Thank you to Dr. Kara Uy Has, PysD for sharing her keynote presentation slides with me: Memory, Healing, and the Work of Becoming for the Khmer Diaspora Conference held March 27-29 in Lowell, MA, United States.

I was wiping tears throughout her keynote and couldn't focus on writing notes. This episode offers a summary of her powerful message that set the tone for the conference, The Next 50 years: Evolving from Surviving to Thriving in the Khmer Diaspora.

I also share 4 of my takeaways from the conference.

Thank you to Dr. Christine Su and the planning team for organizing such a thoughtful, inspiring, and empowering conference.

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The first ever Khmer diaspora conference was held in Lowell, MA, USA from March 27 to 29, 2026, organized by Dr. Christine Su.

I managed to get some time with 7 people throughout this meaningful, jam-packed weekend to ask these powerful questions, courtesy of Cathy Chen on Threads @triggeredbutcurious:

Question 1: What did you once reject that you now understand differently?

Question 2: Are you rediscovering parts of your heritage you once pushed away?

Question 3: Are you finding new meaning in old traditions?

Question 4: What part of your upbringing are you slowly making peace with?

Interviewees:

Linda Thach https://www.instagram.com/lthach27

Ani Vong https://www.instagram.com/ani_v

Li-Da Kruger https://www.instagram.com/lidamix

Oussa Bun https://www.instagram.com/oussa__56

Sophia Lee https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemekong

Pichchenda Bao https://www.instagram.com/pichchendabaopoet

Minda Sam https://www.instagram.com/one.naga

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Denys Meak is a second generation Khmer American born in Atlanta, Georgia to Cambodian refugees. She describes her family as self-taught artists and makers.

Her passion for fashion saw her pursue and attain a degree in Fashion Merchandising. Today, she works as a Visual Merchandising Manager for a retail brand, but most in the Cambodian community know her professionally as a photographer, with the Instagram @thekhmercollective. Founded in 2021, The Khmer Collective is a traveling project where she documents the Cambodian diaspora through colorful portraits and storytelling.

Denys shares her compelling journey from growing up in Atlanta's Cambodian community to navigating identity, education, and artistry. Discover how she uses her photography work to document cultural identity, foster healing, and leave a legacy for future generations.

Follow @thekhmercollective on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thekhmercollective

Khmer Diaspora Conference March 27-29, 2026

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Do you have an inspiring story you'd like to share on Khmer Voices? DM me on social.

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I share a big pivot in my life and what I plan to do with Khmer Voices and other projects.

One of them is a newsletter coming out April 2026. It'll be letters I write to my younger self and to my daughter and will be related to the podcast Khmer Voices. If you're interested in receiving my letters in your inbox, DM me your email on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/khmervoices

I'll make sure you receive the link to read and to subscribe.

Thank you so much for your support!

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Let's connect on Instagram @KhmerVoices

Do you have an inspiring story you'd like to share on Khmer Voices? DM me on social.

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Sotheara Lim is a second generation Khmer American who grew up in Long Beach, California, home to the largest Cambodian diaspora population in the United States. You may also know him as the man behind Khmer Renaissance on Instagram, a platform dedicated to celebrating Khmer culture and identity, with careful attention to nuances.

Sotheara holds a BA in English from California State University, Long Beach. A seasoned Project Management professional, his day job is in marketing as an Associate Director, Program Management. He also founded and operates his agency, Donut Shop Creative, which focuses on building and amplifying Cambodian stories, voices, and brands.

Sotheara is on a mission to uplift the Khmer community through education and opportunities!

Connect with Sotheara:

https://www.instagram.com/khmer_renaissance

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sothearalim

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Let's connect on Instagram @KhmerVoices

Do you have an inspiring story you'd like to share on Khmer Voices? DM me on social.

Intro and outro music by https://pixabay.com/users/chhuchchhuch-26181660/

Born in a Thai refugee camp, Lin Sok arrived in Canada with her family when she was only 6 months old. They had modest means, and she recalls her early childhood years with fondness. She and her two brothers did well in school, but when she was 18, she got pregnant and decided to move out and live with her then boyfriend.

In this conversation, Lin Sok shares her insights on resilience and perspective shaped by her Cambodian Canadian upbringing in Montréal, and experiences as a single mother. She emphasizes the importance of not sweating the small stuff and finding solutions to challenges, drawing from her parents' experiences as refugees from genocide.

Today, Lin is an entrepreneur, financial advisor, tech founder and community builder. As the founder of Women and Money Montréal and CEO of OWNI.ai, she blends finance, technology, and community to help people build wealth with clarity and confidence.

She’s been featured in Canadian national and local news and has also written a book, The Audacity to Own It.

Find her book on Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Audacity-Own-Navigating-perplexities-detachment/dp/1069365505

To continue developing the OWNI.ai platform, Lin is interested in talking to people who thought about buying property but didn’t - whether it was a potential first home, dream home, investment or commercial property. The purpose is to understand what held them back and how they feel about buying with someone else in order to make it happen.

Book a short interview:
https://calendly.com/linsok/owni

Lin's website https://linsok.ca/

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Do you have an inspiring story you'd like to share on Khmer Voices? DM me on social.

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Randy Kim is a queer Vietnamese-Khmer American storyteller and podcast host of The Bánh Mì Chronicles as well as content writer for his Substack, “Bánh Mì Bites”. His work centres intergenerational healing, identity, and uplifting voices from Asian, queer and BIPOC communities. Randy is an experienced nonprofit development professional. With a background in public storytelling and relationship-building, Randy creates spaces that honour history, build trust, and provoke reflection.

Through storytelling and creative expression, Randy aims to share experiences that resonate with others and foster a sense of connection. In this conversation, Randy Kim shares his experiences navigating family dynamics, mental health, and the complexities of identity. He also delves into the themes of intergenerational trauma and grief, particularly in light of his brother's illness and passing.

**Khmer community, please listen to Randy's podcast episode with guest Sina Sam regarding accountability in Khmer community spaces https://open.spotify.com/show/2ffNH2CYauLEWg0Pr4T2qD

Randy's socials:

https://www.instagram.com/banhmi_chronicles

https://randykim.substack.com/

https://facebook.com/BanhMiChronicles

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Let's connect on Instagram @KhmerVoices

Do you have an inspiring story you'd like to share on Khmer Voices? DM me on social.

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Silong Chhun, a 1.5 generation Cambodian American from Tacoma, Washington, is an accomplished communications strategist with extensive experience driving multimedia campaigns across government, non-profit, and private sectors. He is also co-founder of the Khmer Anti-Deportation Advocacy Group and co-founder of the award winning SEA Comedy Collective comedy production company.

In this episode, Silong shares his journey into government, the lessons learned from his political campaign, and the significance of his work with Panabou Digital and the Khmer Anti-Deportation Advocacy Group.

Music Silong produced and recorded with Khmer artists circa 2008. https://www.silongchhun.com/music-audio

One of the best documentaries about Khmer Music https://www.dtifcambodia.com/

YouTube link to purchase https://youtu.be/uWUClhqQkVo

Silong and his family are featured in the Washington State Exhibition commemorating 50 years of SEA refugee resettlement in Washington state: https://www.washingtonhistory.org/exhibit/our-voices/

Silong's website https://www.silongchhun.com/

Khmer Anti-Deportation Advocacy Group https://www.khaagwa.org/

SEA Comedy Collective https://www.seacomedy.com/

Silong’s agency, Panabou Digital https://www.panaboudigital.com

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Let's connect on Instagram @KhmerVoices

Do you have an inspiring story you'd like to share on Khmer Voices? DM me on social.

Intro and outro music by https://pixabay.com/users/chhuchchhuch-26181660/