Grace after Genocide: Cambodians in the United States

301 Pages·2017·2.415 MB·English

by  Carol A. Mortland

Grace after Genocide

Grace after Genocide
Cambodians in the United States
Carol A. Mortland
berghahn
N E W Y O R K (cid:127) O X F O R D
www.berghahnbooks.com
First published by
Berghahn Books
www.berghahnbooks.com
© 2017, 2019 Carol A. Mortland
First paperback edition published in 2019
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages
for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this book
may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented,
without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mortland, Carol A. (Carol Anne), 1945-author. Title: Grace after
genocide : Cambodians in the United States / Carol A. Mortland. Description:
New York : Berghahn Books, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and
index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016054880 (print) | LCCN 2016056907 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781785334702 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781785334719 (eBook)
Subjects: LCSH: Khmers--United States. | Refugees--Cambodia. | Refugees-
-United States--Social conditions. | Cambodian Americans--Cultural
assimilation.
Classification: LCC E184.K45 M67 2017 (print) | LCC E184.K45 (ebook)
| DDC 305.8959/32073--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.
gov/2016054880
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-78533-470-2 hardback
ISBN 978-1-78920-497-1 paperback
ISBN 978-1-78533-471-9 ebook
For survivors and victims of the Cambodian holocaust, particularly
Cambodian refugees and their descendants in the United States

Contents
Dedication v
Preface and Acknowledgments viii
Introduction. From Cambodians to Refugees 1
Chapter 1. Being in America 19
Chapter 2. Economic Survival 39
Chapter 3. Refugee Litanies 58
Chapter 4. Resettlement Realities 82
Chapter 5. Family 111
Chapter 6. Parents and Children 130
Chapter 7. Community 148
Chapter 8. Religion 169
Chapter 9. Health 183
Chapter 10. Homeland 206
Chapter 11. Preserving Culture 228
Chapter 12. Beyond Refugees 248
Bibliography 261
Index 285
Preface and Acknowledgments
Grace after Genocide: Cambodians in the United States describes the experi-
ences of Cambodian refugees as they struggled to transition from agrarian
life in Cambodia to survival in postindustrial America. Based on research
conducted across the country for over thirty years, this ethnography
explores the similarities and differences in the lives of those resettled in
the late 1970s and early 1980s with their children, many of whom are
native-born Americans. While first-generation Cambodians have focused
on maintaining their identities as Cambodians by re-establishing their
traditions, values, and relationships, their children have dealt with being
second-generation descendants of holocaust survivors and striven to
become Americans in a society that has defined them as different.
America’s history in Southeast Asia and the subsequent resettlement of
Cambodian refugees in America may have faded from public awareness,
but the fortieth anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War can remind
Americans of the consequences of their country’s actions overseas and at
home. Some of the heaviest war consequences fell on Cambodian refugees
and their children and, to a much less extent, the Americans with whom
they interacted. By describing Cambodians’ experiences before becoming
refugees, the cultural values and customs they brought with them, and the
reception and situations they faced after arrival, this book illuminates the
strengths and weaknesses of American refugee programs and the ways
Americans can better react to future waves of refugees.
In addition to providing information for Cambodian Americans about
their heritage and the experiences of their elders, Grace after Genocide:
Cambodians in the United States also increases our awareness of the expe-
riences of our ancestors over the centuries. It is of crucial importance in
today’s world for Americans to know more about our individual and col-
lective histories and other cultures.
A few editing notes here. First-generation Cambodians speak English
as their second, and sometimes third or fourth language, thus their gram-
Preface and Acknowledgments ix
mar and word choice often differ from those of Americans who speak
English as their first language. I have not edited their comments, but left
them intact, and will not add [sic] to indicate grammatical or spelling
mistakes.
Cambodian names are written in the traditional Khmer way, with the
family name first and the given name second.
Acknowledgments
My gratitude first to the Cambodians who have shared their lives with
me, including the Oum and Pong families, Hin Sithan, the Venerable
Ouch Chanmony, Korath Norin, and the late Narith Kong and Thom
Thach. Thanks also to John M. Marston and other colleagues who have
increased my knowledge and insight about Cambodians and the refugee
experience.
I am very grateful to Dr Judy Ledgerwood and to my family for inspira-
tion and help throughout the years of research, and to my brother James
Mortland, sister Annette Gililland, and Dolores Maggiore for editorial
assistance. Thanks also to Jo and Rene.
I am grateful also to the editors at Berghahn who devoted their time to
bringing this work to fruition.