Original report from Washington
05 August 2009
Fear for the loss of the Khmer language among the youth and an intent to safeguard Khmer culture prompted a group of Cambodian-Americans to join the sixth Asian Festival this weekend in a city near Washington.
The festival, held in Reston, Va., in the suburbs of the capital, sought to bring greater understanding of Asian cultures to the public through music, cultural performances, food, fashion, handicrafts and other products.
“Our Khmer children growing up in the US don’t speak Khmer much,” Sophia Tep, who is in charge of Cambodian Community Day, told VOA Khmer. “They don’t understand the Khmer language.”
Cambodian Community Day seeks to promote the Khmer traditions through culture and dance, and seeks especially to encourage Cambodians to speak their mother tongue, she said.
This was the second year the Cambodian community took part in the festival. Participants hope it will help boost tourism to Cambodia.
The festival, held in Reston, Va., in the suburbs of the capital, sought to bring greater understanding of Asian cultures to the public through music, cultural performances, food, fashion, handicrafts and other products.
“Our Khmer children growing up in the US don’t speak Khmer much,” Sophia Tep, who is in charge of Cambodian Community Day, told VOA Khmer. “They don’t understand the Khmer language.”
Cambodian Community Day seeks to promote the Khmer traditions through culture and dance, and seeks especially to encourage Cambodians to speak their mother tongue, she said.
This was the second year the Cambodian community took part in the festival. Participants hope it will help boost tourism to Cambodia.
6 comments:
it's over due! well, at least someone is trying to rectify the problem by encouraging young people of khmer heritage to learn our beautiful khmer language. it's about time we all wake up to that. it's a good thing for cambodia. god bless cambodia.
Thank you!!!
These Khmer children don't speak their language because they chose not to learn! If they want to keep their language alive, they will speak Khmer to their parents, to their elders, but instead the parents talk in Khmer, they answer in English. The children only can listen and understand but cannot communicate well in Khmer. If the foreigners can speak Khmer well that is because they chose to understand and learn the language!
Please don't blame those children. They just live on the wrong place, but they are Khmer. They understood Khmer language and one day sure they will able to speak Khmer.
These children were born and rise here in the USA. English is in every aspect in their life. They speech English in school, with friends etc… Therefore, it’s natural for them to respond to their parents in English. Since, they’re living here in the US; they need to master English to be success in school; therefore success in their careers. Majority of bilingual students do not do well in school. Khmer can be learned later. I’m sure once day, they will speck Khmer.
Yes, we should not forget where we’re coming from. I support this kind of event to educate our children about their roots. They can learn about our beautiful culture and language. Thanks for help keeping our culture alike.
You can expand the program by establish Khmer Language school in America. Meaning creating teacher jobs that would teach Cambodian kids after school or something. There is not one and some parents live among American family with no grandparents or anyone around to talk to them. They spend more time with TV or with just their friends who are American. Their parents are always away at work. Some were taking turn. One works during day and working during night. So just they can be able to care for their kids. It's a tough world out there. My kids want to learn Cambodia so much that they purchase Cambodian's conversation book which was written by The American people. That how bad it was. Don't say those kids forget their own. They don't and they know better. It made me cry when I saw a Cambodian boy wearing a T-shirt with Mr. Sin Si Samouth's picture on it. This real love and passion for Khmer. A 15 or 17 years old don't just do that.
Post a Comment