The Asian Minority: Khmers
by Bopea Chum
written for the 2012 Invitational ELL Summer Institute
I am blessed to be a teacher. I am blessed to be alive. I am blessed to have survived. I am part of an Asian myth that we are all smart, very good in math, and nerdy indeed. Yes, I considered myself fairly blessed with brains. As for math, nooooo! As for nerdy, hmmmm…IDK!!!
As part of the Cambodian society, many of my people have not fared well. Unlike the Chinese, we are not an outspoken group. Compared to the Vietnamese, our languages and cultures are like night and day. Who says we are all the same?
Many Cambodian students need extra support and understanding in the ways of education and our experiences. Some perceive this to be “self-helplessness”. Well let me tell you, as I know it. It is the curse of my people!
Most Cambodian-Americans lived through poverty, torture, abuse, and witnessed extreme violence during Pol Pot’s regime. We were a happy people before that and here in America, we have managed to rebuild our lives by holding on to all that is Khmer. The Khmers were a people who depended on no one. Similar to the Native Americans, the Khmers relied on the forest, jungle, and lakes to sustain their livelihoods. In comparison, the Khmers never forecasted that their land, homes, jungles, and lakes would greatly dwindle based on capitalist greed. Our leaders took foreign aid and gifted it into their own pockets and those of families, friends, and associates. Greed, my friend, will keep your enemies close but your friends, even closer!
Khmers: a pessimistic people? A backwards country? A foolish nation? A silenced populace? Noooo! We Khmers are resistant to change. We like to do things as our ancestors would have done. That is where our faults lie. Falsely believing that our beloved land will be ours forever. Falsely wishing that our rulers would protect our people. Falsely supporting those that give us instant gratification in exchange for our lands, our daughters, and our possessions. We were told not to question authority figures. We have learned that suffering is part of our karma. We have learned to not desire worldly possessions or riches because they do not belong to us. Not to be vain as to show off and wanting too much. We are a peaceful people who have learned that being vocal and cocky will bring about bad consequences. Such are the teachings of Buddha. Do not believe in things that you see, hear, or read until you have witnessed it yourself. How true something is based upon how you view things! These are the righteous paths of my people.
So how will you educate our students and children? Will you fail them because they are quiet? Will you force them to talk in front of the class and ask them to defy authority figures? Will you tell them to look in your eyes when you are talking to them? Will you accept various forms of answers, questions, and modes of learning? Will you allow them to learn and share about their culture and traditions so that they will feel connected? Will you show empathy and not just sympathy for their harsh realities? Will you respect their journeys as well as their parents’ experiences? These are the questions I implore you to think about!
Bio: Bopea Chum is a teacher at Solis Cohen Elementary