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Transcription: [01:05:34]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 1"}
--from Laos and other parts of the country.
[01:05:36]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
Right now? [[foreign language]]
[01:05:45]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 3"}
[[foreign language]]
[01:05:51]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
He try to write a letter two or three times, send back to Laos, they didn't answer anything.
[01:05:56]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
But to me I still have one sister living there, I still write a letter to them--to her
[01:06:04]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
and she reply me that uh it is very hard life to live, uh, living there,
[01:06:13]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
because they just change everything and you have to adjust your life to the other system, so it very hard.
[01:06:23]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
I don't want to talk too much about this.
[01:06:26]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 1"}
Does he keep in contact with Laotians in this country?
[01:06:30]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 4"}
With Khmu in the United States.
[01:06:33]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
I don't think so. The Khmu in Laos, right?
[01:06:38]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 4"}
No, she's asking, do they have contact with Khmu in other cities in the United States.
[01:06:44]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
Oh, between Khmu and Khmu, yeah, yeah we do.
[01:06:48]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
Especially, Stockton and Richmond, we living close together and every year we have a New Years celebration.
[01:06:55]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
So we take turn. Like last year we set up in Richmond and this year's will be in Stockton.
[01:07:05]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
And next year's will be in Richmond. And also in uh Washington State, in Seattle, they have some Khmu living there.
[01:07:16]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
We try to do that but it's very hard time, it's long trip to go there.
[01:07:21]
{SPEAKER name="Other speaker"}
How long have you been in the United States and how did you get out of Laos and were you able to find jobs and a place to live and everything when you came to the United States?
[01:07:30]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
Oh, when I came to United States? Uh-huh. You know, I will tell you a short story about my life.
[01:07:42]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
I have been escape from the communists too many times, they keep chasing and chasing.
[01:07:48]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
About three times in the country, and the fourth time just escape from Laos to Thailand.
[01:07:55]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
And living in Thailand for five years in the camp, you just live like a pig.
[01:08:00]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
After eat and sleep, sleep and eat, you cannot go anywhere.
[01:08:04]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
And for five years in the camp I apply for the immigration for United States and I came to United States here
[01:08:12]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
since the Khmu people used to have a big family, so they don't have any skill of the work.
[01:08:21]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
When they come here they have to learn more, and it's very hard for them to learn.
[01:08:28]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
Like Talik and Tali, they don't know how to read and write in Laos, so for me it's a little bit better because I have been educated for uh six or seven years in uh elementary school,
[01:08:46]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
and I came here, I just work a little bit part time, and go to school and take course like electronic course.
[01:08:58]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
I just earn my electronic certificate this summer, so I hope I can find a job for next 50 year (laughs).
[01:09:06]
{SPEAKER name="Other speaker"}
Let's get back to the festival for a minute. What-- When you go home tomorrow, what will you tell the people in Stockton and the people in Richmond about what happened here?
[01:09:18]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
[[foreign language]]
[01:09:30]
{SPEAKER name="Other speaker"}
[[foreign language]]
[01:10:37]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
He'll uh tell the other people that he's very excited to see all of our friend in the festival, uh and uh including like food;
[01:10:51]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
it's a little bit strange that he never (laughs) eat--because Khmu food is spicy and too much salt.
[01:11:01]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
And American food so tastes like (laughs) bland for us because we used to eat too much salt, and when you eat a little bit salt like, it don't taste uh good.
[01:11:14]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
So right now to me it begins better and better since I came here. For two weeks, the first weeks, it was very strange for me.
[01:11:24]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
After I eat lunch or um dinner, I feel still hungry because (laughs) it tastes--it means nothing for the taste.
[01:11:37]
{SPEAKER name="Speaker 2"}
And right now it's getting better and better.