The Laos Culture

Texas is known for its southern hospitality, cattle, steaks, sweet ice teas, and the Cowboys. Within this amazing state is the city of Fort Worth; the seventh largest city in the United States and the fifth largest city of Texas. There are many activities going on in Fort Worth with its diversity, bustling businesses, historical monuments, and political influences. The booming economy brings people from all parts of the nation and the world. With its rich diversity, there is a Laos community that has assimilated to American culture but is still deeply rooted to their heritage. People traveling through this metroplex enjoys the foods and activities. However, there’s a different perception when passing through the Laos community. Some believe

Some of those immigrants live in a small Laos community located in Fort Worth, Texas. The Laos community was established in the late 1980s with the construction of a Buddhist temple, Wat Lao Thipnimith. This brought many families to buy land, build houses, and raise their family among people of the same cultural background and religion. To better understand the community, one must understand their history, culture, and why they immigrated to America. Laos is located in South East Asia sharing it’s borders with Thailand, Combodia, Vietnam, Burma, and China. An agricultural country, the citizens of Laos works in rice, tea, tobacco, and corn fields. The dominate religion is Thervada Buddhism. Before the communism in 1975, Laos was a monarchy country and many people still consider the old flag their symbol and pride. The flag is red with a three headed elephant situated on a five-step pedestal, under a white parasol. The elephant is not only sacred in Laos but it’s a symbolism of the ancient kingdom known as The Kingdom of a Million Elephants. The parasol characterized the monarchy and the five step pedestal symbolized the five main precepts of Buddhism; to abstain from killing, to abstain from taking what is not