HOF117: Khouanta Phommarath

Khouanta Phommarath lost her father at a young age. As a young girl, she had ended her education abruptly in order to help her mother care for her siblings. She later met and married a Laotian soldier in the mid 1970’s. The couple had four children.

As a result of the social upheaval in Laos, her husband left his family behind and was able to reach the Nong Khai refugee camp in Thailand. Khouanta remained in Laos for a year with her four children. She and her children managed to reunite with her husband in the Thai refugee camp where the family remained for almost three years.

The family ultimately applied to settle in Canada. To this day, she talks about how her heart warms when she attends family gatherings and witnesses the strong bonds between her children and grandchildren.