AFP
Many Cambodians fear or find it hard to accept deportees like Kay Kay, who were initially expected to bring a crime wave with them to the country.
'Depending on their jobs, some of them (deportees) still face stigma,' says Ong Klung, head of the Returnee Integration Support Programme. 'Some find it hard to function.' Taing Phoeuk, director of Korsang, an HIV education organisation which is staffed by many deportees, says the vast majority are not involved in any criminal behaviour.
For his part, Kay Kay says his students inspire him to live well, although there is also irony in the attention he has had from founding Tiny Toones.
When he gave a performance at a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Hong Kong last year, Kay Kay danced in front of former US president Bill Clinton - the man who passed the law which banished him. He also could not accompany his students as they went on a performance tour of the US early this year.
Kay Kay says he is slowly being accepted into Cambodian society now and hopes he will be completely welcome someday.
As he and his fellow deportees integrate in the country, they have helped entrench hip hop culture in Cambodia. Videos, advertisements and club performances are now taking on an increasingly American urban style.
Saray Sarom, 23, a former street kid who now teaches breakdancing at Tiny Toones, believes it can further help the impoverished country.
'It has completely changed my perspective about life,' he says. 'I feel hopeful when I see that I can teach other disadvantaged kids something valuable and see that they progress like me.'
'Depending on their jobs, some of them (deportees) still face stigma,' says Ong Klung, head of the Returnee Integration Support Programme. 'Some find it hard to function.' Taing Phoeuk, director of Korsang, an HIV education organisation which is staffed by many deportees, says the vast majority are not involved in any criminal behaviour.
For his part, Kay Kay says his students inspire him to live well, although there is also irony in the attention he has had from founding Tiny Toones.
When he gave a performance at a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Hong Kong last year, Kay Kay danced in front of former US president Bill Clinton - the man who passed the law which banished him. He also could not accompany his students as they went on a performance tour of the US early this year.
Kay Kay says he is slowly being accepted into Cambodian society now and hopes he will be completely welcome someday.
As he and his fellow deportees integrate in the country, they have helped entrench hip hop culture in Cambodia. Videos, advertisements and club performances are now taking on an increasingly American urban style.
Saray Sarom, 23, a former street kid who now teaches breakdancing at Tiny Toones, believes it can further help the impoverished country.
'It has completely changed my perspective about life,' he says. 'I feel hopeful when I see that I can teach other disadvantaged kids something valuable and see that they progress like me.'
15 comments:
The reason that many Khmer in Cambodia fear or hard to accept deportees from USA because most of them are serious criminals.
After arrived back to Cambodia they have set up gangster groups which create chaos in the society. Khmer in Cambodia calling them that American gangster while Cambodian government brands them that "American product"
Khmer in the U.S., if you guys can't help Cambodia, please don't create any problem in Cambodian society and bring shame back to motherland.
Cheers
From 1972 until 2005, I visited USA almost every year and understood the situation not bad. Maybe some of our Khmer brothers and sisters from the US were growing up on the wrong place. They have to fight for their identity as Khmer born with different situations. Please try to understand and respect them as our Khmer blood brothers.
For all Khmer deportees,
If you want to commit any crime in Cambodia, Just execute all of those CPP members and their leaders. You'll be a Khmer hero. Don't let them live and sell Khmer lands to Hanoi and grab poor people's land.
You will be a matir of Khmer nation if you can eliminate the CPP leaders.
Trash will be trash
8:44 pm,
Don't flatter your self. You know nothing, Some trash can be valuable. Go take some Human Behavior courses. Moron!
To 7:59 PM good point
First we got beaten by Mexican kids we were so afraid of them. So they formed gangs here in Long Beach, Killingfieldnia '80-'90. Bang here bang there killing every week. In the state they robbing their owns people. Once they earned they buy drugs and clothes. I ton of friends committed this kind of crime and they must pay their time.
So far, their are 2000 waiting to repatriate back. I've had a friend name Chan he's 32 years old has committed suicide in Phnom Penh because American had deported him back. Even though, not even one of his relatives accept they knew him that he smoke crack, cocaine, pcp, and etc.
Hun Xen don't even care about at all. We sent money over to these guys, they bought drugs from CPP and Hun Xen is very excited about what he doing right now from drug dealing, trafficking, exploited, land grabbing, and extortion. All of these guys take their own life because no money for drugs.
9:30pm
but trash like you has no valuable, go finish your Middle School.
11:11 pm,
Perhaps, you don't want to admitt your ignorant or perhaps you just simply jealous at these kids who successfuly corrected them- selve without some sort of education like you moron.
In reality, you live you learn. No ONE, I repeat, NO ONE goes without mistaken in the life. You know damn well I'm right, Or you still have no clue?
Common Sense..
1:10am
you moron, FYI I have a Master degree in Computer Science, any more questions? And I don't make mistake like you.
Y'all have PhDs in trash talking. Congrat!!!
Yes 8:02 am, MS is good for you, bad for society. A grad like you is useless for the community. What school award you this such degree when you don't have a clue of how human behave, what caused..?
Oh, you must had failed Social courses, or a GPA below 2.0, that why you behave this way. Like I said before, no human are mistake-free. How many times you did apply wrong variables, codes in you Basic or Fortran or any other programs???NONE! lol.
Mistake is a mistake. Big or small is already done. You can not undo the past but you can learn from it and change the future. Now do you get it or still need more lecture. I'm happy to accomidate anytime Mr. Master.
Common Sense!
8:02 am,
This is not trash. It's education. You will stay where you are right now and forever at the same place if you don't learn from it. Take it from me my friend, I urge you b'cause you're Khmer, I assumed. We, khmer always need a few more good people ever.
Common Sense
again fighting with your own kind. very Yab!
Mr Ak47 @ 5:25 pm,
..and you are one of them.
Here lets me tell you the story about our Khmer kids from abroad. It's happened in the late '90 here in Sacramento, CA. These Khmersta cruising in town. They had finally parked their car in front of Khmer hood, their were 5 of them. Afterward, they pretended their car ran of water heater. They knocked on Khmer house and uncle came out he tried everything to help them. All of a sudden they robbed him instead. 3 of them went inside 2 for the lookout. Those innocent Khmer got beaten pretty bad, uncle and his wife were beaten two of their niece were not. They took 30k dollars worth of accessories.
Man, back in the '80-'90 everything gone crazy as hell.
2YK everything seem to calm no more gang banger because of internet and hi-tech. These days we all old that was 10-20 years ago. Long Beach, CA used have Khmer of 50,000 had declined to 20,000 we all had moved out for better life for our kids. Now Khmer everywhere in 50 states.
This based on AMW (America's Most Wanted).
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