Blue Collar and Buddha

Laotian Refugees in America

This dramatic documentary explores America's most recent refugees, struggling against the mounting tension of a post-Vietnam era filled with guilt and anger. A group of Laotian refugees have built a Buddhist temple on a small farmstead on the outskirts of a resolutely blue-collar town. Their efforts to preserve their culture and religious heritage have been greeted by several terrorist attacks upon their temple.

By investigating the opinions of townspeople and officials concerning the refugees, the film becomes a barometer of America's attitude towards refugees and immigrants. Blue Collar and Buddha is a moving portrait of the experience of today's refugees and the dramas that results when East meets West.