A featured image for Laotian American National Alliance

Laotian American National Alliance

  • HQ

    Woonsocket, RI

  • Founded

    1999

Mission
Build social, economic and political equity for people with roots from Laos in America* through increased visibility, strategic partnerships and organizing power.‍

‍Vision
People with roots from Laos in America* are a powerful and thriving community.

*We recognize that people with roots from Laos may not self identify as Laotian and that the term stems from the French colonialist occupation of the country now called Laos. The French used the term “Laotian” to aggregate over 160 different ethnic groups in the country, of which Lao is only one.

In 1999, community leaders with roots from Laos gathered to establish a national organization. Today, as a national community-based non-profit, we amplify the underrepresented voices and empower our multi-ethnic community through education, visibility, and collaboration. We set up specific goals to ensure we make our vision a reality:

  • Promote civic participation, education, and leadership across the Laotian American community
  • Advocate for social justice, equal opportunity, and fair treatment for all multi-ethnic groups from Laos
  • Develop a new generation of non-profit, public sector, and corporate leaders
  • Advance coalitions and community building efforts
  • Increase funding support for Laotian community-based organizations