Oral History Interview with Ran Kong, November 25, 2000. Interview K-0269. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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Abstract
Ran Kong immigrated to Greensboro, North Carolina, from Cambodia when she was four, knowing little about her home country but less about her new one. She transitioned well, finding a balance between being an American resident and a Cambodian national. She learned English and performed well in school, but thrived at the Greensboro Buddhist Center, where she played with other Cambodians. She spent time with "Americanized" Cambodians, but her family maintained its ties to Cambodian culture. Even as she became the liaison between the non-English speaking Cambodian community and their American surroundings, escorting family members and others to doctor visits, or helping them figure out their health insurance, she maintained a strong connection to her native home. This sense of connection may have only strengthened as Kong grew older, and it flourished when she was challenged, as at the relatively homogeneous Salem College, where she found a passionate commitment to her heritage. By the time this interview took place, Kong had become an American citizen, and at age twenty, had voted for the first time. But she became a citizen for convenience, not conviction. Kong reflects on her life and her identity in this interview, as well as considering the wider Cambodian community and the endurance of Cambodian traditions in a new context.
Excerpts
A Cambodian family finds a place in American culture, but holds fast to their heritage
Close relationship between granddaughter and grandmother in a Cambodian home
A Cambodian immigrant faces discrimination
Learning English in an ESL class
Limited exposure to non-Cambodians for a Cambodian immigrant
A family teaches discipline and comportment
A daughter serves as translator for her Cambodian family, then her community
A desire to maintain her connection to Cambodian culture
A Cambodian daughter and her father face discrimination
Finding ways to learn about Cambodia
Cambodian dance tranforms Kong into an ambassador
Embracing Cambodian cultural identity in a majority-white setting
Religion, history, and values are key to maintaining Cambodian identity
Becoming an American citizen for convenience
Cambodian parents are often much more strict than their American counterparts
Kong's values clash with those of her father
Misconceptions and misunderstandings about Asians by white Americans
Cambodian immigrants would return home if they could
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