Collection, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Activity Kon Lao, Kon Lowell

This collection includes photos and life narratives from the 2008 “Kon Lao, Kon Lowell” exhibit, which was part of Legacies of War Exhibit at Lowell’s Patrick Mogan Cultural Center. Members of the local Laotian American community donated their photos and life stories to this exhibit.
Legacies of War seeks to raise awareness about the history of the Vietnam War-era bombing in Laos and advocate for the clearance of unexploded bombs, to provide space for healing the wounds of war, and to create greater hope for a future of peace. The organization uses art, culture, education, community organizing and dialogue to bring people together and create healing and transformation out of the wreckage of war.
Their national traveling exhibition features illustrations drawn in 1971 in Laos by the survivors of the U.S. bombing, archival and contemporary photographs, original recorded interviews and documentary films depicting the lives of those affected by the bombing and their impact on the Laotian diaspora.