Map of Minnesota, USA, a new home for Cambodian-Americans in the US
Wat Munisoratam pagoda (Photo: http://www.wattmunisota.org)
Traditional Khmer dance at Watt Munisotaram pagoda (Photo: http://www.wattmunisota.org)Op-Ed by Khmer Quorum
Minnesota is known as a land of ten thousand lakes and home of Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the US. Geographically, Minnesota is a large state in the Midwest of the US, which has an area a bit bigger than Cambodia, but it has a population of only 5 million. In term of climate, Minnesota is among the coldest state in the country; temperature in Winter can go as low as -60 degree Fahrenheit (-51 degree Celsius). However, this harsh and dangerous weather doesn't bother many Cambodian-Americans from choosing this state as their permanent place because of job availability, good quality of education and health care services, and moderate cost of living.
Roughly, there are about 10,000 Cambodian Americans currently live in Minnesota; most of them settle in the suburb area of the Twin City (Minneapolis and Saint Paul) where there are a lot of big beautiful homes,city parks, fancy shopping malls, and excellent schools for their children. About 80 percent of them own a single family home which has a price range from $200,000 to $1 million. And each family at least own two cars that are used as their personal transportation for their daily works. They work in different careers from factory workers to upper level of professional jobs such as technicians, engineers, teachers, police officers, lawyers, doctors ... Some successful Cambodian Americans here own restaurants, stores, and mid-size and small companies.
The remarkable success for Cambodian Americans here is based on their hard work, not from any mean of corruption. Most Cambodians like to work overtime from 10 to 12 hours a day, and some work two jobs seven day a week. Too much work load and less time with family has created a lot of stress and family problems also. To release their stress, they like to do party such as Birthday, Graduation, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. These occasions have provided a great opportunity for them to socialize with relatives and friends. More than this, they have a chance to sing Karaoke and play games or cards together. Others probably choose fishing, camping, hunting, and sport for their leisure time.
Another remarkable success for Cambodian Americans in Minnesota is not about family's wealth but about community. Although we are from the country where national disunity has prevailed for decades, in here Theravada Buddhism has brought us together as a single community. To keep our religion to survive in the new land, All Cambodian here have come together to build a large temple (Wat) on 40 acre land with a price tage of almost $2 million, and it was named Munisotaram. It now become the largest Khmer Buddhist temple (Wat) in the US. The red, golden roof of a two story temple located on a top of the hill, about 20 miles from the Twin City has become a beautiful landmark in Minnesota. When we drive to Munisotaram on a road through the cornfield, we can see the red and golden roof miles away, which appears above the green cornfield during summer and the white snow carpet during winter. We are proud to see our culture still survives in a land that is ten thousand miles away from our motherland. We never know how much we love our culture and motherland until we have become the immigrant living in another country.
Minnesota has a very harsh and severe cold in Winter, but during Summer, it turns into the most beautiful state in the US. With beautiful nature of ten thousand of lakes and green cornfield, job availability, excellent health care and education services, and moderate cost of living, Minnesota has become an attractive place for many immigrants around the world, including Cambodian immigrants.
By Khmer Quorum, MN, USA
For additional information on Watt Munisotaram, please click here.
Roughly, there are about 10,000 Cambodian Americans currently live in Minnesota; most of them settle in the suburb area of the Twin City (Minneapolis and Saint Paul) where there are a lot of big beautiful homes,city parks, fancy shopping malls, and excellent schools for their children. About 80 percent of them own a single family home which has a price range from $200,000 to $1 million. And each family at least own two cars that are used as their personal transportation for their daily works. They work in different careers from factory workers to upper level of professional jobs such as technicians, engineers, teachers, police officers, lawyers, doctors ... Some successful Cambodian Americans here own restaurants, stores, and mid-size and small companies.
The remarkable success for Cambodian Americans here is based on their hard work, not from any mean of corruption. Most Cambodians like to work overtime from 10 to 12 hours a day, and some work two jobs seven day a week. Too much work load and less time with family has created a lot of stress and family problems also. To release their stress, they like to do party such as Birthday, Graduation, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. These occasions have provided a great opportunity for them to socialize with relatives and friends. More than this, they have a chance to sing Karaoke and play games or cards together. Others probably choose fishing, camping, hunting, and sport for their leisure time.
Another remarkable success for Cambodian Americans in Minnesota is not about family's wealth but about community. Although we are from the country where national disunity has prevailed for decades, in here Theravada Buddhism has brought us together as a single community. To keep our religion to survive in the new land, All Cambodian here have come together to build a large temple (Wat) on 40 acre land with a price tage of almost $2 million, and it was named Munisotaram. It now become the largest Khmer Buddhist temple (Wat) in the US. The red, golden roof of a two story temple located on a top of the hill, about 20 miles from the Twin City has become a beautiful landmark in Minnesota. When we drive to Munisotaram on a road through the cornfield, we can see the red and golden roof miles away, which appears above the green cornfield during summer and the white snow carpet during winter. We are proud to see our culture still survives in a land that is ten thousand miles away from our motherland. We never know how much we love our culture and motherland until we have become the immigrant living in another country.
Minnesota has a very harsh and severe cold in Winter, but during Summer, it turns into the most beautiful state in the US. With beautiful nature of ten thousand of lakes and green cornfield, job availability, excellent health care and education services, and moderate cost of living, Minnesota has become an attractive place for many immigrants around the world, including Cambodian immigrants.
By Khmer Quorum, MN, USA
For additional information on Watt Munisotaram, please click here.
8 comments:
Yes, Minnesota is known as state with thousand lakes and one ex gouffe governor. It was governorJessi Ventura.
I'm a Cambodian-American from Seattle and non of our Buddhist temples are anything like that in Minnesota. Sometimes the money that pour into the temples here in the Seattle area...we don't know where it actually goes.
Good job Cambodian-Americans of Minnesota!
Did it gets Tep Vong approval?
Congratulation to our compatriots in Minnisota for this beautiful pagoda.
But don't invite the 7jan Monk or AH Tra Ngol skin head Tep Vong and Lon Nget to your pagoda.
From a resident of PPenh.
good job khmer minnisota!I'm khmer iowan "desmoines"I have been to your temple last july 07 bunn " SIMA" your temple are very beautifull and the people are very nice too. Here in "DES MOINES" IOWA" here is very cold during winter time from december to march!! Job, education, cost of living are cheaper then minnisota, also as you known iowa is the major American political campagn, as the first Iowa caucus!! in iowa there is one temple" call cambodian budhist society, Angkorweat friendship association. If you have any question about khmer people living iowa please call me at 515-494-0830 or email me: sonwayne7@aol.com
khmer Iowan
Back in the 1980s, the Cambodian Buddhist Temple (was just an ordinary house along with other, perhaps, 20 houses or so) when it was in Eagan, Minnesota ... now, the new magnificent temple in Hampton, Minnesota.
This has been a great attainment and milestone for every Cambodian-American Minnesotans.
Also, Minnesota is the first state to have had elected the former
movie) actor and wrestler as a governor (Mr. Jessi Ventura). Of course, during his tenure, every Minnesotans have appreciated and liked him a lot irrespective of his past professions; also, the Minnesotans were grateful for the rebate checks.
Furthermore, there numerous Hun Sen's crononies who are residing in this state. Chum Prasid, the Minister of Commere, for instance, sent his daughter to study at the University of Saint Thomas private college), Minnesota majoring in International Business. Also, Mr. Sar Keng was here unostentatiously and inconspicuously. Mr. Sar Keng is a very bright guy -- as opposed to Mr. Sok An -- departed from cambodia and arrived in the state of Minnesota without anyone knowing or notice of his presence.
Khmer forever! Yuon out of Cambdoia!
Thats great to see people united togher. No more dream to invite Tep Vong.
Why not doing like Long Beach,sending self appointed DELEGATES to beg monkey Tep Vong to cut ribbon for this pagoda inaugural ceremony?
NO SEE PEEPEE here?
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