Laotian Canadians are
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
citizens of
Laotian origin or descent. In the
2016 Census, 24,580 people indicated Laotian ancestry.
Bilateral relations between
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and
Laos were established in 1954 with the formalization of the independence of the
Kingdom of Laos from France. In August 2015, Canada's first resident diplomat opened the Office of the Embassy of Canada in Vientiane, Laos.
The term Laotian is wide, as it either refers to the people born in Laos and its many ethnicities
9 recognized by Laos(the
Hmong people per example) or, the real term for the majority
Lao Loum
The Lao Loum ( lo, ລາວລຸ່ມ; th, ลาวลุ่ม, , ) is an official Lao People's Democratic Republic designation for lowland dwelling Tai peoples, including the majority Lao people. The Lao Loum, literally meaning 'lowland L ...
(constituting 69% of the country) that is simply Lao. The “S” in
Laos is actually silent, it was added as the plural of Lao during the French unification of the many Lao states in 1947 to form the
Kingdom of Laos (unified from the
Kingdom of Luang Phrabang
The Kingdom of Luang Prabang was formed in 1707 as a result of the split of the Kingdom of Lan Xang. When the kingdom split, Muang Phuan became a tributary state of Luang Prabang. Over the years the monarchy weakened even more, and was force ...
, the
Kingdom of Vientiane
Kingdom of Vientiane was formed in 1707 as a result of the split of the Kingdom of Lan Xang. The kingdom was a Burmese vassal from 1765 to 1824. It then became a Siamese vassal until 1828 when it was annexed by Siam.
History
In 1779, under ...
, the
Kingdom of Champassak
The Kingdom of Champasak (Lao: ຈຳປາສັກ ɕàmpàːsák or Bassac, (1713–1904) was a Lao kingdom under Nokasad, a grandson of King Sourigna Vongsa, the last king of Lan Xang and son-in-law of the Cambodian King Chey Chetth ...
and the principality of
Muan Phuang. All were previously ruled by
Siam
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, and before that were part of the first Lao Kingdom of
Lan Xang
existed as a unified kingdom from 1353 to 1707.
For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The meaning of the kingdom's name alludes to the power of the kingship and formidable war machine of the ea ...
.)
Today, many Lao Canadians (like
Lao Americans and
Laotians in France) claim royal ancestry of the main dynasty of
Khun Lo
Khun Lo, legendary founder of the city of Luang Prabang, was the eldest of the seven sons of the Khun Borom
Khun Borom ( th, ขุนบรม, ) or Khoun Bourôm ( lo, ຂຸນບູຣົມ, ) is a legendary progenitor of the Southwestern ...
such as the
House of Champassak
The House of Champassak or the Na Champassak family ( lo, ນະ ຈຳປາສັກ; th, ณ จัมปาศักดิ์, ) was an important Lao royal house, descendants of Chao Yuttithammathon (Kham Souk), the 11th King of the Kingdom o ...
in these former states.
Lao people have similar food, culture and language to the Thai of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. Across Canada, restaurants serving Thai food are usually owned by Lao people or the ethnic
Isan people. (See the famous
Green papaya salad
Green papaya salad ( km, បុកល្ហុង, lo, ຕຳຫມາກຫຸ່ງ and th, ส้มตำ) is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya. It was possibly created by the Lao people but is eaten throughout Continental ...
)
Most Lao still refer to themselves as Tai (not to be confused with Thai from Thailand), but from the large sub-group of the
Tai people
Tai peoples are the populations who speak (or formerly spoke) the Tai languages. There are a total of about 93 million people of Tai ancestry worldwide, with the largest ethnic groups being Dai, Thais, Isan, Tai Yai (Shan), Lao, Tai Ahom, a ...
. A distinct Lao identity first appeared during the major loss of the
Khorat plateau
The Khorat Plateau ( th, ที่ราบสูงโคราช) is a plateau in the northeastern Thai region of Isan. The plateau forms a natural region, named after the short form of Nakhon Ratchasima, a historical barrier controlling access ...
in 1778 when the Rattanakosin Kingdom (Siam) took over
Vientiane
Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...
and the
Lao rebellion (1826–1828)
The Lao Rebellion of 1826–1828 (also known as Anouvong's Rebellion or the Vientiane-Siam War) was an attempt by King Anouvong (Xaiya Sethathirath V) of the Kingdom of Vientiane to end the suzerainty of Siam and recreate the former kingdom o ...
against Siamese rule. After the failed independence attempt, Rama III implemented forced tattooing to identify the ethnic Lao population and accelerated huge population transfer into what is today Thailand. It would be officially proclaimed during French colonial rule when all states were unified in 1904, thus distinguishing them from
Thais of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
.
Language
Most Lao speak
French because they were once under the
French protectorate of Laos. But many also speak English as well as Spanish (often recent immigrants from Posadas in
Misiones
Misiones (, ''Missions'') is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by Paraguay to the northwest, Brazil to the north, east and south, and Corrientes P ...
,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. See
Asian Argentines
Asian Argentine or Asian Argentinian, are Argentine citizens or residents of Asian ancestry. The vast majority trace their ancestry to West Asia, primarily Lebanon and Syria, and East Asia, namely China and Japan. Though there are other communiti ...
)
The French spoken in Laos (Also called the Lao créole) is based on standard Parisian French but has some minor differences in vocabulary as in other French dialects of Asia. Today, the French spoken in Laos is slightly different from French learned during the colonial period, giving them a little hard time translating in the homeland.
Many Lao can also speak and understand
Thai,
Northern Thai language
Kam Mueang ( nod, , กำเมือง) or Northern Thai language ( th, ภาษาไทยถิ่นเหนือ) is the language of the Northern Thai people of Lanna, Thailand. It is a Southwestern Tai language that is closely rela ...
,
Phuan language
Phuan or Northeastern Lao is a Tai language spoken in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
Distribution
The Phuan (, ''Phouan'', ) are a tribal Tai people originally inhabiting Xiangkhouang and parts of Houaphan provinces of Laos. As a result of slave ...
and
Isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan ( Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 prov ...
. Other dialects related to the Kra-dai languages are also understood, such as
Tai Dam language
Tai Dam (), also known as Black Tai ( th, ภาษาไทดำ; ; vi, tiếng Thái Đen; "Black Tai language"; ), is a Tai language spoken by the Tai Dam in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and China (mostly in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonom ...
in Viet Nam,
Shan in Myanmar,
Ahom in
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, India,
Meitei in
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, and
Chittagong,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
as well as
Dai of the
in
China.
There are also notable communities of
Laotian Chinese that speak the
teochew dialect
Teochew or Chaozhou (, , , Teochew endonym: , Shantou dialect: ) is a dialect of Chaoshan Min, a Southern Min language, that is spoken by the Teochew people in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong and by their diaspora around the world. ...
and Lao with Thai-Persian heritage clustered around Canadian cities.(See the
Iranians in Thailand
Iranian migration to Thailand began as early as the 17th century. Thai citizens of Iranian background or descent may be called in Thai: Khaek Ma-ngon (), Khaek Mahon () or Khaek Chaosen (; "Shia Muslim"). There is a community of Thai people of Iran ...
) These groups came as a result of the
Laotian civil war fleeing the communist takeover.
Migration to Canada
The
Laotian Civil War, also infamously known as the ''Secret War'' by the CIA, sparked the emigration of thousands of Lao. It was a brutal war between the Communist
Pathet Lao and the
Royal Lao Army
The Royal Lao Army (french: Armée royale du Laos – ARL), also designated by its anglicized title RLA, was the Land Component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasi ...
. From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than two million tons of ordnance on Laos during 580,000 bombing missions—equal to a planeload of bombs every eight minutes, 24-hours a day, for nine years – making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history.
Mass migration from Laos to Cambodia peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s, consisting of both government-sponsored and privately sponsored refugees from camps in Thailand, where they had fled to due to the
Laotian Civil War and the final victory of the
Pathet Lao. Between the 1970s and early 1980s many Canadian families, especially in Quebec, sponsored many Lao. But by the 1990s, most refugees in the camps were instead repatriated to Laos. Canada took in 12,793 Laotian refugees.
The Lao community is well assimilated to Canadian culture especially in the province of Quebec. This resulted in many mixed couples having children of mixed heritage.
Demography
Most migrants consisted of young families; there were few elderly among them. A significant proportion were drawn from among the
community of ethnic Chinese in Laos.
Most of the communities are settled in and more often outside of big Canadians cities such as
Burnaby
Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...
and
Surrey in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
,
Kitchener, Ontario
)
, image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg
, image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg
, image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg
, image_blank_emblem = Logo of Kitchener, Ontario.svg
, blank_emblem_type = ...
, where 995 Laotian Canadians live (0.004% of its population),
Kitchener,_City_[Census_subdivision
_Ontario_and_Ontario_[Province.html" ;"title="ensus subdivision">Kitchener, City [Census subdivision
Ontario and Ontario [Province">ensus subdivision">Kitchener, City [Census subdivision
Ontario and Ontario [Province, Statistics Canada Markham, Ontario, Markham and Calgary. In Quebec, most live in the North Shore (Montreal).
Demographics
Religion
Buddhism
Laotian migrants in Canada mostly follow Theravada Buddhism
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
with a mixture of animism also known as Tai folk religion
The Tai folk religion, or Satsana Phi ( lo, ສາສະໜາຜີ, links=no; th, ศาสนาผี, links=no, , "religion of spirits"), or Ban Phi ( Ahom: 𑜈𑜃𑜫 𑜇𑜣) is a form of animist religious beliefs intermixed with Buddh ...
, though Mahayana Buddhists
''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...
are also found among those of Laotian Chinese ethnicity.
In 1990, British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
had no Laotian Buddhist temple; the nearest was a Laotian American
Laotian Americans ( lo, ຄົນອາເມລິກາລາວ) are Americans who trace their ancestry to Laos. Laotian Americans are included in the larger category of Asian Americans. The major immigrant generation were generally refugees ...
temple in Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. Within Canada, Laotian Buddhist temples have been opened in Sainte-Julienne, Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...
, Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, and Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
.
Christianity
There are perhaps 500 Christians, most of whom converted while living in refugee camps. Christianity is spreading within the community. Recent immigrants from Posadas, Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
of Lao descent mostly follows Roman Catholicism.
Islam
There is a growing community of Lao Muslims living in Canada. They are mostly Sunni and Ibadi
The Ibadi movement or Ibadism ( ar, الإباضية, al-Ibāḍiyyah) is a school of Islam. The followers of Ibadism are known as the Ibadis.
Ibadism emerged around 60 years after the Islamic prophet Muhammad's death in 632 AD as a moderate sc ...
. Many of whom were born in Laos and are of Indonesian, Thai, Katang (see the Katang people
The Katang (Kataang) ( lo, ຊົນເຜົ່າກະຕາງ; ) are an ethnic group predominantly living in Laos. A few live elsewhere in Southeast Asia. In 2015 there were 144,255 living in Laos, making them one of the largest subgroups of ...
) and Malaysian descent.
See also
*Asian Canadians
Asian Canadians are Canadians who were either born in or can trace their Ancestor, ancestry to Asia, the continent of Asia. Canadians with Asian ancestry comprise both the largest and fastest growing group in Canada, after European Canadians, wi ...
References
Notes
Further reading
*
*
*
{{Laotian diaspora
Laotian
Laotian diaspora
Asian Canadian