KKFYC 2010: 4th Annual Conference Response

Makara Thach
Source: KKFYC.ORG

The 4th Annual Youth Conference taught me new things both about myself and the Khmer-Krom. First, I realized that I knew less about Khmer-Krom than I thought. This is both in terms of our enduring history and current situation. In addition, the inspiring speeches and emotional stories left me with a deep sense of duty to continue the struggle for the rights of our people and help maintain our group’s sense of identity, culture and history. Furthermore, school related stress had worn me out, but meeting everyone and the conversations that took place rekindled the spark I needed to confidently move forward with my studies.

For as long as I can remember, I have known the existence of Khmer-Krom and that our family identifies with this. I knew about the history from my family and from research I have done for essays relating to Cambodia and Vietnam. With that bit of knowledge, I thought I knew so much, but as this conference manifested, I realize that the history runs deeper than the politics involving the French and land disputes. The history is not simply a chronology, nor is it only about politics. This history includes the experiences of our people, generation after generation, both on and off Khmer-Krom land. This is very apparent in the way the organization presents its case. Stories and experiences are the evidence of our history and the struggles that is characteristic of Khmer-Krom.

I was also amazed at the scope of our Khmer-Krom community. I thought the community in the Seattle-Tacoma area was large, but add that to the Khmer Krom community in Philadelphia and the numbers just doubled. Furthermore, it blew my mind when I met Khmer-Krom from France, and even saw videos of Khmer-Krom in Italy. I guess I knew we were not the only ones here, but the one-on-one contact is what makes it real. The face-to-face meeting allowed us to have a meaningful discourse about all our different experiences as one identity. The conversations are also inspiring in that these people are putting so much energy and working hard toward something worthwhile when it is so easy to turn a blind eye and do nothing.

As for the speakers, they were all great and left deep impressions on me. One speaker was Mr. Kim Moeun who impressed me with the manner in which he told his story. He was able to mix the humor that draws people in with the serious nature of his message. One part of his speech that I will never forget is when he said that we have three options when we fight for our rights: one, prison; two, emigration; and three, death. That is what it takes and even in death, his spirit would still fight strong and continue to encourage us. Of course, my paraphrase does not do his speech justice. The way he portrays this part with humor and seriousness was very impactful. He was able to get me laughing along with his comical presentation, while at the same stirring a sense of duty in me. I was moved and felt ready to go tell everyone that I am Khmer-Krom, show them what we are working to preserve and fighting to gain.

With that said, I am proud to say that I now have a focus for my senior capstone for anthropology next year. Over the past four years, majoring in political science and anthropology has exposed me to studies on indigenous groups all over the world, yet I failed to realize that I am part of one, that is, until this conference. It was like something clicked and things suddenly became very clear. I had recently learned that the anthropology senior capstone before completing the degree is a research grant proposal, and it has to be a unique topic. The study of indigenous groups is a large part of cultural anthropology. Khmer-Krom is a unique indigenous group working for their rights and recognition from the Vietnamese government. Furthermore, the group is undergoing a discourse similar to that of other indigenous groups, and also developing study materials that showcase the group’s progress. One example is the recently published book titled “The Khmer-Krom Journey to Self-Determination.” Since the organization is working hard to compile research materials on Khmer-Krom, and I have the opportunity to propose a research project in the field of anthropology, why not propose a study on Khmer-Krom? I have not thought into much detail about what the study would entail, but the prospect of having the chance to even explore the possibilities is very encouraging, especially at a time when I felt so stressed out and jaded about school with what seemed like a billion paper deadlines approaching. I have been so excited about the possibilities of this research topic that I have been discussing it with anyone that would listen – my friends, my professors, even my boss. I look forward to next spring term, and regardless of how this turns out in reality, I am committed to learning more about Khmer-Krom and sharing the knowledge.

Before I end this reflection, I just wanted to express the sadness I felt when I realized that the weekend of the conference was only a small part of all the work that was taking place. Half way into the conference, I discovered that a week’s worth of work had taken place and another week of work is to come, and I will have missed it all. To me, that is where most of the fun is at, especially as a political science and anthropology student. That kind of work and involvement is revolutionary and I would have loved to be a part of that. In retrospect, I did learn and experience a lot already at the conference, so I am not completely disappointed. However, it does encourage me to look forward to next year’s conference and plan accordingly. I plan on being involved as much as possible, and hopefully, the conference will not take place during finals week.

Thank you KKF for a wonderful experience in such a short amount of time. I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude to Mr. Mann Rinh and his family for taking me into their home, as well as making sure I arrive at the appropriate destination. Finally, Mr. Mann Rinh’s wife also deserves recognition as she helped me find and reconnect with another family that was very close to my family during our times in the Thai camps.