Ep. 47: Resettled Refugees: the Cambodian Community is Under Attack — Silong Chhun and Shelly & Ivory Hem

October 16, 2018

Silong, a refugee arrived in Tacoma in 1981. He’s that dude

Shelly, wife of Cambodian Genocide survivor. Ally.

Ivory, daughter of Khmer Rouge survivor. Future student at Lincoln High School.

In this episode, Nate takes us on a heartbreaking journey with these three members of the local Cambodian Community, learning of the threat of immigration detention, families being ripped apart and put back together, and living with the constant fear looming in and around the community and their loved ones.

7:00 Jumping into the threat of immigration detention

8:00 A brief lesson of how the Vietnam War affected Cambodia and personal history of how immigrants came to America.

14:30 The beginning of Shelly’s Story.

20:00 Ivory’s Story.

22:50 What does it look like when someone gets deported?

34:00 What are the relations like between local Cambodian and Vietnamese communities?

38:00 How can we (citizens) help?

42:00 Recommendation for Cambodian restaurants and dishes.

The 5

  1. Where should one go in Cambodia?
  2. What are you listening to right now?
  3. What are you reading right now?
  4. When folks visit Tacoma, where do you take them?
  5. Favorite Local Happy Hour?

Going Further

Khmer Rouge

Cambodia 1975-1979

SEARAC | Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
http://www.searac.org/

RISC | Returnee Integration Support Center
https://www.risccambodia.org/

F.I.G.H.T | Formerly Incarcerated Group Healing Together
http://www.fightwa.org/

Asian Law Caucus | Asian Americans Advancing Justice
https://www.advancingjustice-alc.org/

NWIRP | Northwest Immigration Rights Project
https://www.nwirp.org/

The Seattle Clemency Project
http://www.seattleclemencyproject.org/

1LOVE Cambodia
https://1lovemovement.wordpress.com/

Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs of Tacoma:
http://www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=141157

T.H.A.C | Tacoma Healing Awareness Community
https://www.facebook.com/THACWA

The Socials

Silong’s Twitter

Shelly Hem

Comments are closed.