Laos

Many of the characters in How to Pronounce Knife are immigrants from Laos, a country in Southeast Asia that borders Thailand. The country's government is communist and repressive and ethnic and religious minorities are frequently persecuted, resulting in waves of fleeing Lao refugees. There are refugee camps in Thailand that accept these individuals, and many organizations work with the camps to help people emigrate to and settle in countries like Canada and the United States.

Many of these immigrants find themselves struggling to adapt to their new culture. Souvankham Thammavongsa references this struggle and the general differences the immigrants notice as they compare their former country to their new home. In "Randy Travis," the narrator notes her father purchasing a record player which, "In Laos...was something only rich people owned" (45). This story also features references to Lao foods: "She made papaya salad and crushed tiny dry shrimps...