During this week of commemoration, we honor the resilience of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) refugee communities who made perilous journeys 50 years ago and were forced to rebuild their lives in the United States after war, genocide, and persecution in their home countries.
Join us each day this week to take a moment to pay homage to our diverse SEAA communities.
This month, Cambodian American communities across the country observed days of remembrance as a time of solemn reflection for victims and survivors of the Cambodian Genocide, which claimed the lives of about a quarter of the country’s population (an estimated two million people) between 1975 and 1979 under Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime.
For loved ones lost in Cambodia, we mourn and hold their spirits close to our hearts. In their memory, we uphold our commitment to confront injustice wherever it emerges.
Today, we also celebrate the incredible will of the Cambodian American people, many of whom continue to heal from the trauma and have rebuilt their communities with courage and grace. Their stories are a testament to human strength and the enduring spirit of survival.
Let this day serve as a reminder of our shared humanity, as inspiration to speak out against hatred and violence in all their forms.
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In her blog post “Nurturing Loss,” Cambodian American community leader Catherina Nou explores the complex feelings behind survivorship as she reaches the one-year anniversary of the end of her cancer treatment. Cat writes:
As we approach this moment in our community’s history, the feeling of loss or being lost may be magnified, but I know that we are never alone and that there is strength in finding connection. My mom’s life has been a reference point for my own. I use it as a blueprint and in moments where I am lost, I remember how my heart was held inside of her and how I once knew the rhythm of her heart, too.
Read Cat’s blog post on our new Our Roots, Our Power website here.