The Lao American Writers Summit is an interdisciplinary convening that explores both the history and contemporary issues of Lao immigrant and refugees in the United States. Having already taken place in; Minnesota, San Diego, and Seattle, this exciting summit features presentations by artists, researchers, and community members examining the diverse perspectives and contributions of Lao-Americans towards our collective narratives.

 

Marking the 45 years of Lao Americans in the U.S., 2020’s theme is “Showing Up + Showing Out” a reflection of the ways in which we, as individuals and organizational collectives within our communities, have shown and continue to show up to support each other in our endeavors. In addition, the Summit is also expanding this year’s title to “Lao American Writers + Other Creatives” (LAWS+) to include artists whose works aren’t centered on literary publication.

 

We're excited to announce this year’s Keynote Speaker is founder of the Laos Angeles collective, director, writer, producer, actress Kulap Vilaysack.

 

To recognize the stories being told about our communities.

Goal #2

Giving names and faces to these powerful storytellers to support the platforms they are capable of holding, while allowing our collective audience to grow exponentially and succeed together.

 
Goal #3

To raise funding in order to cover Summit necessities such as; travel and accommodations for out-of-town guest speakers, digital and printed marketing materials in both English and Lao, food and refreshments for guests for 3 days, audio and tech support, and transportation.