The following quote came from an article on the CIA website on CIA Air Operations in Laos, 1955-1974. On December 29, 1960 after the Soviets began supporting Kong Le, a Neutralist who was being supported by the communist Pathet Lao, Admiral Felt cabled the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"With full realization of the seriousness of the decision to intervene, I believe strongly that we must intervene now or give up northern Laos. If we lose Laos we will probably lose Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia. We will have demonstrated to the world that we cannot or will not stand when challenged. The effect will soon then be felt throughout Asia, Latin America, and Africa."
Laos is important because students need to better understand and contextualize the Secret War and why, as Admiral Felt stated, the U.S. felt in the early 60's that Laos was the key cold war domino in Southeast Asia, not Vietnam.
Laos and Southeast Asia are important because they include geologically and ecologically diverse areas of study, are the starting place of many new immigrants to the U.S., offer an opportunity to introduce students to the issues of developing nations in a concrete way, and are politically diverse and culturally and religiously rich.
Additionally, research and pedagogical practice show that if educators are disconnected from the home-family-community identities and contexts of the students they teach, especially those who are immigrants, then they can neither reach them in meaningful ways, nor tap their rich, sociocultural knowledge to share with others in the classroom (Kiang, 1997; Trueba, Rodriguez, Zou, & Cintron, 1993). Yet, most educators in the U.S. have had little exposure to authentic Southeast Asian perspectives through our formal education and professional development. Without opportunities for focused travel/study, the awareness of and knowledge base in these areas is typically constrained by media images and personal experience.
Laos and Southeast Asia’s history are one of “syncretism”, that is, of peoples synthesizing different cultural/religious/ philosophical forms and values into new, unique and enduring patterns of life. Situated at a crossroads position between the world of China and India and on major trade routes taken by Muslim merchants, SEA peoples have responded historically by integrating new religious ideas and values, foods, arts, industries and other cultural practices into their own to create some of the most fascinating lifestyles to be found anywhere in the world. For our students, the example of peoples working through a system based less on assimilation into the majority and more on incorporating new and valuable ideas while maintaining people’s core identities, is a valuable one to consider.
Students need to know and understand that global issues and challenges exist and affect their lives. Laos and Southeast Asia provide excellent examples on how global issues and challenges are interrelated, complex, and changing. For example, Laos has historically been referred to as a landlocked country. What does that mean and imply about Laos? But now, contemporary Laos likes to refer to itself as being a landlinked country. What does that mean and imply?
At the core of all contemporary international and global studies are two concepts, change and interdependence. The metaphor of a spider’s web applies well to today’s global problems and challenges. Touch the web anywhere and it vibrates everywhere. Similarly, if one “touches” any global issue, one can realize its connectedness or interdependence with another. As University of Chicago psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states, “It is imperative to begin thinking about a truly integrative, global education that takes seriously the actual interconnections of causes and effects.”
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