NIU students contribute to exhibit at Chicago Cambodian museum

Cambodian exhibit "Remembering the Killing Fields"
Lauren Bell, NIU student, and Khmer Rouge survivor and now Chicago resident King Heng Vinh attend the opening of the Remembering the Killing Fields exhibit on September 15. (Courtesy Photo)

Thursday, September 22, 2011
Shelby Devitt
Northern Star (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

NIU students contributed to a new exhibit and memorial at the Cambodian American Heritage Museum, 2831 W. Lawrence Ave. in Chicago.

The exhibit, "Remembering the Killing Fields," documents the stories of survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide who now live in the Chicago area, said Elizabeth Denius, communications manager for NIU's Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

"This kind of project is an important project because it gives NIU students an opportunity to participate in an oral history of one of Cambodia's most historic events," said James Collins, director for the Center of Southeast Asian Studies. "It's something that the center very much supports."

Exhibit on Cambodia’s killing fields focuses on local survivors

Dary Mien, Executive Director of the Cambodian Association of Illinois gives a tour. A small group of NIU students and faculty have spent five years recording oral histories of Killing Fields survivors in the Chicago area. The histories are now the centerpiece of an exhibit "Witnessing the Cambodian Killing Fields" at the small Cambodian American Heritage museum and Killing Fields Memorial, with an opening ceremony on Thursday, September 15, 2011 in Chicago. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

Period clothing is on display. A small group of NIU students and faculty have spent five years recording oral histories of Killing Fields survivors in the Chicago area. The histories are now the centerpiece of an exhibit "Witnessing the Cambodian Killing Fields" at the small Cambodian American Heritage museum and Killing Fields Memorial, with an opening ceremony on Thursday, September 15, 2011 in Chicago. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

September 19, 2011
BY KARA SPAK Staff Reporter/kspak@suntimes.com
Chicago Sun-Times

IF You Go ...

“Remembering the Killing Fields” is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and by appointment on weekends. Admission is free.

Advanced reservations are appreciated. To schedule a personal or group visit, call Anneth Houy at (773) 980-4654 or e-mail anneth@cambodian-association.org.

The Cambodian American Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial is located at 2831 W. Lawrence.

Dary Mien was about 6 years old in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge took over her Cambodian homeland.

At least that’s what age her mother told her she was. The family was forced to burn all records like birth certificates as they were coerced into a cruel collective where people were murdered for any sign of holding onto an individual identity.

Children, including Mien, were separated from their families and forced to work picking up cow dung. Their parents dug ditches or worked in rice paddies. Torture, starvation and rampant disease were woven for nearly four years into the daily lives of those living under Pol Pot. An estimated 2 million died in what was later called the “Killing Fields.”

Where to eat Khmer food this weekend [-Pchum Ben ceremony at Watt Khmer Metta]

Pchum Ben ceremony at Watt Khmer Metta

Wed, Sep 14, 2011
By Mike Sula
Chicago Reader (Illinois, USA)

I've pointed out before that there are precious few opportunities in Chicago for non-Cambodians (without Cambodian friends or family) to try Khmer food, which can be described as somewhat similar to Thai but noticeably subtler in terms of the four S's—spicy-sweet-sour-salty. It's no ten-ton truck, but it draws on Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, and French influences too and it's damn good stuff. If you've never partaken, this Saturday there are a couple opportunities at the Cambodian American Heritage Museum in Albany Park.

Beginning at 9 AM, Buddhist monks will conduct a Moha Bhokal ceremony remembering those who died in the Killing Fields, during which food and cash are offered to the chanting monks before everyone sits down to eat. All are welcome, but as with the community's annual Pchum Ben observance you should bring a gift.

Later that afternoon, tour group facilitator Travel Blend is presenting Meandering the Mekong: A Culinary Journey to Cambodia, featuring a tour of the museum, a slide show, cooking demonstration, and buffet dinner. The company's Loneth Soares tells me the menu will feature beef salad (pleer saik gho), chicken lemon grass (cha khreung saik moan), stir fried vegetables (cha pbales), banana in coconut cream and tapioca for dessert, and a basil seed drink

In Chicago, US-Cambodians Seek Political Voice

A group of Cambodians met in Chicago over the weekend to discuss ways their community might receive more attention. (Photo: by Men Kimseng)

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Chicago Wednesday, 28 July 2010

“Essentially, Cambodians should register to vote and go vote, all the time, from local to presidential elections.”

Although they face a raft of problems from health to education, US-Cambodians say they remain underrepresented by policy makers. A group of Cambodians met in Chicago over the weekend to discuss ways their community might receive more attention.

Participants told VOA Khmer they want better representation, but that requires a stronger, more unified voice within their communities.

“There are two reasons why Cambodian community don't get much support and understanding,” said Van Sar, an organizer of the Chicago forum. “This is because, first, we don't have representatives within the US leadership. Secondly, we don't have a strong, joint voice from our civil society organizations to influence US policy.”

The forum, the first of its kind, was organized by the Cambodian Association in Illinois and the Khmer Alliance Foundation, in conjunction with the National Cambodian American Health Initiative.

A low percentage of Cambodians take advantage of opportunities in the US. Just more than 10 percent of Cambodian high schoolers graduate, according to statistics at the forum.

“Those who know the real need of our children's education are we the parents,” said Boeuy Te, a member of the National Education Association.

Of the Cambodians who do graduate with advanced degrees, he said, few work in government institutions where they might push to improve the lives of fellow Cambodians.

Low political participation in general was also discussed at the forum.

“Essentially, Cambodians should register to vote and go vote, all the time, from local to presidential elections,” Siv Sichan, a former US ambassador to the UN, said. “Here if we want our voice heard, we have to be active. And if we just stay home, our voice won't be heard.”

There are approximately 270,000 Cambodians living in the US. Only 60,000 have become full US citizens. That means a wide majority do not have the right to vote, an important part of gaining political attention.

That said, the Chicago forum did draw Mike Quigley, a Democrat for Illinois in the US House of Representatives.

“It's not one act,” he told VOA Khmer. “I think it's a relationship that builds from here. We've been in DC for a year now. We've learned a little bit about how to get things done. So I think working with my district office here and in Washington, DC, we'll sit down as often as we need to to work out individual cases and broader issues. It's not one thing; it's a series of things.”

Celebrating their heritage: Chicago's Cambodian Museum opens retail store

Cambodian-American Association of Illinois, 2801 W. Lawrence

06.17.10
Marcus Leshock
ChicagoNow

The Killing Fields.

Three words haunt the southeast Asian nation of Cambodia. For a period between 1975-1979, it was hell on Earth.

Estimated say that somewhere around 2 million people were killed in the Khmer Rouge genocide. Countless more fled from the country at their own peril. They ended up displaced all over the globe.

Today, there are about 3,500 Cambodian Americans that call Chicago home. In 2004, the Cambodian Association of Illinois opened a museum at 2801 W. Lawrence Ave. in Albany Park.

This weekend they're opening their first retail store, featuring artifacts, musical instruments, artwork, sculptures, clothing and more - all created by Cambodians. Proceeds benefit the artists and the non-profit museum.

I spoke with a few of the artists today, each survived the terrible Cambodian tragedy of the late 70's. While the country will always be known for the hardship, they hope that museums like this one can remind people of the country's rich heritage (the store is named Morodok, which translates to "heritage.").

My full feature is running on the WGN News at 5 p.m. I'll post it here as soon as it is finished. The museum is holding a grand opening from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 19. They also offers free music lessons on the various Cambodian instruments. Contact them about times here...

Cambodian Association of Illinois
2801 W. Lawrence
Chicago IL
www.cambodian-association.org
(773) 878-7090

Far Beyond the Killing Fields

05.03.10
Nancy Loo
BIG tiny World - a blog by Nancy Loo

The Albany Park neighborhood is among the many reasons I love Chicago. Where else can you find a Middle-Eastern/Mexican restaurant near a Korean restaurant, not far from a store where you can buy a hijab?

I was in Albany Park today to emcee the kickoff of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at the Cambodian American Heritage Museum. It's yet another event I committed to before I knew I would no longer represent a television station at this time. After I commented about that in my opening remarks, everyone was eager to know which station they should switch to watching. I will certainly share such information when it's appropriate.

More importantly on this day, the celebration of Chicago's vibrant and diverse Asian community. I strongly urge every Chicagoan to visit the Cambodian American Heritage Museum. It is small but packed with important artifacts and information about Cambodia's history, including the Killing Fields genocide. Reflecting on such brutality and human suffering certainly makes my job situation seem extremely trivial.

Now, today was just the kickoff to Asian American Heritage Month. There are performances and events all over Chicago in the next few weeks. Click here to link to the city's Department of Human Relations website. You can access the calendar of events on the lower right hand side of the homepage.

Chicagoans Remember the Cambodian Genocide

Cambodian Association of Illinois Executive Director Kompa Seth as an 18-year old. (WBEZ/Nissa Rhee)

Worldview 2/10/2009
Chicago Public Radio (USA)

Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood is home to the only Cambodian genocide memorial outside of Cambodia.The Killing Fields Memorial is located in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood on the northside. Worldview Producer Nissa Rhee visited the memorial to see how Chicagoans are remembering the genocide.

When the Khmer Rouge overthrew the government of Lon Nol in 1975, Cambodians were war weary. With the help of the U.S., they had been fighting both the Communist Khmer Rouge insurgents in the northwest and Viet Cong soldiers on their border for several years.

Kompha Seth was a sergeant in the Cambodian army. He had just finished attending a U.S. military training in Thailand when the Khmer Rouge took power.

Because of his connections with Americans and the previous anti-Communist government, Kompha feared for his life. He was given the choice to stay in Cambodia or go to the United States.

SETH: Pretty, pretty hard to make a choice in those time, you know, because my family lived at home and pretty hard to make a choice. So, I don’t know why but I’m still not understand how I made the decision at that time. So I forced myself to come to the U.S. with my pain, by myself. I left my family back home. It’s pretty hard for me.

Kompha left his two sons—age 8 and 2—behind with his wife. They were all killed.

He thought that his brother’s family died as well, but his sister-in-law contacted him after the genocide. She showed him some family mementos she had buried near her house for safekeeping before the Khmer Rouge soldiers came. After the genocide, she returned home and dug them up. He showed me a picture of him as an 18-year old taped to his office wall.

SETH: This is my picture. She told me that she you know hide it in the ground with a plastic bag. When the events over she go back and then she pulled all of the evidence you know, my letter, my picture, everything. So that’s why I believe that it’s real.

His sister-in-law told Kompha that the Khmer Rouge forced them to walk many miles to an agricultural labor camp. Many people died from starvation and disease. Others were executed and thrown in mass graves, called killing fields.

RHEE: Was she able to tell you how your wife or your children died?

SETH: Oh yeah, yeah. She…I don’t want to describe. You know, it was so much painful. When I talk. She still cries when she talks with me by phone. She’s crying.

Out of their 25 member extended family, only Kompha and his sister-in-law are left. Kompha has dedicated his life to making sure that what happened during the genocide is not forgotten. He is now the Executive Director of the Cambodian Association of Illinois, the organization that houses the Killing Fields memorial.

SETH: Among the unluckiest, I’m the luckiest. That’s why we work hard to create this memorial, you know, to honor those who cannot make it. It’s the place where people come to heal the past, and also the place to honor those who cannot survive.

ambi: "Cambodian Dream" song played by Master Song San

The memorial is in the Association’s Heritage Museum, behind an exhibit on the renewal of Cambodian culture after the genocide. Its black granite walls are a solemn contrast to the colorful weavings and intricate wooden sculptures that fill the front of the museum.

Charles Daas is the Museum Director.

DAAS: What you see essentially are 80 glass panels that are back-lit. And each of these panels represents 25,000 people that perished during the Killing Fields period.

RHEE: And I see a white flower, and it says “We continue our journey with compassion, understanding and wisdom.”

DAAS: The phrase signifies the way in which the Cambodian people have approached having lived through a genocide. It’s also a window into their Buddhist beliefs which is this concept of unconditional love and compassion. That they move on from this tragic period in history and they continue to live and to thrive. The flower itself is a sacred flower in Cambodia. But it was also chosen to represent the life after this dark chapter in Cambodian history.

The museum is a gathering place for Cambodian-Americans searching for their heritage.

ambi: Kong Toch instrument

EAP: This instrument needs a lot of coordination. You have to use a lot of flexibility from one side to the next to the other side. You really need to have great body control with this.

On Sundays, young Cambodian-Americans like Kimsour Eap gather in the museum to practice traditional Khmer music. The music classes are one part of the Association’s mission to renew Cambodian culture, much of which was destroyed in the genocide.

Kimsour is practicing the Kong Toch. He sits on a pillow in the middle of the instrument – a circular series of small gongs. He comes to the music class to reconnect with his Cambodian culture.

EAP: It’s meaningful for all young people, like us, like me actually. To see what it’s like to be a part of Cambodian civilization, to be a Cambodian person period. To come here to see all of this museum, to see this display. To think about back in time what’s going on in Cambodia. It’s great.

Kimsour was born in Cambodia six years after the Khmer Rouge was ousted from power. And his family’s history during the genocide remains a mystery to him.

EAP: You know what, I don’t really know much about it. They don’t really want to talk about it, ‘cause it’s so much painful to even think about.

That reticence of Cambodians to discuss the genocide is one of the biggest obstacles the Association faces.

DAAS: Even though we have this museum, even though we have the memorial, I think that most people continue to be unaware of what really happened in Cambodia.

Again, Museum director Charles Daas.

DAAS: What is most disheartening for me is that genocide actually has a pattern. That this isn’t just something that happens. That one genocide occurs and people actually mimic or learn from that. And so I think one of the difficulties for me is that even though we have this wonderful facility and this beautiful memorial, which again while it’s a memorial to the Cambodian people, it’s a memorial to anyone who’s been victim to war to torture and to genocide. I think the hardest thing for me is that there are so many people who don’t know that this happened and how important it is for them to understand this.

Cambodians celebrated the 30th anniversary of the end of the Khmer Rouge regime last month. But as the Cambodian Association of Illinois will tell you, the genocide still is a dark shadow on the lives of Cambodian-Americans. It will take a long time before the wounds heal. And until then, the Cambodian community will keep renewing, and keep remembering.

Click here to listen to a tradional Khmer song performed by Master Song San at the Cambodian American Heritage Museum in Chicago.

Museum Exhibit Explores Hope For Cambodia’s Future After A Tragic Past

Sep 10, 2008
Asian Week

CHICAGO — The Cambodian American Heritage Museum has launched its latest show, "Cambodia Born Anew," a major exhibit on Cambodia's remarkable recovery following years of civil strife and genocide. The exhibit examines Cambodia's core economy, folk arts, education and Theravada Buddhism, the faith tradition of over 90 percent of Khmers, as well as performances of traditional Khmer music and dance.

The Cambodian American Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial, opened in October 2004, is the first museum of its kind in the United States. The museum features Cambodian and community artists and Cambodian art; promotes genocide education and awareness; and preserves the memory of over two million Cambodian people lost during the Killing Fields through healing and arts.

Charles Daas, museum director, noted that, "'Cambodia Born Anew' is a snapshot of Cambodia today as its people wrestle with how to preserve ancient traditions in the wake of a new global economy."

The exhibit examined Cambodia's core economy, folk arts, education and Theravada Buddhism, the faith tradition of over 90 percent of Khmers, as well as performances of traditional Khmer music and dance.

The Cambodian American Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial, opened in October 2004, is the first museum of its kind in the United States. The museum features Cambodian and community artists and Cambodian art; promotes genocide education and awareness; and preserves the memory of over two million Cambodian people lost during the Killing Fields through healing and arts.

Charles Daas, museum director, noted that, "'Cambodia Born Anew' is a snapshot of Cambodia today as its people wrestle with how to preserve ancient traditions in the wake of a new global economy."