HOUSE RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING LAO NEW YEAR (PI MAI LAO): A CELEBRATION OF RENEWAL, CULTURE, AND RESILIENCE ON APRIL 14 – APRIL 16, 2026

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
COMMEMORATING LAO NEW YEAR (PI MAI LAO): A CELEBRATION OF RENEWAL,
CULTURE, AND RESILIENCE ON APRIL 14 – APRIL 16, 2026

Introduced By:
Representatives Slater, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Morales, Chippendale,
Diaz, Kennedy, Ajello, Fellela, and Boylan

Date Introduced:
April 09, 2026

Referred To:
House read and passed
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WHEREAS, Lao New Year, known as Pi Mai Lao or Songkran is annually observed in
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April to mark the beginning of the Lao solar new year and is the most significant and widely
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celebrated holiday in Lao culture; and
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WHEREAS, The holiday is celebrated with a festival symbolizing renewal, purification,
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and hope for a prosperous future, and includes the traditional customs of the ceremonial pouring
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of water, representing the washing away of misfortunes and bad luck, and the welcoming of
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health, happiness, and good fortune; and
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WHEREAS, Additional celebrated customs include Baci (Sou Khuan) ceremonies,
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offering alms to monks, cleaning homes and temples, building sand stupas, and joyful water-
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splashing celebrations; and
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WHEREAS, For Laotian people around the world, Pi Mai is not only a celebration, but
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also a time to honor their history and cultural identity. Following the Laotian Civil War and the
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fall of the Royal Lao Government in 1975, many Lao families were forced to flee their homeland,
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resettling in countries like the United States as refugees. These events fractured families,
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disrupted traditions, and caused significant hardship and trauma. Yet, in the face of these
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hardships, the Lao people demonstrated remarkable resilience, by preserving their language,
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customs, and faith in their new homelands; and
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WHEREAS, There are two Lao flags, one representing the past and one signifying the
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present. The first is the Royal Kingdom of Laos Flag, which features red stripes with a white

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three-headed elephant under a parasol on a blue background, and represents the former Kingdom
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of Laos (1947–1975), which for many symbolizes their origins, freedom, and the homeland they
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were forced to leave behind. The second is the National Flag of the Lao People’s Democratic
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Republic (Lao PDR), which consists of red-blue-red stripes with a white circle, and is the official
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flag of the current government, adopted in 1975, and represents the nation of Laos today; and
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WHEREAS, According to the 2023 US Census Data, there are an estimated 245,000
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people in the United States who identify as Laotian alone, the majority of which are men, women
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and dependents of refugees who escaped Laos during the upheaval of the 1970s, and entered
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refugee camps in Thailand across the Mekong River, many of whom later emigrated to the United
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States during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s; and
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WHEREAS, Rhode Island has a vibrant Laotian American community that has enriched
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the State’s cultural fabric by contributing to civic life, education, public service, business, music,
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dance, and especially cuisine, and it is important to recognize and celebrate Pi Mai as a proud
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opportunity to reflect on the community’s struggles, honor its ancestors, and celebrate its
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enduring heritage; now, therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby
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commemorates Lao New Year “Pi Mai Lao”, on April 14-16, 2026 and extends best wishes to the
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Lao people on the occasion of Lao New Year, wishing everyone a healthy, prosperous, and joyful
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“Pi Mai”; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to
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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the President of Temple Wat Lao in Smithfield,
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Mr. Phouangphet.
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