Send us a textChanny Salazar is a strong, resilient, and tenacious lady from Texas, USA. She was born in Cambodia in 1973 and remembers bits and pieces of her time before arriving and settling in the US. Her recollections (at the 4 minute mark and lasting about 1 minute) are traumatic. Life wasn't easy growing up, but she had the love and support of her parents and grandparents. They instilled in her the importance of getting an education and how that will get her out of poverty. But sch...

Send us a textSokha Mov shares her journey from being born in a refugee camp in Thailand to growing up in France where she was the only Asian in her class, navigating cultural identity, and pursuing a career in law and public service. She discusses her transition to Cambodia, the challenges of adapting to life there even though she’s koun Khmer and she speaks the language with good fluency. She’s currently working at an NGO that provides a well rounded education to girls from kindergarten to ...

Send us a textDimary (aka Mary) Leak didn't know how to speak English when she started kindergarten. A non-satisfactory test score in grade 1 ignited her desire to perform well academically, which she did all through primary and secondary school. When it came time to decide on a career however, she didn't have a clear direction or vision, and life went on.In this episode, we talk about Mary's pivot from stay-at-home mom to working in IT, the challenges she faced (some noted above) and how she...

Send us a textGrowing up, even though Soeun knew what she wanted to do, she let the words of others cloud her judgment at times. We discuss this and her journey in rediscovering herself and her heritage in her 40s. She’s gotten to a point in her career where she’s content and doesn’t know what her next move is, and we talk about navigating this. Soeun has over two decades of experience in administrative college and university positions, and currently holds the position of Director, Natio...

Send us a textIn this episode, Marpheen Chann shares his personal story of growing up in rural Maine, US which includes foster care and being adopted by a religious white working class family, the trauma his family experienced as a result of the Khmer Rouge, and his journey of self-discovery and cultural reconnection.Marpheen Chann works in the nonprofit and advocacy sector as Executive Director and Founder of Khmer Maine and does consulting work for nonprofits and political campaigns. He's a...

Send us a textKhmer Voices shines a spotlight on the achievements of the Khmer diaspora around the world. We chat with inspiring guests who are achieving success in their fields. From entrepreneurs and artists to community leaders and techies, we’ll explore their paths to success and the unique challenges they’ve overcome. Representation matters! And through these conversations, I aim to amplify the voices of the Khmer community, inspire the next generation, and showcase the divers...

Send us a textThea Em shares her journey from being a refugee in Canada to becoming a nurse. While she was studying, she was involved in a serious car accident that left her in a coma and affected her memory. She faced other hurdles on top of these, and she shares how she got through them in this episode.