Is Laotian Culture Disapearing?

[2cute2care]

i saw this topic in another forum and thought it was very interesting and I'm just curious to know how many here feel that Laotian culture is disapearing
How do you think is teh best way to preserve Lao culture?

 

[Pee]

hmm i dunno...if u talk in general many cultures are disappearing...

lol how to preserve? eat tam som!!!!! j/k


hmm i dunno.. P´ning any ideas???

 

[saobomp]

i agree many culture are disappearing. 1: it could be because they are marrying outside their race so they adapting to each other's way of life 2: adapting to the western culture.

i see many parents nowadays speaking english to their kids and not laotian. y? they will learn it in school. sometimes it's hard b/c if there are peers their age that speaks just english or watever language they will tend to speak that as well. society has some impact on it.

if parents dont want their kids to forget they need to tell, teach their kids about the culture so they can preserve it.

my parents are old so i was brought up the traditionally lao way. strict on things when we were younger. knows how to help out, clean, care for ur lil siblings at a young age. the mentality is different when ur constantly being told to not do this not do that b/c other people mite see it the wrong way or it's not the right thing to do. i have to say i'm glad i was raise that way b/c some kids nowaday dont see that way of thinking at all. it's more like i dont care or who cares. i can see the difference btw how i was raised and how my nieces and nephews are raise now. they can hardly speak english, probably dont even understand it. u work hard for what u want and appreciate it. u do things for ur parents b/c they raise u. dont yell or talk back to ur parents. the elders are always rite. lol now kids are like parents because they talk back, demand things, get what they want.

about heritage wise, if they dont tell them about history then it will be forgotten and they will not know much about their culture.

 

[Saifah]

true, laos culture is disappearing. Like i still have it in me and im very respectful to my cultures. I guess its because teenagers these days doesnt see how important our culture is. My parents tell me everyday what our culture is and its ion my head and my heart. Most of the teenagers thinks that our culture is too much for them, even if they are in the US, its still part of them. They still disrespect that. My parents are strict about our culture. Like waking up late, girls going out at night, when the right time to start dating, how to sit and eat properly, iono, but i do agree that our culture is disapearing.

 

[Reagan]

It depends, since the only laos people we associate with are foreign country borns, but parents from laos, we adapt more to the country were in, if this forum mostly had laos born people, things woul dbe different, its just our environment =) but yes it is disappearing lol, oh how i contradict myself

 

[noungning]

hmm i dunno...if u talk in general many cultures are disappearing...

lol how to preserve? eat tam som!!!!! j/k
hmm i dunno.. P´ning any ideas???

[post="136483"][/post]​

yes, i agree, many cultures are disappearing. culture is now defined by media... people live and breathe media... so it's lost. not many actually realize what culture is because they've been brainwashed by the mtvs, magazines, and other things that surrounds them.

lol i guess the only way to preserve culture is thru teachings. it's hard to force people to learn of their ancestrial's beings and lifestyles because it's boring to them. it has to be more appealing to the younger crowd, again, it'd probably have to be in media format as movies or advertisement.

but it'd be too hard to mold something out of aged clay... these things are fed into people when they were young and fresh. otherwise, it'd be fed into people who are willing to change and keep culture and traditions alive...

but young people now a days would just consider this old fashion and out of style so they'd prefer to be new and hip... like the western culture. ^_^

 

[dfemc]

culture doesn't live in a box...my friends it's constantly refined and redefined. n i wouldn't say that even our parent's parent's parent's parents had a FULL grasp of the culture entirely, because it's ppl and generations that create and recreate traditions, values, and labels.

don't be scared to consider urself "Laotian" simply because ur breath doesn't smell like fermented fish all the time

 

[Vanida]

hmm i dunno...if u talk in general many cultures are disappearing...

lol how to preserve? eat tam som!!!!! j/k
hmm i dunno.. P´ning any ideas???

[post="136483"][/post]​

5555 pee u so funny depends every body is different some laos people are americans wannbes and not up to the person not just the parents

 

[NiTha]

i see many parents nowadays speaking english to their kids and not laotian. y? they will learn it in school. sometimes it's hard b/c if there are peers their age that speaks just english or watever language they will tend to speak that as well. society has some impact on it.

if parents dont want their kids to forget they need to tell, teach their kids about the culture so they can preserve it.

my parents are old so i was brought up the traditionally lao way. strict on things when we were younger. knows how to help out, clean, care for ur lil siblings at a young age. the mentality is different when ur constantly being told to not do this not do that b/c other people mite see it the wrong way or it's not the right thing to do. i have to say i'm glad i was raise that way b/c some kids nowaday dont see that way of thinking at all. it's more like i dont care or who cares. i can see the difference btw how i was raised and how my nieces and nephews are raise now. they can hardly speak english, probably dont even understand it. u work hard for what u want and appreciate it. u do things for ur parents b/c they raise u. dont yell or talk back to ur parents. the elders are always rite. lol now kids are like parents because they talk back, demand things, get what they want.

about heritage wise, if they dont tell them about history then it will be forgotten and they will not know much about their culture.

[post="136554"][/post]​

I definitely agree with you. My parents, although not quite old, they are the same way. My parents are strict traditionalists. I may be the oldest child and sometimes do get what i want and talk back but that's because sometimes they don't see the other side of things that are part of my life today. Although i was raised traditionally, i would like to mention that I am not the perfect traditionalized child, meaning that i do argue my points to my parents, i don't really keep my mouth shut when i have a strong fact/opinion that needs to be said. I don't cook either nor do i do my chores when needed...because i'm really stubborn and do my chores when i want to. Anyways i just want to give u some background of where i'm coming from.

My point is its just not the Lao culture deminishing but all cultures as well. You see so many Laotian children not understanding what their parents say and can only speak some Lao or no Lao at all. My young cousins and friends don't know how to speak to their parents in laos and it just amazes me how they don't understand a word what their parents are saying. And on another note if you can understand Lao, its not that difficult to understand Thai. For me, i can relate to some extent but i know how important it is to understand and speak your own nationality. I mean i can't explain every little thing that is said in English but i think it is so important that both languages are learned. Not only the language but the traditions and the culture itself. For me to say this is really difficult because i'm the type of person who is in the between. I understand the values of the Laotian tradition/culture but i also believe in freedom and choices. Sometimes i view my parents as narrowminded because they are not open to new ideas especially today's society. They may not be open minded because of the way our society is today and how it is presented to the world. This is another thing we have to be worried about and preserve our tradition and pass it on to the next generatio and teach them our values. And yes, the Laotian tradition will be eradicated if it is not passed on by word of mouth or any culture for that matter.

 

[diamond]

yea in a waY I would say our culture is disappearing...most laos people born here in the us seems to follow the american tradtion....

 

[hansonie]

Well, I certainly hope our culture doesn't dissapear. I reckon if we just talked to our kids/future kids more about things they'd understand more and appreciate being Lao more too. Even if we are born in US or wherever we shouldn't forget Lao traditions.

 

[Keomany]

i agree and was happy to see this topic came up...im very much into laos tradition and respecting and loving our culture because it define who we are as a person...i have friend who are laos but no nothing and cant speak it..i wonder too how can this be ..like all mention above i think its more of themself because parents can try to tell you are culture is important and you should value it..but if you dont care enough it would matter to you...

i do hope that our culture dont fade because is the only thing that make us different from everyone else! like every culture!

 

[nophankh]

culture doesn't live in a box...my friends it's constantly refined and redefined. n i wouldn't say that even our parent's parent's parent's parents had a FULL grasp of the culture entirely, because it's ppl and generations that create and recreate traditions, values, and labels.

don't be scared to consider urself "Laotian" simply because ur breath doesn't smell like fermented fish all the time

good one, had me dying about the fermenting fish breath. I would totally agree with you here. Culture doesn't disappear, it evolves.
If you live in the states, you can't stop from being influenced by the western ways no matter how hard you try.
I'm very lao, I eat laos food, I speak laos, I occasionally wear laos clothing. However, I still love my hamburgers and pizza. I speak prodominately english. In order to survive, you need to adapt.

What's cool about our changing culture is that now we are all connected. My culture is not about just being lao, I include and are influenced by all types of different culture. I like korean, japanes, european, hawaiian, african, and latin. I love this mix.
I don't understand why people are so uptight about change, it's gonna happen no matter what.

 

[marduk]

I agree that our culture is evolving, as it is becoming something different than traditional lao culture. The new generation of Laotian in the United States cannot claim that they are completely Laos. Culture's defined as the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded COLLECTIVELY. For us Lao-American, our experiences will be different than those growing up in Laos so of course our culture will be different. We grew up in a society that's ours but foreign to our parents. To live a life that has to balance between our two worlds is tough for any kid I'm sure. Thus, our experience as Lao-Americans have created a culture that's a little Lao, a little American, but completely Lao-American. And in that way, we can all relate to one another culturally and see that rather than losing a culture, we're developing a new one.

 

[KEdoubleNY]

It's disappearing among most of the younger Lao generation in America. And also those Lao old folks (age 25-45) that try to adapt themselves and their kids to the American culture. I hardly hear Lao couple calling each other .. 'ai' 'nong' 'jao' etc. All I hear is .. 'honey' 'baby'.

Ashame to see Lao people in US losing their grandparents roots.

 

[Kat]

i don't kno about disappearing but we are incorporating different cultural believes because of the fact that we do marry outside of our cultural. So yeah it's more like evolving rather then disappearing.

 

[champthong]

I don't think Lao culture is disappearing! Come on we have Lao people all over the world!!! Beside there are still Lao people back in Laos, Thailand, China, etc. Furthermore, there is a country call LAOS. When you think about it, other ethnic groups borrowed and/or adapted to Lao culture and use as their culture as well {open up your eyes and ears and you will see what I mean} haha

For those who think Lao culture is disappearing, then put a STOP to it. Only you can stop the culture disappearing, thus it start with YOU!!

 

[narmfon]

go champ! I love your answer

 

[Nae_jai_leaw_lur]

I would say yeah, the laos cultures is disappearing. I mean here we have a laos community center and all but not all the laotion adults communicate, they either hate each other or don't talk to each other becuz they are from different levels yah noe. Like I'm rich I'm not talkin to someone as low as you, or I'm to poor to be here, it's filled with rich people. That kind of issue. We don't really celebrate much of laos up here. That's a sad thing for me, I would love to learn more about my culture, the background, the people, the myth, legends stuff like that.

 

[PhoneO_5]

I don't think Lao culture is disappearing! Come on we have Lao people all over the world!!! Beside there are still Lao people back in Laos, Thailand, China, etc. Furthermore, there is a country call LAOS. When you think about it, other ethnic groups borrowed and/or adapted to Lao culture and use as their culture as well {open up your eyes and ears and you will see what I mean} haha

For those who think Lao culture is disappearing, then put a STOP to it. Only you can stop the culture disappearing, thus it start with YOU!!

I totally agree with you about Laos not disappearing because there's Lao people all over the world because Laos still exists. Funny and true statement.

I don't think Laotian culture is disappearing. When you go to a Laos person's house (even if they're in their 20s with their own family) you will notice a difference in their home compared to an American person. For instance, there's probably sticky rice somewhere in the house or something asian in there. Also, the grandchildren somehow still visit their grandparents, and a Laos person will probably know another Laos friend. In which when you have to, you might talk in Laos so other people don't understand you . haha. I just think that in America or elsewhere, you just have to adapt to modern society. If everything is just Laos, then all Laos people should just form their own community like the polygimist communities, in which everyone must speak Laos, go to a Laos school, grow and sell rice/raise pigs and buffaloes to trade. Haha. now i'm going over the top.