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[Tai Dam]



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The only Vietnamese in Bản Bánh, and she only comes in daily to teach at this tiny school, which only has the first and second grades. Sixty years ago, her parents came to Dien Bien Phu from Thai Binh, 300 miles away. Only the poorest Vietnamese emigrated here.



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When I passed through this region 25 years ago, I never saw any house like this, so the Tais are doing much better economically, just like the Vietnamese, but there's a twist: By integrating more into Vietnamese society, they're becoming less Tai, just like the Vietnamese are becoming less Vietnamese by integrating into the US-dominated global economy and culture.



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A Tai Dam house. This family has a kid just drafted into the military. I saw him walking in carrying his just issued uniform and helmet.



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Sweet bread, cakes, instant noodles, peanuts, tiny sausages and flip flops, etc., in a tiny Tai Dam store, the only one in the village.



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[Tai Dam]



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[Tai Dam]



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A Tai Dam house. Culturally and linguistically, they're very close to Laos, and many Tai Dam are in fact living in Laos.



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A Tai Dam house. This entire region was its own Tai country, not long ago.



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