Blue Collar Budah (1987)

Exploring the dilemma of a community of Laotian refugees

This cultural documentary focuses on a community of Laotian refugees who struggle to preserve their cultural identity while adapting to a new American lifestyle. The Laotians are subject to bullying and hatred in their new home of Rockford, Illinois. Building a Buddhist temple leads to acts of terrorism against their community. The refugees have no choice but to stay in Rockford in order to make a better life for their children, yet the cultural misunderstandings between the residents of Rockford and the Laotians renders their collective experience increasingly tough.