LaoAmericans

Cultural barriers of first generation Laotian women leaders in the U.S.: An exploratory qualitative study

“Anasone is one of the most devoted teachers I have had the pleasure of working with. She believes that every student can and should be challenged to think at higher levels and provides a sound basis for education to excel from. She is my mentor and my friend and I feel honored to learn from her.”

After completing high school in Irving, TX, I left for California to attend Pepperdine University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine. I then attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

I was born in Laos and arrived in Seattle, Washington at the age of seven. As far as I can remember, my first day of school was full of awe and wonder. I had no idea what I was doing or what anyone was saying because I’ve never been schooled nor did I speak any English. A week later, I learned that neither my classmates nor teacher knew what to say to me. My teacher or the school administrators didn’t know how to teach me and my older sister because we made up two of the three Lao students at the school.