Show Lao pride through education

As everybody knows, every New Year some of us make a New Year’s Resolution in an attempt to change our lives in some way, shape or form. Some of our resolution involves issues such as health, relationship, money, or personal goals. For the first couple of months, some of us will stick to our resolution or work as hard as hell to pretend like we are succeeding in our goals. However, half way through the year, the newness and excitement wears off and we start to forget what it is that we wanted to change and the reason behind it. I think the most important thing to remember when it comes to making a resolution is to make one about something you feel passionate about and is achieveable.

My most important resolution is to increase Lao pride through education. When it comes to college education, Southeast Asians meaning us, has the smallest number of college graduates as compared to other Asians. Also, Laotians has the highest high school drop out rates among other Asians. We have to stop this trend. We have to make education our number one priority among our group. We all love being Lao and say we have pride. If that is the case let us do it by getting our education and be positive role models for the younger Lao generations. Let them have more educated Lao people to look up to or aspire to be like instead of just seeing only a handful of Lao people who are doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, or inventors.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to show what you are made of, not by how big your house is, how much money you have, how nice your car is or how much bling bling you wear. All those things can be lost, taken, sold, or barter away, but education is something that is yours forever.

Carabao song

One of my favorite song is by Carabao about the similarity of Thai/Khmer/Laotian/Vietnamese culture.  I love the message of unity.  I believe I have posted this before but I’m going to do it again because I like message.

What constitutes being called a mae jaeng?

Recently, one of my readers mentioned that she was called a mae jaeng by her parents and it was over things she did that really did not warrant it. Noi stated, “They think I’m imperfect, a smart aleck, they called me a “slut” or “mae jang” even though I haven’t done anything”. When I read this, it had me thinking about how  some Laotians often use these words, “mae jaeng” or “heekill” in their dialogue without thinking or caring how it effects the other people.  These words can be considered very deragatory by American standards as well as Laotians.  For example, the word “mae jaeng” refers to a hooker, a prostitute. When you call someone a “mae jaeng” you are in a sense trying to imply that they have the manners or behavior of a prostitute. I have heard many people use that term in an insulting as well as a joking manner. This can be said the same thing for the word “heekill”. Both terms are usually understood to mean slutty.  By American standards, a parent does not usually think it is slutty if their kids are a smart aleck, imperfect, or talking to boys.  However, in some Laotian community, you are considered slutty if you talk to boys, hold hands, kiss, or hang out with “bad” people (people who smoke, drink, have sex etc). Even the way you dress, even if it is not revealing,can result in you being called a “heekill” by some Lao people if it is something THEY think is not acceptable. For example, when I was in my early teens, one of  the fashion rage was stone wash jeans with holes in it. We would keep washing the jeans until it was soft and worn out and then we would purposely scratch on the little tears until it got bigger and longer to make a hole above the knee.  Nowadays, you can actually buy pants with that worn out look and it’s considered fashion, but back in my Laotian community, in the eighties it was considered bad because we were ” defying” authority for dressing the way we want and not how they wanted. I remember my dad commenting, “kau been heekill that” (why are you being slutty). Even though I wasn’t showing anything, he would say that to show his displeasure of me doing what I want and not what he wanted which was to dress a certain way.

I think when it comes to the words, “mae jaeng” and “heekill” some Laotian parents thoughtlessly use it to refer to their own kids without any consideration of how that will affect their kids. They usually say these words to show their displeasure over what THEY percieve as an unacceptable behavior  or to put or remind their children of their place in society.  Of course, not all Laotian parents used these terms to express their discontent about their children’s behavior.  I think sometimes Laotian parents use this terms to “shock” their kids in compliance, or to remind them what is expected of them. For example, when I was a teen I wanted to go to the boon (Lao party) but when I would ask for my mom to take me she would answer, “kau heekill that”  meaning only “bad” girls want to party.  It didn’t matter that she would be there and other adults. Most American teens would be horrified at the thought of going to a party with their parents.

What constitutes being called a “mae jaeng” or a “heekill”? In some Laotian community, you don’t even have to sleep around to be called a slut, just hanging out with boys can get you labeled. Are Laotian parents less sensitive to their kid’s feelings?

Me on the left wearing one of my stoned washed jeans I later "scratch" to make holes in. My dad would get all riled up.

Che Trailer

Benicio Del Toro will star in the new movie about about the revolutionary Che Guevara. He actually won the Best Actor award at the 2008 Cannes Festival. The movie centers around Che’s revolutionary activites to overthrow the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in Cuba. Once he disposed of Batista, Che tried to incite other people in Africa and South America to overthrow their own ruler. Eventually, Che was assassinated by counter-insurgency rangers in the mountains of Bolivia, who was backed by the United States’ CIA.

I first became interested in looking at the historical background of Che after watching the movie “Motorcycle Diaries” which started Gael Garcia. The movie centers on the reason/motivation why Che completely changed career of becoming a doctor to a revolutionary leader. Gael Garcia does a tremendous job in the role, enough for me to become interested in the the real Che. If you haven’t gotten the chance, watch “Motorcycle Diaries” first before watching the new movie starring Benicio, who is another talented artist. He definitely has the range and ability to portray the complexity of Che. I am excited to see this movie.