The 20 elders who participated in (re)Location are first-generation Lao Americans and Korean Americans who migrated to the United States as adults during the 1970s and 1980s. They were between the ages of 19 and 60 at the time of their arrival in the U.S. and between 59 and 94 at the time of their (re)Location interviews. The participants were recruited through the researchers’ personal relationships and community networks, rather than through broad outreach or open invitation to the Lao and Korean communities.
The elders completed demographic surveys, followed by interviews where they shared their experiences of leaving their countries of origin, arriving in the U.S., and establishing their lives here. They also discussed their perspectives on family, community, American society, and their sense of home and identity as non-native Americans. Finally, they created drawings based on prompts related to their sense of identity and presented artifacts that held personal and/or cultural significance.
Further Breakdown: Lao
Pathways to the U.S.
- Refugee program: 6
- Tourist visa: 2
- Work visa: 1
- Sponsorship from U.S.-based family: 1
- Spouse and children: 4
- Spouse, children, and in-laws: 1
- Spouse and in-laws: 1
- Parent(s): 2
- Children: 1
- No companions: 1
U.S. Citizenship
- Yes: 10
Voting Participation
- Regularly: 5
- Sometimes: 3
- Never: 2
Affiliation with Religious Networks
- Buddhist Temple: 9
- None: 1
Further Breakdown: Korean
Pathways to the U.S.
- Sponsorship from U.S.-based family: 8
- Work visa: 1
- Unknown: 1
- Spouse and children: 5
- Spouse: 1
- Parents: 1
- No companions: 3
U.S. Citizenship
- Yes: 10
Voting Participation
- Regularly: 7
- Sometimes: 1
- Never: 2
Affiliation with Religious Networks
- Christian church: 8
- None: 2
