A Change of Guard

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Monday 24 June 2013

Cambodians are Part of the American Story

William e todd
By William E. Todd, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia
Once again, thank you all for the excellent questions.  Several readers have asked about Cambodians and Cambodian-Americans living in the United States, which is home to the second largest Cambodian population outside of Southeast Asia.  A visit to Long Beach, California, or Lowell, Massachusetts, quickly shows that these cities host the largest groups of Cambodians in the United States.  Diaspora communities, such as those from Cambodia, are a crucial part of American culture, and the United States has certainly benefited from the contributions of its immigrant population.  We welcome immigrants from around the world, including from Cambodia, and the inclusion of these communities vastly contributes to the dynamism of the United States and its culture, economy, and society.

Another interesting dynamic of the Cambodian diaspora is the modern-day trend of short-term migration.  While dropping off a member of my family at the airport a few weeks ago, I noticed about 100 young Cambodian men waiting to board a flight to travel abroad.  When I asked the immigration officer about the group, he told me that each night there were dozens of young Cambodian men traveling within the region as laborers.  This prompted me to think about the thousands of Cambodians who leave their country each year, many of whom have settled or will eventually settle in the United States.

As an American whose grandparents immigrated to the United States, I have always been intrigued by the idea of the global diaspora and immigrant populations around the world.  My mother’s family came from Italy and immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, while my father’s family arrived from Ireland in the late 1800s.  This personal connection gives me a deep appreciation for the challenges immigrants sometimes face as well as the enormous contributions they make to American society.

Last summer, I had the pleasure of visiting Long Beach, California – home to the largest Cambodian population in the United States.  Prior to the Khmer Rouge, a few Cambodians had received scholarships to attend school in the Long Beach area.  Then, a large wave of Cambodians resettled in Long Beach as refugees escaping the Khmer Rouge, and they eventually petitioned for other family members to join them.  Today, the city estimates there are 50,000 residents who are immigrants from Cambodia or of Cambodian descent, and the Cambodia Town neighborhood is known as the “Cambodian Capital of the United States.”


During my visit to Cambodia Town, I had some lively discussions with residents about promoting U.S. business in Cambodia, challenges for Cambodians in navigating the U.S. visa process, and the importance of improving education for Cambodian youth.  It was clear that these Cambodian-Americans had successfully pursued the American dream, while still remaining invested in the progress of their homeland.  Next month, I will return to southern California on a trade mission with leading Cambodian business people to connect them with potential American business partners like the Cambodian-Americans that I met last year – people committed to strengthening business and commercial ties between the United States and Cambodia.

Immigrant communities play an important role in the U.S. economy.  In fact, U.S. companies founded by recent immigrants generate $67 billion of revenue each year and constitute 53 percent of all start-up enterprises in the United States.  Cambodian-American entrepreneurs possess unique insights into the Cambodian business environment and can bring to Cambodia innovative ideas acquired in the United States.

Business linkages, of course, aren’t the only ties between Cambodia and the United States.  Each year, hundreds of Cambodian students go to the United States to study.  These Cambodians are educated alongside students from all parts of the United States, as well as from all over the world, and they share Cambodian culture and society both inside and outside the classroom.  Some schools even have a Cambodian student society on campus that brings young people together to celebrate Khmer culture.  Cambodian students are some of the brightest students in the U.S. educational system.  We certainly appreciate what they offer in American classrooms, but even more important is what they will contribute to Cambodia upon their return to build up intellectual and human resources capacity.  The U.S. Embassy’s eight latest Cambodian recipients of the J. William Fulbright Fellowship are prime examples of the short-term diaspora to the United States that will benefit Cambodia. 

This past spring, New York City hosted the Season of Cambodia festival, which the U.S. Embassy was proud to help sponsor and featured over 100 Cambodian artists in events around the city.  For two months, these artists showcased Cambodian culture through dance, music, film, and art.  Exchanges like Season of Cambodia are important for raising the profile of Cambodia’s rich culture on the world stage.

The United States would not be the same without its immigrant communities.  I am particularly proud of the contributions that Cambodian immigrants and short-term visitors have made to the United States.  Each has added a special element to the colorful tableau that is America, strengthening our nation through unique contributions to the economy, culture, diversity, mutual understanding, and the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral relationship.

Thank you very much for reading this week’s column.  I hope you will share with me your impressions of the Cambodian diaspora in the United States, and I look forward to receiving other comments and questions.  Please write to me in English or Khmer at AskAMBToddPP@state.gov and follow my blog at http://blogs.usembassy.gov/todd.

William E. Todd is U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia
- See more at: http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/opinion/detail/3?token=MDM5OGI2NDQwOTc0MDQ1MGY2NTBjZTdiNjMxYTdj#sthash.UC8ZSJbb.dpuf

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