Angela Pang,
Asian Week (USA)
Cambodian Community Development Inc.
Khmer Classes
Tuesdays, 4 p.m.
Oak Park's Community Room
2618 East 16th St., Oakland, CA, USA
www.ccdi.org
Clad in a pink sweater, Lisa Kong, 8, practices writing the Khmer alphabet in her spiral notebook, glancing back and forth between her binder paper and the board, which has all 24 vowels and 32 consonants written in white chalk.
"This class is fun," exclaimed Kong. "I’ve learned almost the whole alphabet!"
Kong is just one of approximately 15 students taking free Khmer classes provided by Cambodian Community Development Inc., a nonprofit organization serving the Cambodian community in the Bay Area.
"Not only do we teach these kids how to write and pronounce each letter, we teach them about Cambodian customs, how to respect their parents and how to communicate well with their family and community, so they can really understand what it means to be Cambodian," said instructor Kansophanette You. "Knowing the [Khmer] language will benefit these kids in the future."
The class meets every Tuesday afternoon for an hour in Oak Park, an affordable housing development. Over 80 percent of Oak Park’s tenants are Cambodian.
Students typically range from ages 7 to 17. Classes run from October through June.
"As far as I’m aware, there aren’t any Cambodian classes in the Bay Area. We decided to start one because a lot of kids in our center have expressed interest in learning the language," said executive director Ratha Chuon. "One of our staff [Kansophanette You] has a BA in Khmer literature, and we have a monk who’s taught in Cambodia, so we thought it would be great to start a class and have them teach it."
"The response to the program has been great, and the parents are very happy. Many of the kids can’t stop reciting the different consonants and vowels at home," said Chuon. "The kids really look forward to Tuesday and have asked for the class to take place twice a week instead of one."
The Bay Area is home to approximately 13,000 Cambodians, according to Chuon. More than a third live in poverty, and most did not graduate from high school.
"I want to revive the Cambodian community in the Bay Area and I hope these classes will help do that," said Chuon. "Many moved out of the Bay Area after the 1989 earthquake and because of high housing prices."
The group hopes to continue the program next year and offer classes for adults, but it all depends on whether they can secure funding. At this point, the class is entirely volunteer-run.
Classes are led by Buddhist Monk Him San and assisted by You.
Dalinna Phal, 16, said her favorite part about the class is the projects.
"We recently made a collage regarding things we did and have in common with our grandparents and I decided to use my grandma," said Phal. "I was surprised to find how outgoing she was. I always thought she was really quiet, so this was the first time I’ve seen her excited."
The classes have also helped Samantha Tan, 16, bond with her grandma and aunts, who she studies her Khmer with. "It’s helped me get in touch with my heritage," said Tan. "Learning to read and write the letters is important. A lot of us Cambodian kids in America don’t know how to."
"Learning to read and write is good, that way these kids can find a job in Cambodia or in the U.S. if they like," said Sophay Som, whose daughter Lisa is in the class. "I don’t know how to read or write [Khmer]. I’m glad my daughter has the chance."
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Reach Angela Pang at apang@asianweek.com.
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