Cambodian Americans and Their Life Stories ______
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CAMBODIAN AMERICANS AND THEIR LIFE STORIES ____________________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, Fullerton ____________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the DeGree Master of Arts in SocioloGy ____________________________________ By Salada Vann Thesis Committee Approval: Berna Torr, Department of SocioloGy, Chair Eileen Walsh, Department of SocioloGy Michael Perez, Department of SocioloGy Fall, 2016 ABSTRACT Cambodian Americans are the eiGhth larGest Asian Group in the United States but often their experiences are invisible because they are cateGorized into the pan-ethnic group Asian. However, not only do their experiences differ socially, cultural, and historically from other Asian Groups, but their educational experiences in America differ as well. Only 14% of Cambodian Americans have earned a bachelor’s deGree, an extremely low number compared to the national averaGe of 29%. The purpose of this research is to explore the experiences of colleGe educated Cambodians and to identify factors that have contributed to help or hinder their academic performance. Eleven face- to-face in-depth interviews were conducted to find the deeper meaninG behind their educational aspirations and success. The main themes identified from the interviews include: the decision to Go to colleGe Generally occurred at a younG aGe, parents/family- members influenced their decision to Go to colleGe, all had challenGes they encountered in colleGe beyond academics, all had a stronG support system before and durinG their colleGe years, and they believed in the American ideoloGy that if you work hard—you can achieve anythinG you want. In addition to these themes about education, there was also evidence of interGenerational PTSD that existed in their families as result of the Khmer RouGe War. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. v Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 Cambodian Historical BackGround ....................................................................... 2 Cambodian Statistics in the United States ............................................................ 3 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................... 4 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................... 6 ChallenGes and StruGGles ...................................................................................... 6 Cultural and Structural Factors ............................................................................. 8 Socioeconomic Status and Context of Reception ................................................ 10 Mental Health and Trauma of Cambodian Americans ......................................... 11 Physical Activity ................................................................................................... 12 SES and Health AmonG Cambodian Americans .................................................. 12 3. METHODS ........................................................................................................... 15 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................. 15 Research Question/Hypothesis ............................................................................. 15 Data and Method ................................................................................................... 15 Research DesiGn ................................................................................................... 17 SamplinG ............................................................................................................... 17 Table 1. Participant Majors ................................................................................... 18 Data Collection and Analysis Procedure .............................................................. 18 iii 4. RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 20 DecidinG to Go to ColleGe Early ........................................................................... 20 ChallenGes ............................................................................................................. 25 StronG Support System ......................................................................................... 26 Parental/Familial Influence ................................................................................... 28 The American Dream IdeoloGy ............................................................................ 31 PTSD Effects on the Family ................................................................................. 35 5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION .................................................................. 40 APPENDIX. INTERVIEW TOPIC GUIDE.................................................................. 47 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 48 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents for lovinG me and workinG hard for me throuGhout my whole life to get to where I am now. For my father, you tauGht me about hard-work, perseverance, and to be stronG reGardless of all the hardships that came my way. For my mother, you tauGht me what it means to forGive the unforGiveable, to love unconditionally, be humble, and to Give more than you Get in return. I would also like to thank my siblinGs for supportinG me throuGh my whole educational journey. Thank you to my little brother Vysal who is always takinG care of his older sister. I am so proud of all your accomplishments and the man you have become. Thank you to my little sister Lady who would always listen to me complain about school and all the stress that comes alonG with it. Thank you for my niece Haley and nephews Adrian and Austin for motivatinG me keep GoinG on because of my love for them. There are so many people that have helped me throughout my education. First would be my thesis chair, professor, and mentor Dr. Berna Torr, who always believed in and supported me and helped me to develop holistically. It was throuGh Dr. Torr that I was able to understand how my personal experience and educational backGround can better serve my future students. Thank you for allowinG me to be vulnerable with my insecurities so I can Gain a learninG experience from it and use those insecurities to confidently move forward. Thank you for always making yourself available to me v whenever I needed it and always beinG there for me. I know how hard it is to teach a student to chanGe their mindset and Gain confidence, but somehow, you always have me feelinG more confident after every meetinG! Professor Cynthia Irvine, thank you for encouraGing me to apply for grad school and allowinG me to work with you as a teachinG assistant. You have inspired me as an underGraduate and helped me as graduate student with your support. Thank you for all that you have done to help me Get to this finishinG point here. Thank you to the Asian American Studies proGram/Ethnic Studies Department: Dr. Eliza Noh, Dr. Jennifer Yee, and Dr. Eric Reyes helpinG me Gain a deeper insiGht on the importance of GoinG beyond educational curriculum to assist the students in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community Graduate from colleGe. Thank you for also truly carinG for my educational success and doinG all that you have to help me Gain skills for the job market. I am so Grateful and thankful for these professors at the SocioloGy Dept. at CSUF: Michael IGataki, Jessica Grimes, Dr. Alan Emery, Dr. Eileen Walsh, and Dr. Michael Perez. Thank you to for GivinG me bits of yourselves in your teachinG which has helped me succeed in Graduate school. vi 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction The educational experiences of Cambodian Americans are different from other Asian Groups (i.e., Korean, Japanese, Filipino, and Chinese) in America (Chhuon, Kyratzis, and Hudley 2010). While many Asian Groups are known for doinG very well academically in America, Cambodian American students struGGle academically. As part of this struggle, Cambodian graduation rates from high school and colleGe are low compared to the national averaGe. In 2015, it was reported that only 14% of Cambodian Americans earned a bachelor’s deGree, this is extremely low compared to the national level of 29% (CAP 2015: 1). In addition, 37% of Cambodian Americans have “less than a hiGh school education” compared to the national averaGe of 13% (CAP 2015: 1). While Cambodians as a Group have low levels of educational attainment, this study will examine what has contributed to the academic success of Cambodian American students who have Graduated from hiGh school by explorinG the experiences of those who are currently enrolled or have Graduated from a four-year university. The purpose of this study is to analyze the experiences of colleGe educated Cambodians and identify factors they believe have contributed to or hindered their academic performance. This research