Happy birthday this week to San Diego-based Lao American poet Krysada Panusith Phounsiri, author of the collections Dance Among Elephants and Every Passing Minute from Sahtu Press, and the only Lao American winner to date of the Rhsyling Award for Poem of the Year.
In the time since we first met him, he has made an incredible journey over the years as a writer, photographer, role model and community builder as Lao American of Lue descent, including serving as the lead chair of the 2016 National Lao American Writers Summit in San Diego near Balboa Park.
In 1989, Krysada Panusith Phounsiri and his family moved from Houayxay, Bokeo, Laos, to the US. They resettled in San Diego, and he became graduate of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California. From there, Krysada went on to complete his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in November, 2009. In 2010, he received his degree, double majoring in Physics and Astrophysics and minoring in Poetry, defying the odds in a time when fewer than 14% of Lao successfully graduated college.
His artistic endeavors have been widely recognized, with his poetry appearing in publications such as the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, Little Laos on the Prairie, the Twin Cities Daily Planet, and Asian American Press. He was also part of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s digital exhibit “A Day In The Life Of Asian America.”
In 2015, the world saw the launch of his inaugural poetry collection Dance Among Elephants, a compilation of poems and photographs examining the intricate dance of identity, beliefs, and the relational dynamics within Southeast Asian families and communities post-diaspora. This release was timed with the 40th anniversary of the Lao Diaspora, marking the end of the Laotian Secret War in 1975.
His follow-up, Every Passing Minute was released during the 45th anniversary in 2020 at the height of the global pandemic. He speaks widely at colleges and community centers across the US and around the globe, and he is deeply respected for his award-winning dance in addition to his photography, including his work as a founder of the Snap Pilots Photography Project. There is much to admire in his commitment to community service work with the Laotian American community, particularly in Southern California, and so many others.
Hopefully it will not be too long before we see his next collection!