As I am prepping for Laos, I am again a mixture of emotions! I am nervous about going to Laos, but excited to learn more about my parents’ homeland. This brings a different meaning to my life. I am finally getting closer to my roots. My time in Thailand is still oh so refreshing and I am anxious to discover more customs and language that ties back to my language and culture I’ve grown up with. I only wish my parents could be here with me to further guide and tell me about my heritage as I am on this journey. Talking to my parents have been all over the place and so I have had to guide myself a lot on this trip.
Back to prepping for Laos, since there have been negative ties in history between my people and the Laotian people, I am afraid of possibly getting hurt or stuck in a dangerous situation since I don’t know what to expect. Some people hold grudges or runs on the stereotypes formed by past, historical events and so as an Iu-Mien American, I brought my concerns up to my program advisors and interestingly they didn’t really know what to do or say to me, which was definitely unsettling. All I can say is that I hope all goes well. Talk to you all soon!
