The Laotian American Organization (LAO) at UCLA proudly presents

REFUGEE NATION

Written and performed by Leilani Chan and Ova Saopeng
Based on the stories of Laotian Refugees and their descendants

A mother lives in the darkness of a South Los Angeles apartment. An Army General struggles to forget a lost war. A son battles in the streets of urban America. Refugee Nation is about a young generation struggling to understand their history and the silence of an elder generation still healing from the traumas of the U.S. waged Secret War in Laos during the Vietnam War era.

More than just a telling of Laotian American history, the two-person performance eloquently touches upon issues relating to the refugee experience, assimilation, generation gap, and mental health using drama, film, music, and audience interaction, and personalizes these issues through a genuine Laotian American perspective. The result is a product that not only brings to light the hidden stories of Laotian Americans around the U.S., but one that is able to unite people from all types of backgrounds, ethnicities, and histories by relaying the ideas of change, loss, struggle, healing, and the unrelenting strength of the human spirit.

As we reach a new decade, the Refugee Nation continues to grow. With the certainty of new refugee arrivals coming from the Middle East, what can we learn from the wounds of a war 30 years ago that are still yet to be healed?

For more information on Refugee Nation, please visit their website at www.refugeenation.com

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EVENT INFORMATION

Location: Ackerman Grand Ballroom, UCLA
Date: Monday, February 01, 2010
Time: 7:30 PM (Doors open at 7:00 PM)
Admission: The event is open and free to the public.

Parking:
Ackerman Grand Ballroom is conveniently located next to UCLA Parking Lots 9 and 6. All day parking permits may be purchased at the parking kiosk on Westwood Blvd. & Strathmore for $10. Pay by space parking is also available in Lot 6 at the same daily rate. Please see map for more details.

For more information please contact Leslie at laoatucla@gmail.com or via phone at 714-383-4543.

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The following event was made possible through the following campus partners: Campus Programs Committee, USA/BOD Programming Fund, UCLA Asian American Studies Center, UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies, UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures, and the Critical Asian Pacific Islander Students for Action (CAPSA).