Cambodian Gallery Walk by Ger Thao

Angkor Wat

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 22:28:57 UTC

Angkor Wat is a Hindu-Biuddhist temple and tomb located in the Siem Reap province of Cambodia. Construction began in the 12th century and was completed in 1150. It is considered the largest religious building in the world.

Source: History of Cambodia, by David Chandler (1996), Bangkok: Silkworm Books.

Bayon Temple

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:25:04 UTC

Bayon Temple is part of the Angkor Wat temple system in the Siem Reap province of Cambodia. It was built in the late 12th century and is part of the larger temple community of Angkor Thom. The faces of Bayon is believed to be modeled after the face of King Jayavarman VII who commissioned the temple. It is one of the most popular sites for visitors to Cambodia.

Source: History of Cambodia, by David Chandler (1996), Bangkok: Silkworm Books.

King Norodom Sihanouk

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:25:41 UTC

King Norodom Sihanouk (1922-2012) is the most well known modern day Cambodian king. He ruled Cambodia beginning in 1941 at the age of 19. He led Cambodia across many difficult periods during the country’s history including Japanese occupation during World War Two, independence from the French in 1953, the neighboring Vietnam-US war, the Khmer Rouge regime, and later on Cambodia’s post- cold war period. While at times controversial, King Sihanouk is beloved by Cambodians all over the world.

Source: History of Cambodia, by David Chandler (1996), Bangkok: Silkworm Books.

Cyclo

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:27:27 UTC

Cyclos first came in 1936 and was among the most popular forms of transportation in Cambodia before motorcycles and automobiles came to the country. Today, Cyclo use is in rapid decline given many other alternative forms of transportation. Nevertheless, given cyclos’ cultural significance, the Cambodian government and other non-governmental organizations have organized to support cyclo drivers in efforts to sustain this national tradition.

Source: Saving the Cyclo from extinction. The Phnom Penh Post, December 24, 2020.

https://www.phnompenhpost.com/opinion/saving-cyclo-extinction

Aspara Dancers

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:27:56 UTC

Apsara Dancers is an ancient form of dance popular in Southeast Asia including Cambodia. The figure of Apsara dancers is embedded within Khmer culture as these images appear in architecture regularly. For example, Aspara dancers are well represented as relief sculptures across Angkor Wat and other temples in Cambodia. This tradition was severely undermined during the Khmer Rouge period as many teachers did not survive. For Cambodians in Cambodia and in the Cambodian diaspora, there are great efforts to revitalize traditional Apsara dance.

Aspara Dance Relief Sculptures

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:28:46 UTC

Apsara dancer relief sculptures in Angkor Wat.

Central Market

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:29:25 UTC

Central Market is a landmark in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Central Market was built in 1937 in an art-deco style and represents the French influence that is part of Cambodia’s history. It is a major tourist destination as well as a vibrate site of commerce for residents.

Sinn Sisamouth

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:30:01 UTC

Sinn Sisamouth (1932-1976) was a Cambodian singer and is considered the father of Khmer rock n roll. Sinn Sisamouth is very popular today with all generations of Cambodians. His life and work was discussed in the 2014 documentary “Don’t think I’ve forgotten, Cambodia’s lost rock n roll”.

Independence Monument in Phnom Penh

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:31:08 UTC

The Independence Monument in Phnom Penh was constructed in 1958 to memorialize Cambodia’s independence from France in 1953. The monument sits in the heart of the capital and is a site for celebrations and social life during national holidays.

USA Secret Bombing

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:31:48 UTC

The USA Secret Bombing of Cambodia occurred between 1965 and 1973 and led to much loss of life and helped to destabilize the country before the Khmer Rouge took over. The US military dropped over 2 million tons of bombs in efforts to disrupt suspected Vietnamese communist supply lines believed to have crossed into neutral Cambodia.

Source: Chomsky and Herman.

Pol Pot and Rise of Khmer Rouge

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:32:21 UTC

Pol Pot and the rise of the Khmer Rouge: From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime engaged in an aggressive agrarian communist experiment that would lead to over 2 million deaths. Led by Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge abolished all former institutions including schools, hospitals, and religion. This period of rule ended in 1979 when the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge and the genocide that occurred in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 would lead to a refugee exodus from the country and the formation of diasporic Cambodian communities all over the world, including the United States.

S-21

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:33:06 UTC

S-21 (Tuol Sleng Prison and Torture Center) is one of the most infamous symbols of the Cambodian genocide (1975-1979). Tuol Sleng is a former high school that was converted by the Khmer Rouge into an interrogation facility. Today, it is a museum that is visited by thousands of people daily. Visitors are able to visit rooms where individuals were tortured and view documents and photos detailing the interrogations.

Refugee Camps

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:33:59 UTC

Refugee Camps: Most Cambodians who escaped from Cambodia during and after the Khmer Rouge’s rule found sanctuary in refugee camps in Thailand. The most well known of these sites is Khao-I-Dang camp which sits along the Thai-Cambodia border. It has been estimated that 160,000 Cambodians have been sheltered in Khao-I-Dang.

The accompanying photo is the family camp photo (dated JUly 2, 1984) of photographer Pete Pin. More photos can be found at the website below.

Source: petepin.com

Refugee Resettlement Act

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:34:31 UTC

Refugee Resettlement Act: This legislation was passed by the US Senate in 1979 and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1980. The Refugee Resettlement Act would raise the annual ceiling for refugee admissions from 17,000 to 50,000 and became a major mechanism for the resettlement of Cambodians into US communities.

Source: immigrationhistory.org

Cambodia Town, Long Beach

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:34:54 UTC

Long Beach, CA is home to the largest Cambodian community in the United States. It has been documented that the earliest Cambodians came to Long Beach in the 1960s to study at California State University, Long Beach. Some of these students would settle in the US and some could not return when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia. These were likely the early seeds for making Long Beach the capital of Cambodian America. Today, there is a designated corridor of Long Beach that has an official proclamation as “Cambodia Town”.

Source: Needham, Susan & Quintiliani, Karen (2008). Cambodians in Long Beach. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1531635848

Donut Shops

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:36:53 UTC

Donut Shops: The great majority of donut shops in California are Cambodian owned. Some estimates have found that over 1500 donut shops are owned and run by Cambodian immigrants and their children. One of these stories is captured in a recent documentary on Ted Ngoy, also known as the “donut king”.

See The Donut King, PBS, directed by Alice Gu (2021).

Sokhary Chau

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:39:06 UTC

Sokhary Chau was the first Cambodian American mayor in the United States when he became the Mayor of Lowell, Massachusetts in 2022. A Cambodian refugee, Chau came to the United States in 1981 and lived most of his life in Lowell.

Source: https://www.asianfortunenews.com/2022/01/1st-cambodian-american-mayor-in-u-s-takes-office/

Home Court

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:40:24 UTC

Ashley Chea is a Cambodian American basketball player that is featured in the recent documentary “Home Court”, directed by Erica Tanamachi. The film follows Chea’s rise as a basketball star while she navigates the challenges of growing up in a Cambodian refugee family.

Source: https://www.homecourtfilm.com/

Prahok

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:41:29 UTC

Prahok is a fermented fish dish that is unique to Khmer culture. It was a way for Cambodians to preserve fish during these periods when fresh fish was not available. It is also added to many Cambodian dishes as a way to improve flavor. There are many ways to prepare and eat prahok. The accompanying photo shows that dipping vegetables into prahok is one popular way to consume this traditional dish.

For more information, see: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210707-prahok-the-pungent-fish-elevating-cambodian-cuisine

Deportation of Cambodian Americans

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:52:33 UTC

The deportation of Cambodian Americans: An important issue for the Cambodian American community is the deportation of individuals back to Cambodia for criminal convictions. Almost 1000 Cambodian Americans have been forcibly removed and sent to Cambodia. Some have declared this to be a major human rights violation because most of these individuals came to the United States as refugees as babies or young children. Most do not speak or read the Khmer language. The accompanying photo is from a protest in Minneapolis, MN in 2016.

For more information, see: Ambiguous loss for Cambodian American deportees and families, by Vichet Chhuon, Marina Aleixo, and Catherine Solheim, published in Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies. (2022).

Cham Muslim

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:53:34 UTC

Cham Muslim is a significant community in Cambodia. The Cham muslims originated from the Kingdom of Champa and many sought refuge later in what is now modern-day Cambodia after the Vietnamese conquest of Champa. Cham Muslims were heavily persecuted by the Khmer Rouge.

Source: History of Cambodia, by David Chandler (1996), Bangkok: Silkworm Books.

Buddhism

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:54:53 UTC

Buddhism and religion for Cambodian Americans in the United States: There are many Cambodian buddhist temples across the United States. Many Cambodian refugees continue to center Buddhism in their social and cultural lives. The accompanying photo shows Wat Munistoram in Hampton, Minnesota which is about 30 miles south of the Twin Cities, and is considered the largest buddhist temple in North America.

Source: https://religionsmn.carleton.edu/exhibits/show/wattmunisotaram/introduction

Prach Ly

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:55:29 UTC

Prach Ly is Cambodian American rapper, producer, and writer from Long Beach, California. He gained popularity for creating hip hop music that blended traditional Khmer sounds with contemporary hip hop rhythms and beats. In 2001, his debut album, Dalama: The End’n is just the Beginn’n became the top selling album in Cambodia. His verses often engage issues and traumas associated with the Khmer Rouge period of Cambodia’s history and grow up in the US inner city.

Source: https://asiasociety.org/texas/khmer-american-rapper-teaches-traumatic-history

Dengue Fever

gthao4 — 2024-10-05 23:56:16 UTC

Dengue Fever is a rock band that combines Cambodian rock music with American musical styles. Most of the band originate from Los Angeles, California and the lead singer, Nimol Chhom, grew up in Cambodia.

Source: https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/artists/1444/dengue-fever