On February 5, the Center for the Study of the American South will open “Home in a New Place: Making Laos in Morganton, NC,” a series of photographs by Katy Clune, Folklore MA ’15. The photographs, which emerge in part from Clune’s Folklore thesis, depict an immigrant community in Morganton, including the family of Toon Phapphayboun, who escaped Laos by swimming across the Mekong River at age 14. This collection explores three realms essential to the Phapphaybouns’ identity in North Carolina: their home and holiday traditions; the family restaurant; and the Buddhist temple they helped to establish. The photographs will also appear in the Spring 2016 Documentary Arts issue of Southern Cultures. This exhibit is co-sponsored by the Carolina Asia Center, the Department of American Studies, and the Center for Global Initiatives. Raleigh’s Bida Manda restaurant will be serving a selection of Lao hors d’oeuvres and the event is free and open to the public.
