Sinoun Chea seeks to be a source for and a recipient of inspiration relating to the Khmer American community. With a wide range of interests, including technology, art, music, cosmology, and mythology, she hopes her entrepreneurial spirit will carry her forward in someday pursuing all of them.

A web designer by vocation, Chea grew up in Texas and only recently began to realize the personal significance of Cambodian culture: “Growing up, I did not have many role models other than my family to look up to. I think this is one of the reasons why I want to be a part of a bigger picture. I want to help find those role models and connect them to others.”

Of the distinction between Cambodia and America, Chea says, “I think providing a resource with news and stories at a grand scale will be a positive influence in bridging the gap.” As far as other differences, she jokes that not having been to Cambodia herself, “I can only make assumptions when I see the karaoke songs that my parents and their friends play!”

Chea believes that soon, Khmer Americans are going to make a big impact, and she is eager to be a part of the renaissance.

“I’m ready to take some action and share my knowledge, energy, and experiences with young Khmericans,” says Chea. “I want to open people’s eyes and create a profound movement that will expose the diversity, creativity, and achievements of Cambodians.”

Toward that laudable ambition, Sinoun Chea will be our first reporter in the South, hailing from Atlanta, Georgia.

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“I think Cambodian Americans are interested in seeing people who we can relate to succeed in the worlds of politics, entertainment, sports, philanthropy, community outreach, business, and science,” says Seth Sin, an Oregon resident employed in information technology. “They provide a blueprint for how we should conduct ourselves in the public eye and can give us guidance on how we can become a productive and proud part of America while still maintaining our cultural identity.”

Sin believes it is important to make such success stories visible as inspiration for future generations. The relationship between the past and the present, elders and youth, is something he has reflected upon—the emphasis many Cambodian families place on respectful attitudes toward older family members and the high value of education. These were instilled in his own family: “My parents stressed the fact that even though we might live the United States, under the roof of their house was Cambodia, we spoke Cambodian, and their children were Cambodian children.”

Although such a stance might seem contrary to assimilation into life in the United States, Cambodian parents simultaneously set a strong example through their own work ethic in providing for their children, according to Sin; indeed, the virtues of education, determination, and tradition account for Cambodians’ ability to move past the adversities they have faced.

Both Cambodians and Cambodian Americans live with those virtues in mind, but our societies are certainly different, especially the dependability of the justice system and the level of rights of the powerless. “I want the Cambodian-Americans here to be informed of what is going on back in Cambodia,” says Sin. “Most importantly, I want the Cambodian Americans of future generations to never forget our legacy, our contribution to history, and our will to survive despite insurmountable odds.”

Based in Beaverton, Oregon, Seth Sin will be a Khmerican reporter covering lifestyle, culture, and business.

Donny Te has a passion for writing. Combined with his love of politics, he’s glad to be working as an editor for an elections news website in Arizona. Growing up around the Twin Cities in Minnesota, Te learned Cambodian values from his close-knit family and the considerable community there. Even so, it wasn’t always easy trying to fit in with mainstream society, and aside from family members, he knew of few figures that inspired Khmer pride.

But he believes that’s starting to change, thanks to social media. “I hope Cambodians can go to our website and discover things that they’ve never realized before. My goal is to reach out to the visitors and inform them of what’s going on,” says Te.

Another point of community contact that he has maintained is his visits to Buddhist temples, which his parents took him to in his early years and which he now seeks out for himself since his recent move to Arizona. He plans to get to know the local population better through involvement with two temples he now knows of with large gatherings of Cambodians.

His interest in politics partly results from feeling that “today’s generation isn’t that involved with how they could make a difference in their community.” In addition, Te especially enjoys covering athletics and once dreamed of becoming a sports writer. Although he has always found that writing comes naturally to him, Te expects to learn about things as well by becoming a part of Khmerican’s staff: “I want to become closer to my heritage than I was growing up. I hope that our visitors will do the same when they read our articles.”

“I want to write on a variety of issues concerning the Khmer community in the Phoenix area, from politics to entertainment and restaurant reviews.” Te will serve as Khmerican’s first reporter in the Mountain time zone, based in Tempe, Arizona.

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“I see Khmerican as a great representation of a generation of Khmers that want to make a difference. It’s encouraging and will definitely inspire others to reach out to those in their communities that want to showcase their cultures and people,” says Jae Om, a Virginia resident who works in the information technology and entertainment marketing sectors. Om is also currently pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism and has experience writing about entertainment news.

As an entrepreneur, a student, and a mother, it’s a wonder that Om has the drive to add yet another role to her list of duties—reporter for the Khmerican. However, it makes sense, given that she has a deep appreciation for her Cambodian heritage and the wisdom of her elders. She cites the local Cambodian New Year festivities as a joyful embrace of the culture, a point of solidarity with the Khmer community. Her parents are her personal heroes for what they survived through; their stories have helped her put her own struggles in perspective. She gives the older generation much credit for raising their children to traditional standards in a culture that in many ways runs to the contrary.

After arriving in the United States from Khao-I-Dang refugee camp at age 3, Om has spent her life on the east coast. “I’m only familiar with those here, and I must say, we need to step up as people and take ownership within our community. Cambodian Americans, in my opinion, are only proud when deemed necessary. Our youth are unaware of the history.”

Om herself would like to share her own knowledge of that history, having learned by taking the initiative and educating herself. But she also has an eye toward the future, wishing to establish herself as a journalist and continue learning about the culture.

“Working as a staff writer for the Khmerican, I hope to educate, inspire and motivate my fellow Cambodians and others alike to step up and make a difference in their communities.” Jae Om is our first representative in the mid-Atlantic region.

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Malissa Tem has a natural instinct for storytelling, to the point that she feels her current path as a journalism student and freelance reporter found her rather than her choosing it. She takes a meticulous approach to her work, making such extensive notes that she can feel overwhelmed by the story she’s trying to cover. However, she believes the Khmerican is a fitting venue for her talents, one that “offers a different perspective that is often neglected by other media outlets.” In fact, Tem sees the Khmerican as being able to “build a large network of leaders in the different Cambodian communities buy sharing stories that can inspire the next wave.”

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Bunthay Cheam’s main exposure to his Khmer heritage was through his father, who was a community organizer and worked on youth development in White Center, a neighborhood that is home to the largest Cambodians in the Seattle area. Cheam was also a member of the Khmer Student Association at the University of Washington, but does not regard himself as directly active in the community. However, he does make a point of attending notable local events, and he has a passion for the culture. Clearly, in joining the Khmerican team, he also believes in shedding light on the stories of Khmer America.

Cheam shared further some reflections about his upbringing and recent trends he has noticed. “I don’t think we had many good role models growing up. Although there were programs/groups formed during the 90’s that addressed this, I think there was a bit of a disconnect from kids to adults”—a lack of acknowledgment of negative social factors that those growing up in America were facing, such as drug abuse and gang activity. “I don’t think things as simple as the value of good credit or education were taught much, or taught correctly.”

In fact, Cheam himself did not consider attending college until participating in a program by the White Center Kids Society that allowed him and other middle school students to spend a weekend at the Washington State University campus. Afterward, he realized that he and many of his peers had not been thinking of education beyond high school.

Cheam has also observed that during the past decade, funding for many such social/outreach programs has dwindled, with a terrible effect on minority populations such as Cambodians. Part of reversing that is raising awareness and visibility. “Personally, I’m not aware of a central place anyone can absorb information in regards to Cambodian American community,” said Cheam. He looks forward to contributing to the Khmerican to help build that much needed hub.

Bunthay Cheam joins the team as our second representative based in the greater Seattle area.

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