The Culture Series: People and Culture of Laos

Looking at a map, Laos doesn’t look like much. With no coastline, little infrastructure, and a history of being the most bombed country in world history, it doesn’t seem to have much to offer. But what Laos is known for is its quiet, laid-back culture and universal friendliness. The people are quiet. They don’t like to show anger or displeasure. They rarely honk their horns, even in bad traffic. Even the poorest of students will invite anyone and everyone to sit with them for lunch if they simply pass by the classroom.

In Laos, there are three main people groups that assemble themselves more or less into a caste system, 49 people groups officially recognized by the communist Lao Government, and 111–154 people groups that have been identified by Lao researchers and scholars. The Lao people are typically very spiritual and superstitious. Prestige and honor are given to the educated, elders, and the Lao Luem, who are government officials and the top of the caste system. They respect authority and pay attention in school in hopes of greater job potential, and they care for one another in ways that are beyond comprehension. Many foreign teachers are honorary children to the parents of their students.

What kind of impact does all of this have on this generous, loving, community-oriented country? The simplest answer is that fundamentally, Lao people don’t think they have the ability to change or fix anything. Outsiders often think them lazy, but the root is a “why try?” mentality. The Lao people display grace upon grace that encourages and inspires, but it is often from a place of desperation and status quo.