Laotians in France
ຄົນລາວຝຣັ່ງເສດ | |
---|---|
Total population | |
200,000 (2019) Asians in France |
Laotians in France (Lao: ຄົນລາວຝຣັ່ງເສດ) consist of people of Lao ancestry who were born in or immigrated to France. The population as of 2019 is estimated to be 200,000.[3]
The Laotian community in France forms the most established overseas Laotian population outside of Southeast Asia, with a presence in the country dating to before the end of the Laotian Civil War and mass refugee migration that resulted from it.[4]
History
The presence of Laotian people in France began during the early 20th century, when Laos was a
Following Laotian independence in 1953 and the Geneva Accords, a significant number of Lao continued to immigrate to France. This wave of migrants initially consisted of those loyal to the colonial government, followed by students and middle class entrepreneurs who arrived throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Community organizations were established by this group of migrants to better serve Laotian immigrant and expatriate needs, and would form the base of Laotian cultural institutions for later immigrants.[6]
However, the largest influx of Laotians immigrated to France following the Vietnam War and communist takeover of their homeland. France was an ideal destination for Laotian refugees who were educated or formed part of the elite and middle class in the home nation, while poorer refugees tended to emigrate to North America and Australia through the assistance of the American, Canadian and Australian governments.[7] By the beginning of the 1980s, 25,000 Laotian refugees had arrived in France. Lao Buddhist temples and associations established by immigrants who had arrived in France prior to the refugee influx had an effect in helping these arrivals adjust to life in a new country and have served as vital cultural and community centers.[8]
Culture and demographics
Unlike their counterpart communities in the
The majority of Laotians in France live in
Laotian Buddhist temples serve as community and cultural centers for the Laotian population in France, and important traditional holidays such as
Politics
While the rate of naturalization among Laotian immigrants is high, the community is not actively involved in French politics. Instead, many in the generation of refugees tend to closely monitor politics in Laos. Additionally, the community is largely anti-communist and opposes the one-party rule of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party in the home country since the end of the Laotian Civil War.[13] Earlier Lao immigrants and expatriates to France historically played important roles in shaping the politics of Laos during the early and mid-20th century.
As a result of the community's well-established presence in its host country compared to other Western nations where Laotian refugees and immigrants settled, the Laotian French community has played a key role in serving as a model to assist counterpart diaspora communities with integration through socioeconomic and community organizational links. Laotian community leaders in France also founded l'Organisation Laotienne pour les Réfugiés et la Concorde nationale (OLREC) in 1990 to advocate for the resettlement of remaining Lao refugees still in camps to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.[14]
Notable individuals
- Willy Denzey, singer
- Billy Ketkeophomphone, football player
- Kayane, fighting games player and journalist
See also
- France–Laos relations
- History of Laos
- French Laos, French protectorate of Laos
- French language in Laos
- Asian diasporas in France
References
Notes
- ^ "Présentation du Laos" [Presentation of Laos] (in French). France: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- ^ "Lao Buddhist organisations in France", World Buddhist Directory, Buddha Dharma Education Association, 2006, retrieved 2010-11-11
- ^ "Présentation du Laos" [Presentation of Laos] (in French). France: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- ^ Carine Hahn, Le Laos, Karthala, 1999, page 77
- ^ Hahn 1999, p. 77
- ^ Bouvier & Smith 2006, p. 83
- ^ Knowledge of Immigrant Nationalities of Santa Clara County (KIN) - Laos Archived 2013-12-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Baix, Catherine. Un monastère bouddhiste lao dans la banlieue de Paris, 7 October 1986. (in French)
- ^ a b "Life in a foreign city can be difficult but Lao culture still prevails", Lao Voices, 7 January 2012, archived from the original on 2013-03-15, retrieved 2013-06-22
- ^ La jeunesse lao de France, quelle identité? (in French)
- ^ Bouvier & Smith 2006, p. 47
- ^ Nouvel an Lao (in French)
- ^ Bouvier & Smith 2006, p. 103
- ^ Chekroun, Randa. Le Laos, ses richesses, sa diaspora et son succès face à la Covid-19, Forim, 15 Oct 2020. (in French)
Sources
- Bouvier, Hélène; Smith, Glenn (2006), "Ethnographie des réfugiés Lao en milieu urbain" (PDF), in Smith, Glenn; Bouvier, Hélène (eds.), Ethnicité: Regards entrecroisés, Pdii-lipi & Lasema, pp. 47–108, ISBN 978-979-3688-57-2, retrieved 2009-03-20. A study of Laotian refugees in Paris.
- Hahn, Carine (1999), Le Laos, Karthala, ISBN 9782865378586
- International migration database, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2004, archived from the original on 2011-05-04, retrieved 2008-11-10
Further reading
- Smith, Glenn (2006), "Les budgets et la consommation de neuf familles Lao réfugiées en France" (PDF), in Smith, Glenn; Bouvier, Hélène (eds.), Ethnicité: Regards entrecroisés, Pdii-lipi & Lasema, pp. 109–150, ISBN 978-979-3688-57-2, retrieved 2009-03-20