Vimala Phongsavanh

New bio:

This project was created as Lao families faced detention, deportation, narrowing immigration pathways, and a halt to visa processing. For many, family separation isn’t abstract, it’s lived. Creating this work became a way to insist on hope anyway.

Thanks @OSMediaRI for the opportunity to talk about The Heart of Wattayai! 'This is how we resist': Lao stories at the Museum of Work and Culture | Weekend 401 oceanstatemedia.org/the-weekend-40…

On display thru Feb. 28th at Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket, RI! If using transit: ride @RIPTA_RI Routes 54 or 87 🚌🚏

The Heart of Wattayai by @vimalap is an exhibit of photographs and family keepsakes chronicling one family’s story of loss, resilience, and migration, from a village in Laos to the mill towns of Rhode Island. rimonthly.com/lao-americans-…

Exclusive Woonsocket tour highlights: 🚉 Train station + Hachiko statue 🍺 Beer Lao at Lao Thai Kitchen 🏛️ Museum of Work & Culture (found myself) 🏙️ Main Street Not pictured: my birthplace, wastewater treatment, mills, Blackstone River #WoonsocketRocket #WoonsocketForever

I’m incredibly proud to be the daughter of immigrants. Proud to work every day to ensure that the lives they fought so hard are protected. Hearing my mom retell her story filled me with pride and sadness. Thank you ⁦@FitzProv⁩ for this story bostonglobe.com/2025/08/15/met…

Add it to the list: another thing millennials have killed, Rhode Island accents.

RI angle: the lawyer representing a Palestinian activist arrested by ICE following his role in protests at @Columbia, is a @RWULaw grad npr.org/2025/03/10/g-s…

@FitzProv @AlexaGagosz I hope it opens at 3pm so we can be in bed by 10pm.

By ⁦@AlexaGagosz⁩ -- 'We sorely needed this’: In Providence, a dance club for an over-30 crowd bostonglobe.com/2025/03/05/met…

.@CotterforRI: "It feels like the national parties left the working class a long time ago. So I think we need to start at the bottom and work our way back up" [#3] thepublicsradio.org/tgif/tgif-ian-…

.@ppvotesri weighs in on the election results and highlights their endorsed RI candidates that won last night

RI Citizens for Responsible Government— who ran an aggressive campaign against Question 1 (ConCon) — taking a victory lap. Voters shot the question down 62.8% to 37.2% as of 9:30 PM. Margin could vary as mail ballots come in.

Hey RI voters, reminder from this proud abortion rights voter to get to the polls by 8 PM. All the freedoms we’ve fought for are on the line. Vote to protect our rights & defend democracy. #Wedecide our future! Vote for repro champs & REJECT question 1. plannedparenthoodaction.org/planned-parent…

Signs of the times

It's Election Day! Are you ready? 🗳️✔️✨ Find EVERYTHING you need to vote in Rhode Island at vote.ri.gov #Vote #VoteRI #Vote2024 #RejectQuestion1

@TedNesi Talked to a Republican voter who didn't know what Question 1 was and voted no, he said he always votes no up & down the ballot on referendum questions.

Noteworthy: the UNH poll found even RI *Republicans* are ever so slightly opposed to Q1 (the constitutional convention) - yes 39%, no 40% - despite their elected leaders generally being in favor of it wpri.com/news/elections…

Recently, I had an opportunity to connect with Telemundo and advise our Latino Community to vote NO on Question #1 in this year’s General Election. 🧵 (1/6)

Opposition to Question 1 on Tuesday’s ballot, which asks whether Rhode Island should hold a constitutional convention, has grown in the run-up to Election Day, a new University of New Hampshire poll found. bostonglobe.com/2024/11/04/met…

Biggest group against a ConCon: Women, college degree (60%) #RejectQuestion1

Looks like opponents of RI's Question 1 (the constitutional convention) are breaking through with their message SEPTEMBER 39% yes 28% no 33% unsure NOVEMBER 34% yes 47% no 18% unsure wpri.com/news/elections…