This Person I Met

I Came from Cambodia, 1979


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Right now, we’re in DJ’s Bakery, enjoying the smell of fresh donuts. We’re interviewing the bakery owner, Kim Yam. Mrs. Yam grew up during a time of horrific war and mass murder: the Cambodian genocide.

The Cambodian genocide happened in 1975, which was the systematic persecution and killing of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of Pol Pot. During that time, any educated people were slaughtered, and even children were forced to work in rice fields. This resulted in the deaths of 1.5 to 2 million people from 1975 to 1979, nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population at the time.

In this episode, you will hear how Kim Yam and her family fled from the country when she was only seven. After escaping to the U.S. as a refugee, although the family-owned nothing, she was still grateful for everything that she did have.

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This Person I MetBy Maya Fu

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