Khmer Voices - Cambodian Diaspora Stories of Careers and Impact

Sophoan Seng is a first generation Khmer Canadian, a husband, a father and he was a Buddhist monk for 14 years!

In this episode, Sophoan shares his memories of growing up during the Vietnamese invasion in Cambodia. We cover his journey from his time in the monastery, his academic endeavours, and finally his work as a professional interpreter and community leader in Canada. 

Sophoan holds a BA in Philosophy from Mahachulalon...

Cheerted Keo immigrated to the Netherlands with his family in 1988 when he was two years old. Today this Khmer-Dutch mural artist lives in Phnom Penh and his work has been commissioned by the likes of Air Asia, Marriott Hotels, and OCIC, to name a few. 

In this conversation, Cheerted shares his journey as an artist navigating cultural identity, personal growth, and Cambodian art. He discusses the importance of community, the impact ...

Cali Poeu Huynh is a second generation Khmer Krom and Sino-Vietnamese American of Teochew descent. He was born and raised in Fresno California to refugee parents and 1.5 generation refugee siblings. 

In this episode, Cali discusses the complexities of identity in the context of multi-ethnic backgrounds. We also cover the impact of cultural heritage, language, and historical context on personal identity, as well as the inter-ethnic t...

Mao Beckett (she/they) LCSW, LICSW is a liberation-centered, EMDR-certified practitioner, somatic-spiritual therapist and guide. She supports individuals in healing relational wounds, overcoming internalized oppression, and improving interpersonal connections. Through ancestral and spiritual practices, she helps folks reconnect with themselves and reclaim their voice. Her decolonized, non-pathologizing approach fosters transformati...

Sopheaktra (Peter) Heang and I discuss the establishment of the Cambodian Cultural Centre in British Columbia, Canada which aims to reconnect and unite the Cambodian diaspora with our heritage through arts, community building, and cultural events. 

We reflect on the success of the Roots of Compassion event in July and the upcoming Echoes of Angkor celebration in October, emphasizing the importance of unity and cultural preservation ...

AhNy (Kaovny) Jonas is a Cambodian-American advocate, nonprofit leader, and cultural educator based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Cambodian Legacy Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Cambodian heritage while empowering the next generation of Cambodian-Americans to embrace both their cultural roots and American identity. 

Through storytelling, intergenerat...

Samantha Le—Nan at home, Sam at work—is the Vice President of Operations at Sagewind Capital, a New York–based private equity firm she’s called home since 2018. There, she leads firmwide operations across HR, IT, and everything in between. Before stepping into the world of private equity, Nan cycled through 10 full-time jobs, 8 part-time jobs, and 6 gigs—viewing work as a survival tool more than a calling. It paid the bills, helped...

I, Khmer Voices host, Vanny Whitchelo share my story in this solo episode. 

I talk about how my family moved around a lot in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada -- four times by the time I was in grade 8, my struggle to feel a sense of belonging, my career paths, and how Khmer Voices came to be.

You'll also hear a voice note from a new listener, which he has approved for sharing. 

Thank you for listening to Khmer Voices. I hope you enjoy t...

Chad Sammeth is a Khmer American who has been involved in the Cambodian community over the last two decades - primarily in Long Beach, California's Cambodia Town. This started in his early twenties whilst seeking to discover and reconnect with his Cambodian heritage and roots. 

This episode briefly covers his journey from IT to marketing, and focuses on the influential people that shaped him, the impact he wants to make, and hi...

When Savanrith (Savan) Kong attended Lakeside School, a prestigious private school with famous alumni such as Bill Gates and Paul Allen, he entered a world he only saw on television. 

In this episode, while exploring the theme of privilege, Savan also notes that luck sometimes comes into play, and grit. He talks about the limited access to resources and people his Khmer friends had compared to those in his alternate more privileged ...

Hervé Ky is a second generation French Cambodian born and raised in a suburb of Paris, France. He is the Co-Founder of Keybento, a home exchange platform that caters to families, providing them with affordable family-friendly accommodations. 

Hervé shares how his parents pushed him and his two sisters to excel in school, and how he had a difficult time getting a finance job in London, England because his English wasn’t strong enough...

Ryan Samn is an Asian American writer, educator, and cultural practitioner. Ryan also runs the Instagram account @allthingscambodian where he shares impactful and insightful posts on Cambodian culture exploring themes of culture, identity, and language.

In this episode, Ryan shares his career journey from starting as an English language instructor in Faa'a Tahiti, French Polynesia to now a College Recruiter, managing the Outrea...

Sopheaktra Heang (aka Peter) is a Khmer Canadian who was born in a Thai refugee camp. He moved around a lot in his childhood and didn’t establish roots until he was an adult. 

Like many of us koun Khmer, his parents are survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide; this along with other emotionally and psychologically traumatic events in his childhood greatly affected him. He was in with the wrong crowd, dropped out of high school, and enc...

Author of A Dozen Delicious Donuts: A Sweet Cambodian American Story, Chanda Ouk Wolf has loved reading for as long as she can remember, but growing up in the United States, she never came across stories that gave her a sense of who she is as a Cambodian American. 

Chanda grew up in Long Beach, California and later Lowell, Massachusetts, both home to the two largest Khmer communities in the US.  

In this episode, we discuss the cultu...

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Cheata Nao is a second generation Khmer Canadian who is pursuing a new career showcasing Cambodian cuisine. 

She has always been a good cook and loved hosting dinner parties since she was a teenager, but back then she was focused on learning how to master western dishes. It wasn’t until she moved away for university that she really missed her mom’s Cambodian cooking. That’s when she started expe...

Heng Vay is a second generation Khmer American who was born in Los Angeles, Calfornia, spent his early teenage years in Minnesota, and then moved to Texas where he currently resides with his wife and two children. 

At the age of 14, Heng’s parents arranged a marriage for him. And guess what? Over 20 years later, they’re still together! Heng and his wife owned and operated a donut shop for 10 years. For a while, he was content making...

Rothany Sar is a first generation Khmer American who arrived in the United States via an arranged marriage. The Cambodian community here often said to her she was “so lucky” and her life was like that of a princess. But she didn’t identify with either of those labels. Was she lucky? Why didn’t she accept being a “princess?”

Rothany was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. In 1992, when she was 6 years old, the camps closed and she an...

Mitchell Keo is a second generation Khmer American born and raised in Houston, Texas. He grew up in a Mexican neighbourhood, and never felt a connection to a community growing up.

He started exploring his Asian American identity while studying biology at University of Texas at Austin. Today, Mitchell works as a software engineer and credits his love for books and Sokha, owner of Mam's Bookstore, for helping him explo...