The Neuropsychology of Asian Americans by Fujii Daryl E. M.;

Author:Fujii, Daryl E. M.; [DARYL E. M. FUJII]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 2011-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

* Hakjisa catalog; availability: http://www.kops.co.kr.

* Hakjisa catalog; availability: http://www.kops.co.kr.

9 Neuropsychology of Laotian Americans

Daryl Fujii

Brief history

Laos is a Southeast Asian country that is slightly larger than the state of Utah. It is bordered by Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, China, and Vietnam. The northern part of the country is mountainous, while much of the southern part is lowlands, except for the southeast border with Vietnam, which is also mountainous. Historically, Laotians have been farmers, although there are some natural resources, such as copper, gold, and wood. Many, particularly in the less fertile mountain areas, have been sustenance farmers engaging in slash-and-burn farming.

Laotians are diverse in ethnic identity. The culturally dominant group is the Lao or Lao Loum, who live in the lowlands. The highlands are inhabited by the Hmong or Lao Sung, and the Mien or Hmong-Yao. The Lao Theung, comprised of the Mon-Khmer and Viet-Muong tribes, live in the mid-slope region. This chapter will focus on the Lao.

Laotians are descendants of the T’ai people of southern China, who migrated to Laos in the sixth century. Laos was originally part of Cambodia. It became an independent country in 1353 under Prince Fa Ngum, who established Lan Xang, or “The Kingdom of a Million Elephants.” Under Prince Fa Ngum, Laos enjoyed great power and prosperity and extended into most of modern Thailand. Luang Prabang was the nation’s capital until 1563, when King Setthalhiralh moved the capital to its current location at Vientiane (Bankston, 2000). Laos subdivided into three separate kingdoms after the death of King Souligna Vongsa in 1694. By the mid-1800s, most of the weakened country, with the exception of Luang Prabang, was taken over by Vietnam and Thailand. A few decades later, the French colonized Southeast Asia, controlling Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos at the end of the nineteenth century (Bankston, 2000). French occupancy was briefly interrupted during World War II, when Japan conquered much of Indochina. When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, Laos claimed independence under the Lao Issara (Free Laos) banner. However, this movement was short lived as the French reoccupied the country by early 1946.

Laos regained independence in the 1954 Geneva peace conference after France was defeated by the Vietnamese Communists (Wikipedia, 2009a). The first years of Laotian independence were characterized by high instability, with rivalries between the neutralists, right wing, left wing, and future prime minister Kaysone Phomvihane’s group. Elections were held in 1955, and the first coalition government was headed by neutralist Prince Souvanna Phouma in 1957. This government collapsed the next year and in 1960, when Captain Kong Lae staged a coup to reform the neutralist government. Prince Souvanna briefly regained control only to be driven out by rightist forces led by General Phoumi Nosavan later that year (Wikipedia, 2009b).

A second Geneva conference held in 1961–1962 reestablished Laos’ independence and also its neutrality in the Indochina war being fought in Vietnam. The agreement was not binding and civil war ensued from 1962 to 1975 between the Royal Lao Government, supported by the United States, and the rebellious Pathet Lao, supported by the Communist North Vietnamese.

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