting to more individualistic
attitudes, climate and weather change, distaste of American foods,
transportation, and homesickness were reported. The biggest cultural adjustments
however, were acquiring the English language and pursuing education in the U.S.
school system. As hypothesized, the women have not fully integrated in the
society and are still learning to adapt while continuing to maintain their
cultural identity.