Connecting Cambodian-American Children to Their Heritage

Every summer for the past 15 years, Cambodian-

American (1)_________ and their families have come from around the
country to gather in the state of Colorado.The families take part in a
(2)___________ in the Rocky Mountains. It is called the Cambodian
Heritage Camp. It is meant for people adopted from Cambodia as children as
well as their (3)______________.

Kunthia Porter and her sister Devin were adopted in 1999 by the Porter family
of Spokane, Washington. Kunthia (4)_________ herself, her sister and other
campers as “Khmericans.” They are people born in Cambodia but raised in
America. They are shaped by their adoptive parents’ (5)_________ to have
them know and understand both cultures.Now 25 years old, Kunthia says she
wishes she had stayed more in touch with the culture of her (6)__________.

“Even though our parents really wanted us to stay connected with our culture,
we soon learned English (7)_________ and kind of left our culture behind
and tried to get absorbed in the American culture. But as we grew up, we both
kind of regretted that,” she said.Each year, the Cambodian Heritage Camp has
a (8)_______________, such as the Mekong River. The camp’s classes are
taught by Cambodian-American volunteers. The classes include
(9)_________ such as the Khmer language, history, dance, music and food.

Sar Titborey is a Cambodian-American (10)__________. Titborey said

identity is very important. “The most important word that we have been using
for the past 15 years, even after the kids passed (11)_________, is
identity.”Titborey added, “We want to make sure we do not forget our roots, so
whatever we teach, we stress that.”

Connections continue as the years go by

The U.S.-Cambodia adoption program has been (12)____________ since

2001. That means there are no longer young people who are the right age for
the camp.But when the (13)____________ announced last summer that
there would be no camp sessions in 2018, parents were unhappy.

The families and counselors had already built a close group on

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(14)___________. And the group was planning a reunion and a project trip
for volunteers to Cambodia.Kimsua Chay, who first volunteered as a camp
counselor in 2004, said, “Nobody wanted camp to end.” He added that the
camp is a way of giving back “to our country, where our parents were born.”

He is now a United Airlines pilot based in Los Angeles. He serves

as(15)___________ coordinator. He is working on a program for the 2018
camp reunion.Sharon Blender is one of the camp’s executive directors. She
said the Cambodian-American counselors also learn about their heritage at
the camp including (16)_________ and traditions.

There are about (17)____________ people in the Cambodian community in

the United States. Those numbers come from the Center for American
Progress. That is small compared to other (18)___________ groups. Most
are in California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington and Texas.The
State Department says (19)___________Cambodian children have been
adopted by American families. Many know little about their culture, and live
in places far away from (20)___________.

The families try to learn about their children’s heritage and Cambodia’s recent
history. This includes (21)___________ of the Vietnam War and the
Cambodian Khmer Rouge genocide in which between (22)_________
million people died. The Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families organizes the
Cambodian camp. It also holds camps for 10 other adoptee groups including
Chinese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese.

(23)______________ say the camp is a valuable resource that families

would not have otherwise. Kimberley Lanegran is an associate professor of
(24)_______________at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She adopted
two children, one of whom is from Cambodia. She has attended the camp for
many years. “It’s nice to be with people who…know some of the same
experiences that I’ve gone through myself,” she said.

Lanegran said of her Cambodian-born daughter, “We can’t make her like us
and she is not like us.” But she adds, “We just (25)__________ her know
that she is American and she is our daughter, but she was born in Cambodia.”

I’m Mario Ritter.