By David Liscio
Boston Herald (Massachusetts, USA)
LYNN -- When he first stepped foot on U.S. soil in 1982, Dr. Sokharith Mey had little inkling of what his future would hold. As one of approximately 150,000 Cambodian refugees resettled in several states from 1981-1985, Mey was simply filled with hope at the prospect of a new life.
Fast-forward 24 years.
Today, standing on his front porch at 20 Devlin Way in the new Devlin Park development, with his wife, Socheata, and their 9-month-old son, Alexander, Mey is proof that the American Dream is still alive.
“We came to this country empty-handed, without knowing any English,” said Mey, 37, born in Battambang Province where Cambodia’s second-largest city is located. “We started from scratch, learning our ABCs, and I’m so proud of where we are now. We’re very fortunate.”
Upon arriving, Mey and his family settled in New York City, and Mey began his studies at the State University of New York’s Downstate Medical Center and its teaching hospital, the University Hospital of Brooklyn.
“I came from a medicine background,” said Mey. “My father was a physician in our country and all my brothers and sisters are in the medical field. It’s a family thing.”
Mey completed his medical studies at Saba University School of Medicine in The Netherlands in 2001 and his residency at the Guthrie/Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa., in 2004.
Mey and his wife, whom he met in Cambodia, married three years ago, and have been living in Massachusetts for the past two years. The couple lived in the Berkshires for a year while Mey was working at the Children’s Health Program.
Last year, they decided to move to the North Shore to be closer to relatives living in Lynn, Revere, Lowell and Tyngsboro.
“In the Berkshires, we were about two to three hours away from our family, so it was a little lonely out there,” said Mey. “Then, when Socheata became pregnant, we really wanted to have family support around us.”
Mey found a position at Lynn Community Health Center as a family physician at the health organization’s clinic in Market Square.
The health center provides care to all patients, regardless of insurance or economic status, and services many new immigrants.
“It’s rewarding because we serve a lot of refugee patients, and a number of Cambodians,” said Mey, who also has admitting privileges at Union Hospital, part of North Shore Medical Center.
Massachusetts, and especially Lowell, is home to one of the largest communities of Cambodian refugees in the United States, along with Long Beach, Calif.Many fled their war-torn country when the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot and his renegade army, took control in 1975 and began slaughtering intellectuals – doctors, schoolteachers, university professors, government officials. Mey’s father, a physician, was among the victims in 1977.
The so-called Killing Caves of Battambang Province have remained as a stark reminder of that dark time in Cambodia’s history, a place where hundreds, and perhaps thousands of innocents were literally tossed into underground chambers and left to die. Mey’s mother survived the savagery and has since immigrated to Lowell.
Until recently, Mey and his wife were living in Malden, where their son was born. But soon after assuming his new post in Lynn, and becoming acclimated to the community, Mey began searching for a home.
“I didn’t expect to buy so soon, but this area has been nice, and it’s close to work and close to Boston, which is great,” the doctor said.
The couple discovered the Devlin Park homes this fall after driving through the neighborhood, which encompasses Classical High School, Breed Middle School, Callahan Elementary School and the Curwin Circle public housing development. Built on the site of the former Joseph P. Devlin Public Medical Institute, the homes were a project of the Lynn Community Development Housing Corporation.
The Meys were the second family to move into the development, which features 12 Colonial-style, two-story homes of approximately 1,800 to 2,000 square feet of living space.
“We took a look at the area and kept coming back, day and night, and it seemed like a quiet, safe area to move into, and I liked the style of the homes,” said Mey. “Buying a house is a big investment, a lifetime investment, but it seemed right. The interest rates were low and it’s a buyer-friendly market right now.”
Fast-forward 24 years.
Today, standing on his front porch at 20 Devlin Way in the new Devlin Park development, with his wife, Socheata, and their 9-month-old son, Alexander, Mey is proof that the American Dream is still alive.
“We came to this country empty-handed, without knowing any English,” said Mey, 37, born in Battambang Province where Cambodia’s second-largest city is located. “We started from scratch, learning our ABCs, and I’m so proud of where we are now. We’re very fortunate.”
Upon arriving, Mey and his family settled in New York City, and Mey began his studies at the State University of New York’s Downstate Medical Center and its teaching hospital, the University Hospital of Brooklyn.
“I came from a medicine background,” said Mey. “My father was a physician in our country and all my brothers and sisters are in the medical field. It’s a family thing.”
Mey completed his medical studies at Saba University School of Medicine in The Netherlands in 2001 and his residency at the Guthrie/Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa., in 2004.
Mey and his wife, whom he met in Cambodia, married three years ago, and have been living in Massachusetts for the past two years. The couple lived in the Berkshires for a year while Mey was working at the Children’s Health Program.
Last year, they decided to move to the North Shore to be closer to relatives living in Lynn, Revere, Lowell and Tyngsboro.
“In the Berkshires, we were about two to three hours away from our family, so it was a little lonely out there,” said Mey. “Then, when Socheata became pregnant, we really wanted to have family support around us.”
Mey found a position at Lynn Community Health Center as a family physician at the health organization’s clinic in Market Square.
The health center provides care to all patients, regardless of insurance or economic status, and services many new immigrants.
“It’s rewarding because we serve a lot of refugee patients, and a number of Cambodians,” said Mey, who also has admitting privileges at Union Hospital, part of North Shore Medical Center.
Massachusetts, and especially Lowell, is home to one of the largest communities of Cambodian refugees in the United States, along with Long Beach, Calif.Many fled their war-torn country when the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot and his renegade army, took control in 1975 and began slaughtering intellectuals – doctors, schoolteachers, university professors, government officials. Mey’s father, a physician, was among the victims in 1977.
The so-called Killing Caves of Battambang Province have remained as a stark reminder of that dark time in Cambodia’s history, a place where hundreds, and perhaps thousands of innocents were literally tossed into underground chambers and left to die. Mey’s mother survived the savagery and has since immigrated to Lowell.
Until recently, Mey and his wife were living in Malden, where their son was born. But soon after assuming his new post in Lynn, and becoming acclimated to the community, Mey began searching for a home.
“I didn’t expect to buy so soon, but this area has been nice, and it’s close to work and close to Boston, which is great,” the doctor said.
The couple discovered the Devlin Park homes this fall after driving through the neighborhood, which encompasses Classical High School, Breed Middle School, Callahan Elementary School and the Curwin Circle public housing development. Built on the site of the former Joseph P. Devlin Public Medical Institute, the homes were a project of the Lynn Community Development Housing Corporation.
The Meys were the second family to move into the development, which features 12 Colonial-style, two-story homes of approximately 1,800 to 2,000 square feet of living space.
“We took a look at the area and kept coming back, day and night, and it seemed like a quiet, safe area to move into, and I liked the style of the homes,” said Mey. “Buying a house is a big investment, a lifetime investment, but it seemed right. The interest rates were low and it’s a buyer-friendly market right now.”
5 comments:
I would like to dedicate my dream and respect to A Cambodian Doctor names Doctor Hin Tong Hao. No, he is not a Vietnamese citizen. His name sounds some what similar.
This Doctor had inspired my parents to produce 3 Phamacists and one college graduated from Business Management. He was the only Cambodian doctor we knew when we came to America in late 70's.
Doctor Hin Tong Hao died of cancer in the 90's living my parents very devastated. He was their best friend and aspirator. Doctoe Tong Hao was the first to advice my parents along with many other Cambodian families whom had settled in America after 1979 to get ourself an education before anything else. HIS WORD WAS A GOLD AND DIAMOND.
Doctor Hin Tong Hao will always miss and respect by all of us. May his soul rest in peace in heaven!
My dream is to become a Cambodian Millonair by the year of 2012 and no by no mean of corruption, but thru hard work, dedication, determination and contueing investing. May many more Cambodian Families share my dream and be very sucessful!
I would like to dedicate my dream and respect to A Cambodian Doctor names Hin Tong Hao. No he is not a Vietnamese citizen. His name sounds somewhat similar.
This Doctor had inspired my parents to produce 3 Pharmacists and one college graduated from Business Management. He was the only Cambodian Doctor we knew when we came to America in late 70's.
Doctor Hin Tong Hao died of cancer in the 90's leaving my parents very devastated. He was their best friend and aspirator. Doctor Tong Hao was the first person to advice my parents along with many other Cambodian families whom had settled in America around 1979 and after to get ourself an education before anything else. HIS WORD WAS PURE GOLD AND DIAMOND.
Doctor Hin Tong Hao will always miss and respect by all of us and many of our generations to come. May his soul rest in peace in heaven!
My own very sure dream is to become a Cambodian Millionaire and producing 2 more college graduates ( my only two beloved children )by the year of 2012 and no by all no mean of corruption, but thru hard work, integrity, dedication, determination, continue investing and from an outstanding support of my most trusted and beloved spouse ( my life long lover and soul mate).
May many more Cambodian Families share my dream, remember his name ( Doctor Hin Tong Hao ), Doctor Sokharith Mey's name and be very very sucessful in the future!
To Doctor Hin Tong Hao's family:
I beg for your forgiveness, if I spell his name wrong. God bless!
Battambang and Kampong Tom
Thank you Doctor Hin Tong Hao for your finest inspiration and thank you America for allowing us to stay and to give us full Freedom to do the thing that we want to do with our lives. You have contributed in the past the finest contribution to our well being our hope our dream our safety and our security. They mean more than anything else in the world! and continue to contribute to our present and our new generation again our well being our safety our security and to house our soul with new hope happines and our dream.
YOU ARE THE GREATEST THE MOST MAGNIFICENT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD! MAY YOUR HOPE AND DREAM ALSO BE REALIZED. YOU DESERVE TO BE KNOWN AND COPY BY ALL MANKIND. WE LOVE YOU! AND WE THANK YOU SO VERY VERY MUCH AND SINCERELY. PLEASE KNOW THAT YOUR EFFORT AND KINDNESS WILL BE PRINTED IN OUR HEART AND WILL LAST THRU OUR LIFE TIME! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND HER PEOPLE!
From the buttom of our hearts,
Battambang & Kampong Tom
Yes...God bless America!
I am Dr. tong Hor Hin's son and I happened to stumble across this. You have no idea how much it means to me. I am honored to be his son and wish you good fortune.
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