HUMAN 1C Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Cambodian Americans, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Joint Commission
9 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Jessica Mangold
HumCore
Professor Vo
Week 6 Lecture 2
5/9/18
The Afterlives of Empire
- Introduction
- Leang Seckon (Cambodian artist) -> born year before Khmer Rouge took over
- graduated from Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh
- ‘Parasol of the Moon’
- starry romantic night featuring famous musicians
- look closely -> planes dropping bombs
- ‘Bang Skol’ (Blessing to Heaven)
- meant to honor his father
- religious symbols -> many turned to religion after Khmer Rouge
- some political symbols
- activities of everyday people surrounded by skulls
Casualties of War
- Nixon administration bombed Cambodia secretly
- dropped about 6 million tons of bomb in that general region
- American public had no knowledge of it
- many today do not know US impact on Cambodia + Cambodian people
- thousands of people became refugees
- incredible hardship after Khmer Rouge
- Thailand was closest place for refugees -> had to walk there
- get around land mines + people robbing + raping them
- Thai often did not want to take them in + pushed them back in Cambodia
- getting refugees from Vietnam + Cambodia
- if managed to find refugee camp -> were not totally safe
- horrible conditions in the camps
- overcrowded, not enough food, no medical care, crime, corruption, +
women/girls were especially vulnerable to sexual assault
- refugees wanted official refugee title -> needed refugee ID for status + to be able to
settle in another country
- “casualties of war” -> used to refer to those who died during war
- have to look at ripple effects
- those that survive beyond war are also casualties
Resettlement & Cambodian American Communities
- about 300,000 Cambodian Americans today
- largest community in Long Beach
- started because of international students at CSULB
- helped refugees to settle in the area
- established a Cambodia Town
- also Cambodian community in Lowell, MA, Philadelphia, Bronx, SF, Oakland
- sites chosen because there was little support for refugees
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Dropped about 6 million tons of bomb in that general region. American public had no knowledge of it. Leang seckon (cambodian artist) -> born year before khmer rouge took over. Graduated from royal academy of fine arts in phnom penh. Religious symbols -> many turned to religion after khmer rouge. Activities of everyday people surrounded by skulls. Also cambodian community in lowell, ma, philadelphia, bronx, sf, oakland. Many today do not know us impact on cambodia + cambodian people. Thailand was closest place for refugees -> had to walk there. If managed to find refugee camp -> were not totally safe. Refugees wanted official refugee title -> needed refugee id for status + to be able to settle in another country. Casualties of war -> used to refer to those who died during war. Get around land mines + people robbing + raping them. Thai often did not want to take them in + pushed them back in cambodia.
