Ethnic Diversity of Laos

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Ethnic Diversity of Laos

Mien refugees in northern Thailand refugee camps during 1980-1983 taken by Erica Hagen.

Author: Ger Thao, Ph.D.
Grades: 6-8

Suggested Amount of Time: 90-100 Minutes
Area of Study: Hmong Histories

Compelling Question

  • How do displacement and war shape Hmong histories and migration?

Lesson Questions
  • Who is included in the term “Laotian”? 
  • What is the ethnic diversity in Laos?
  • How and where do different ethnic groups and tribes (Lao Sung, Lao Loum, and Lao Theung) live in Laos?
  • What is unique about each ethnic group of Laos?
Lesson Objective

Students will be able to define the term ‘Laotian’ and differentiate between the three groups (Lao Loum, Lao Theung, and Lao Sung) that make up the ethnic diversity of Laos through collaborative group research projects. By the end of the lesson, students will understand that ‘Laotian’ includes, but is not limited to, the Lao, Iu Mien, Khmu, Phutai, Tai Lue, Tai Dam, and Tai Deng ethnic groups. 

Lesson Background

(Provided by Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1995)

Like many of its neighboring countries, the ethnic make-up of Laos is a fairly complex matter - a complete classification of all ethnic groups has never been undertaken. There are many ethnic minorities in Laos. The main group is the ethnic Lao, who make up 53% of the population. A common mistake is to call people from Laos ‘Lao.’ The correct term for people that live in Laos is ‘Laotian.’ The term ‘indigenous peoples’ is not used by the Laotian government. Instead, they refer to non-Lao people as ‘ethnic minorities.’ 

Historically, the population was divided up into three groups – the Lao Loum (lowland dwellers – these were in the majority), the Lao Theung (people who live in the mid-altitude levels), and the Lao Soung (who inhabit the uplands). The three groups corresponded to their different means of agriculture as well. Lao Loum were rice farmers, living around the fertile Mekong river delta. Lao Theung and Lao Soung on the other hand practiced shifting cultivation. Because these categories were based on geographical and agricultural rather than ethnic differences, they were done away with by the Lao government in 1981. Although new ways of categorizing the ethnic groups of Laos have been invented, Laotians often still refer to themselves using these ethnic groups.

Background on Ethnic Groups of Laos (provided by US Department of State, 2000)

According to the US Department of State (2000), ethnic groups of Laos consist of: Lao Loum 53%; other lowland Lao 13% (Thai Dam, Phouane); Lao Theung (midslope) 23%; Lao Sung (highland), including Hmong, Akha, and the Yao (Mien) 10%; and ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%.

Laos' population was estimated at about 5.4 million in 1999, dispersed unevenly across the country. Most people live in valleys of the Mekong River and its tributaries. Vientiane prefecture, the capital and largest city, had about 569,000 residents in 1999. The country's population density is 23.4/sq. km.

About half the country's people are ethnic Lao, the principal lowland inhabitants and politically and culturally dominant group. The Lao are descended from the Tai people who began migrating southward from China in the first millennium AD. Mountain tribes of Miao-Yao, Austro-Asiatic, Tibeto-Burman—Hmong, Yao, Akha, and Lahu—and Tai ethnolinguistic heritage are found in northern Laos. Collectively, they are known as Lao Sung or highland Lao. In the central and southern mountains, Mon-Khmer tribes, known as Lao Theung or midslope Lao, predominate. Some Vietnamese and Chinese minorities remain, particularly in the towns, but many left in two waves, after independence in the late 1940s and again after 1975.

Before the Indochina Wars, sources commonly identified more than sixty different groups, whereas the 1985 census listed forty-seven groups, some with populations of only a few hundred persons. Discrepancies in the number of groups resulted from inconsistent definitions of what constitutes an ethnic group as opposed to a subgroup, as well as incomplete knowledge about the groups themselves. The 1985 census distinguished three general ethnic group classifications reflecting common origin and language grouping and noted significant differences among the groups comprising the three families. The number of ethnicities represented in Laos is so great, the discussion of ethnic groups will concentrate on one or two representative examples of each of the three larger groupings.

Image Citation: Hagen, H. (2015). [Photograph Mien refugees in northern Thailand refugee camps during 1980-1983]. Erica Hagen Collection / Hmongstory 40, Fresno, CA.

Historical Thinking Skill

This lesson will facilitate student proficiency in evidence, one of Seixas’ historical thinking skills (Seixas & Morton, 2013). To encourage students to observe closely and make inferences. Students consider that a source should be analyzed in relation to the context of its historical setting: the conditions and world views prevalent at the time in question. 

Ethnic Studies Theme

This lesson connects to the ethnic studies theme of power and oppression from the Asian American Studies Curriculum Framework (Asian American Research Initiative, 2022). Students will consider war, migration and imperialism as contexts shaping citizenship and racialization. Students discuss the geographic, political, and economic factors that influence the ethnic diversity of a landlocked country, such as Laos.

For additional guidance around ethnic studies implementation, refer to the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (2021)  https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/esmc.asp.

Supplies
  • Access to laptop device
  • Map figure from “Laos: A country study” page 90 
  • World Map or Globe
  • Images #1, #2, #3 from Flickr 
  • Chart paper & Markers 
  • Additional materials will vary depending on student selection of final assessment: song/poetry, diary entry/illustration, podcast, student-requested project, etc.
  • Audio recorder for podcast, Art supplies for writing/drawings, Guitar or drum, any available support for song activity, etc.
Readings
  • Three group assigned readings (see sections and page numbers in procedures) from the following sources:
    • Britannica Kids: Laos website
    • Laos: A Country Study handbook
    • Facts and Details website

WELCOMING RITUAL/CULTURAL ENERGIZER (Day 1 - 45–50 minutes)

  1. Teacher: Project this figure, found in “Laos: A country study,” page 90 (https://ucdavis.box.com/s/v5mxfc52g37r48nvzjrlcs4zqywg9cwt) and have students analyze what country is represented here by looking at a world map or globe. (Source: Figure 6. Ethnic Groups, 1992, Based on information from United Nations Children's Fund, Children and Women in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Vientiane, 1992; and Laos, National Committee of Plan, Population Census of 1985, Vientiane, 1986.). 

    1. Teachers are encouraged to use the Library of Congress Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Maps Protocols found at https://ucdavis.box.com/s/byie9m9f0yj38u4eg9omywif2128kzw7 to guide students in analyzing (Observe, Reflect, Question) this map figure. 

  2. Students: Look at a world map or globe and share responses of what country is represented. [Hint: have students look at the capital of Vientiane.] 

  3. Teacher: After looking up the country, students should be able to figure out that it is Laos. Next, ask students “Who lives in Laos?" 

  4. Students: Students call out groups. [Have students look at the key.]

  5. Teacher: The population in Laos is ethnically diverse consisting of three general ethnic group classifications that reflect common origin and language grouping but also have significant differences among the groups as well: Lao Loum, Lao Theung and Lao Sung.

 

SHARED LEARNING

Lesson Vocabulary 

  1. Teacher: Let’s review some key vocabulary terms before we dig deeper into each of the ethnic groups. Project vocabulary/definitions on the board. (See definitions from online Cambridge Dictionary & “Laos: A Country Study” Glossary, 339–343.)
  2. Student Task: Fold a paper into four squares (for each term) and include the following in each corner: the term, definition, visual element, and synonyms.
    • Ethnic: Relating or belonging to a group of people who can be seen as distinct because they have a shared culture, tradition, language, history, etc.
    • Diversity: The fact of many different types of things or people being included in something; a range of different things or people
    • Ethnic Group or Minority: A particular ethnic group (a group of people with a shared culture, tradition, language, history, etc.) living in a country where most people are from a different ethnic group
    • Laos: A country in Southeast Asia
    • Laotian: Belonging to or relating to Laos, its people, or its language
    • Lao Loum: Literally translated as ‘the valley Laotian.’ Inclusive term for people of Tai stock living in Laos, including lowland Lao and upland Tai. Group of lowland peoples comprising the majority population of Laos; generally used to refer to ethnic Lao, the country's dominant ethnic group (approximately 66 percent of the population according to the 1985 census), and speaking Tai-Kadai languages,including Lao, Lue, Tai Dam (Black Tai), and Tai Deng (Red Tai).
    • Lao Theung: Literally, ‘Laotian of the mountain slopes’; group—including Kammu, Loven, and Lamet—that traditionally lives in medium altitudes, practices swidden, or slash-and-burn agriculture, and speaks Mon-Khmer languages and dialects. According to the 1985 census, approximately 24 percent of the population. Regarded as original inhabitants of Laos, formally referred to by ethnic Lao as kha, or slave. 
    • Lao Sung: Literally translated as ‘the Laotian of the mountain top’—those who traditionally live in the high altitudes in northern Laos. In official use, the term denotes a category of ethnic groups that speak Tibeto-Burmese, Miao-Yao languages; chiefly the Hmong (q.v.) group of highland or upland minorities but also the Mien (Yao) and Akha. According to the 1985 census, these groups make up approximately 10 percent of the population.
  3. Teacher: Let’s review a photo from each of the ethnic groups. I want you to take what you know about each of the groups so far and match the photo to the ethnic group classification: Lao Laum, Lao Theung, or Lao Sung. Once you have matched the group and photo, also share your reasoning for the matching. (Teachers are encouraged to use the Library of Congress Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Photographs & Prints to guide students in analyzing (Observe, Reflect, Question) the photos https://ucdavis.box.com/s/iq3w9ma1ho6uij0naf80esgomqp7yiui/.)
    1. Image #1
    2. Image #2
    3. Image #3
  4. Students: Think-Pair-Share - students work with a partner to share their classification and elaborate on reasoning for selecting the ethnic group for each photo.
  5. Whole Class: Have a class discussion on the classifications and reasonings and correctly identify the groups for each image.
    • Which group did you and your partner decide for Image 1 and why? (Answer: Lao Loum)
    • Which group did you and your partner decide for Image 2 and why?(Answer: Khumu of Lao Theung)
    • Which group did you and your partner decide for Image 3 and why? (Answer: Mien of Lao Sung)

 

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION (Day 2 - 45-50 minutes)

  1. Teacher: Introduce the Group Research Project. Share with students that they will work with three to four classmates to do further research on their assigned subgroup and then select a medium of their choice to create and/or present a final product (details are below under Cultural Production): 
    • Write a song - Chorus written as a group, verses written in pairs or individually.
    • Diary entry and illustration - Student writes a diary entry from one person’s point of view, reads a partner's diary entry and creates an illustration for that person’s diary entry.
    • Students record a podcast (or some other form of recording) to showcase their knowledge.
    • Teacher will consider a proposal for some other assessment, as long as the student is able to answer at least two of the compelling/supporting questions thoughtfully.
  2. Students will read the provided sources but will also need to do some additional research about their assigned group. Give students the following categories to help them with their research and note-taking:

 

CULTURAL PRODUCTION

  1. Teacher: Go over the different final product options, groups can choose their choice of medium to share their learnings of their assigned ethnic group of Laos:
    • Option 1) Song/Poem -- The whole group would write the chorus together, drawing from notes and discussions on one or two of the compelling/supporting questions. Pairs/individuals from the group could work together to create a verse from the point of view of someone in one of the primary source images, being sure to address at least one compelling and one supporting question. (Students can explore poetry writing using activities from Read, Think, Write powered by NCTE https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/april-national-poetry-month.) 
    • Option 2) Diary entry -- Students could write a diary entry from the point of view of at least one of the groups we studied. Students would then find a partner who would read their diary entry, and create an illustration that goes with their partner’s diary entry. Between the diary entry and the illustration, the students should address at least one compelling and one supporting question.
    • Option 3) Podcast -- Guided by some questions from the teacher, a pair of students record a podcast. For example, one student could interview the other. Both of the students could roleplay characters drawn from the primary sources, or one student could be drawn from the primary sources, and the other student could be themselves, a news reporter, or anyone else, as long as the students answer at least one of the compelling and one of the supporting questions in their podcast. (Teachers can access guide to teaching podcasting from NPR https://www.npr.org/2018/11/15/662116901/teaching-podcasting-a-curriculum-guide-for-educators.)
    • Option 4) A student-requested-project, approved by the teacher, where the student answers at least one compelling and one supporting question.

 

CONCLUSIVE DIALOGUE 

  1. Have students present their final product for the class. Students will be assessed based on the following criteria:
    • Students researched and took notes on the five categories: Geographic Distribution, Origin/History, Language, Culture, Successes/Challenges, & Citations.
    • Students followed the directions for their choice of medium.
    • Students addressed at least of the compelling/supporting questions. 
    • Students provided at least three pieces of evidence from the primary sources.
    • Students worked/presented collaboratively together.
  2. Options for presentation: whole class/small group discussion, Lines of Communication, or Give One/Get One.

Groups of students will be assigned an ethnic minority group of Laos (Lao Lao Sung, Lao Loum and Lao Theung) and create a group collaborative research presentation (using a medium of their choice: song, diary entry, or podcast) to share with the class. Students will address the compelling question and one of the supporting questions using at least three pieces of evidence from the primary sources.

  • Engagement: Consider the following method to support with lesson engagement:
    • Create cooperative learning groups with clear goals, roles, and responsibilities

 

  • Representation: Consider the following method to support with multiple means of representation:
    • Use outlines, graphic organizers, unit organizer routines, concept organizer routines, and concept mastery routines to emphasize key ideas and relationships
    • Embed support for vocabulary and symbols within the text (e.g., hyperlinks or footnotes to definitions, explanations, illustrations, previous coverage, translations)

 

  • Action and Expression: Consider the following method to support in presenting their learning in multiple ways:
    • Use of assessment checklists, scoring rubrics, and multiple examples of annotated student work/performance examples

 

For additional ideas to support your students, check out the UDL Guidelines at CAST (2018)  http://udlguidelines.cast.org. 

  • Emerging: Consider the following method to support with emerging students:
    • Reading: Highlight key points in a text
      • In a shared or interactive writing format, chart out characters, setting, problem, and events (including orientation, complication, and resolution). Add theme, as appropriate.
    • Speaking: Encourage participation in group chants, poems and songs

 

  • Expanding: Consider the following method to support with expanding students:
    • Reading: Teach skimming for specific information
    • Speaking: Use varied presentation formats such as role plays
      • Students demonstrate understanding of events or characters through roleplay. In a choreographed tableau, ​a group of models or motionless figures represents a scene from a story or from history, slowly transitioning from one scene to another. When tapped on the shoulder, the posing performer addresses the audience to say who they are or what they’re doing in the tableau. Speaker returns to pose before the performers morph into the next pose. 

 

  • Bridging: Consider the following method to support with bridging students:
    • Reading: Use focused questions to guide reading
      • Students use inquiry posing their own questions and wonderings to guide shared research experiences. 
    • Speaking: Include oral presentations in the content classroom

 

For additional guidance around scaffolding for multilingual learners, please consult the following resources:

  1. The New Way: Today, the official system contains four different ethnolinguistic groups. These are Lao-Tai (the original Lao Loum), Mon-Khmer (mainly Lao Theung), Hmong-Mien (Lao Soung), and Chinese-Tibetan. Have students explore Laos ethnic groups today, the physical landscape of the country, and the impact on the cultural makeup and ethnic diversity of Laos. 

 

  1. California Connection: Have students analyze the supplement brief “The Working Lives and Struggles of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California: Lao Americans” (https://ucdavis.box.com/s/gg07f34nrf7l4koo9gcdxx775fzacyfb) to understand the Lao American population in California.

 

  1. Do Something: Have students research and explore their community’s demographics. Ask: What challenges does our community face as a result of its diversity or lack of diversity? Have students report their findings and recommend approaches to meeting the community’s needs, including ways to facilitate awareness and understanding of important or sensitive issues. Some ways students could report their findings include: write a report, create a bulletin board, plan a campaign or host a town hall meeting.

Asian American Initiative. 2022. Asian American studies K-12 framework.  https://asianamericanresearchinitiative.org/asian-american-studies-curriculum-framework/ 

Britannica Kids. (n.d.). Laos. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Laos/345723 

Britt, K. 2020c, May 11. English learner toolkit of strategies. California County Superintendents.  https://cacountysupts.org/english-learner-toolkit-of-strategies/ 

California Department of Education. 2021. Ethnic studies model curriculum. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/esmc.asp 

California Department of Education & English Learner Support Division. 2012. California English Language Development standards (Electronic Edition) kindergarten through grade 12 (F. Ong & J. McLean, Eds.). California Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/documents/eldstndspublication14.pdf

California Educators Together. (n.d.). ELA / ELD framework. https://www.caeducatorstogether.org/resources/6537/ela-eld-framework

CAST. 2018. The UDL guidelines. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Facts and Details. (n.d.). Ethnic groups and minorities in Laos. https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Laos/sub5_3c/entry-2962.html 

Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. 1995. Laos: A country study (A. M. Savada, Ed., 3rd ed.). Washington, DC. https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/frd/frdcstdy/la/laoscountrystudy00sava_0/laoscountrystudy00sava_0.pdf 

San Diego County Office of Education. (n.d.). Providing appropriate scaffolding.  https://www.sdcoe.net/educators/multilingual-education-and-global-achievement/oracy-toolkit/providing-appropriate-scaffolding#scaffolding

Sexias, P. & Morton, T. 2013. The big six: Historical thinking concepts. Nelson Education.

Tulare County Office of Education. (n.d.). Strategies for ELD. https://commoncore.tcoe.org/Content/Public/doc/Alpha-CollectionofELDStrategies.pdf 

Supplementary Resources

Library of Congress. (n.d.). Teacher’s guides and analysis tools: Primary source analysis tools for students.  https://www.loc.gov/programs/teachers/getting-started-with-primary-sources/guides/ 

Nakatomi & Associates. 2019, November 30. The working lives and struggles of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California: Lao Americans. [Supplemental brief]. The James Irvine Foundation. https://www.irvine.org/wp-content/uploads/Lao-Brief-Final-1.pdf 

North State Public Radio. 2023, January 6. Teaching podcasting: A curriculum guide for educators. Retrieved November 3, 2023. https://www.npr.org/2018/11/15/662116901/teaching-podcasting-a-curriculum-guide-for-educators 

Read, Write, Think. (n.d.). April is national poetry month!. NCTE. Accessed on November 3, 2023.  https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/april-national-poetry-month

US Department of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. 2000 September. Background notes: Laos.  https://1997-2001.state.gov/background_notes/laos_0009_bgn.html

Model Curriculum

Hmong History and Cultural Studies

Standard(s)

HSS 6.6 RI.7.1 W.8.6 WL.CL2.S: Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives

Grade(s)

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8