French Lao and their transnational humanitarian activities in Laos: between illusions and disillusionment

Abstract

The studies on overseas Lao who left Laos after the 1975 political events have generally focused on these migrants’ social incorporation in their receiving countries and on the dynamics of their intergenerational transmission. On the contrary, the present article explores the links that these migrants maintain with Laos, by examining the case of French Lao and their transnational humanitarian activities. It is based on a multi-sited ethnography conducted with the associations they created to support the population of Laos. Adopting Carling’s concept of “asymmetries” (2008), it analyses the relationships between these “developers” and the “beneficiaries” of the associations’ projects. The French Lao’ involvement stems from their illusions that run up against the ambivalent welcome they receive in the field. The subsequent misunderstandings between them and the local population generate disillusionment and critical, mutual evaluations.