Cambodian parents are often much more strict than their American counterparts
Cambodian and American families are not terribly different, Kong says, but Cambodian parents are often much more strict.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Ran Kong, November 25, 2000. Interview K-0269. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- BARBARA LAU:
-
Do you think American families and Cambodian families are different?
- RAN KONG:
-
American families and Cambodian families? Well, there's
differences and then there's similarities. I guess, like with
every family, we're taught like the basics, the same things,
I guess like all the ideals of like don't lie,
don't cheat, don't steal, don't kill,
blah, blah, blah, all those things. So in that respect we're
all the same. But American families, simply because of their culture,
they're given a whole lot more freedom. My American friends
are obviously different from me in terms of the kinds of privileges that
they get. Dating is a good example. Dating is very common in American
society, like every— the only difference is at what age.
Families might differ in what age they want their kids to date or whatever. But Cambodians view it as an American
thing. And whereas in Cambodian families, dating is a big no-no.
You're taught from a young age, no, dating is not good. We
don't do it. Yes, your American friends do it, but you
don't do that kind of thing at all, so you know, just
differences and similarities in that respect.