Welcome back to Season 3 of Death in Cambodia, Life in America! We're starting season 3 off strong with a special guest: Dr. Patrick Heuveline. Dr. Heuveline is a sociologist and expert on the long-term consequences of the Khmer Rouge regime, discusses the effects of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. He explores topics such as the baby boom that occurred after the Khmer Rouge, the mental health effects on survivors and their children, and the transformation of family structures in post-Khmer Rouge Cambodia. Dr. Heuveline also touches on the comparison between the effects of the Khmer Rouge and other genocides, such as the Holocaust and the genocide in Rwanda. The conversation explores the process of healing and reconstruction in Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge regime. It discusses the challenges of conducting research in post-conflict settings and the need for comparative studies. The conversation also highlights the slow healing process at the population level, with younger generations indirectly experiencing the trauma through their interactions with the older generation. The conversation emphasizes the importance of documenting the history, promoting dialogue, and encouraging the diaspora to contribute to the country's development.

Nicholas Coffill's huge passion for live theatre, performances, and sharing a cultures history through photography and music - lead him to create one of the first ever  fully developed photography books about Cambodia today. His book "Photography in Cambodia: 1866 to the Present" is one of the most beautiful coffee table books enriched with photography from ancient times, up until modern day Cambodia. His experience in museum curation allows this book to feel like you are walking through a "museum of photos" that tell the story of Cambodia's past. In this epsiode we discuss how Nick ended up in Cambodia, where did the origins of the book idea come from, and how this book has impacted the lives of Cambodians. 

You may find a copy of his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Photography-Cambodia-Present-Nicholas-Coffill/dp/0804854408

Nicholas Coffills Website: https://museumplanning.weebly.com/index.html

For the past three decades, award-winning artist, playwright, and librettist Catherine Filloux has been traveling to conflict areas creating art that addresses human rights and U.S. complicity. Her plays and operas about Cambodia include: “Eyes of the Heart” and “Photographs from S-21” and she is the co-founder of Theatre Without Borders. “Where Elephants Weep” the only Cambodian-U.S. rock opera will air on Broadway on Demand from April 14 to 23, 2023, in time for the Cambodian New Year, with an accompanying conversation by Filloux and composer Sophy Him.

Cambodian-U.S. rock opera WHERE ELEPHANTS WEEP available for free viewing on Broadway on Demand from April 14 to 23, 2023, in time for the Cambodian New Year. WATCH HERE!  https://www.broadwayondemand.com/rentals/f4e4b5d8-ede0-4035-b6e6-884c0fca3473

 Myra  Torcheux has her masters from The London School of Economics and aspires to change policies for children's rights. Much of her passion for this career is driven by her experience growing up in France as an adoptee. I mentioned via social media that I am passionate about highlighting stories that deserve more attention, one storyline being the great amount of orphans that came out of the Khmer Rouge. We brought Myra onto the podcast for her to share her experiences, her struggles with her identity, and more. 

Here is a summary of her dissertation to learn more! https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/seac/2023/01/26/uncovering-transitional-justice-in-the-post-genocide-cambodian-diaspora/

I am popping out of retirement to introduce you to someone that I absolutely HAD to interview. Sochanvimean or as I call him Vimean , is a Cambodian Ph.D Psychologist at UCSB who is passionate about how the mental health and generational trauma is cultivated through traumatic expereinces such as the Khmer Rouge. We dig into Vimean's past growing up in Cambodia, and how his passion for offering more mental health services lead him to getting the education he has today. 

We talk about the following topics: 

• Vimean Introduction 
• Why was he so passionate about mental health and why he came to the US 
• What are the greatest challenges he believes survivors face 
• How has he seen generational trauma manefest in the second generation 
• Are there differences in struggles between American and Cambodian patients

Join us in an amazing discussion covering these topics with an educated licensed Cambodian therapist. 

 

Robert and I share our last recording together as we close this chapter. We finalize the season by discussing what Robert has learned over the years, how he would have done things differently, and what he hopes everyone will takeaway from this podcast. We discuss topics like revenge, forgiveness, the legacy he hopes to leave behind, lessons of life and so much more. 

You can hear me tear up and cry towards the end and I realized this season was coming to a end. What a journey this has been. 

The future of this podcast will continue, but for Robert, it is time to say farewell <3 

Thank you again to everyone who has listened religiously every Sunday. Please continue to follow us on social media to get the latest updates! 

https://www.deathincambodiapodcast.com/

Today we bring on Angela Wu LMFT aka the Sassy Asian Therapist to bring on a professional light on what generational trauma is, and how we can cope with it as second generation asian Americans. We discuss this idea of trying to "fix" our parents as children of refugees, tactics to handle generational trauma, how we can start the conversation of healing with our parents and many more! 

Do not miss this episode. This is such a wonderful conversation for second generation Cambodian Americans. 

https://www.thesassyasiantherapist.com/

David and Robert met when they were both young and starting their their careers. While Robert was building his long train of shops up along highway 99, he met a nice lawyer from Camarillo, CA who was willing to help Robert on reading documents and any legal situations he was in. To this day, David is just a phone call away for any of Robert's legal issues. David has helped him navigate everything from signing on a new store, to maneuvering through the painful lawsuits that Robert has encountered. It was a blessing to have David on to talk about not only his experiences through the lawsuits, but also bring in a 3rd party perspective on what was happening, and what exactly went down with the fall of Golden Bake. 

Music By: Acerelio Chen 

Robert discusses the lowest point in his life in America - when a family member and business partner who he trained from the ground up, stabbed him in the back and pushed him out of his own company. He talks about being depressed, angry, and turning to alcohol to release himself from the pain. Robert felt he spent his whole life working and sacrificing for this company, and only to have it be taken away by greed and jealousy was the twist he never ever expected. 

I hope that highlighting this story can help the second generation community do better for ourselves, and learn that the only way for us to move forward as a community is to uplift each other, not tear each other down. 

Music By: Acerelio Chen