Arcadia Public Library

K'Sai Chivit: Threads of Life documents the ancient art form of Khmer silk weaving and its place in Cambodian society today. For over a thousand years, Cambodian weavers have been producing a variety of elegant silks, however current societal hardships Cambodians face have dramatically hindered this production.

Seasons of migration (56 min) is a documentary about Sophilene Cheam Shapiro's four part classical Cambodian dance about the stages of culture shock. It blends the dance with commentary about the music and choreography, and personal stories of emigration and culture shock from Cambodian-American residents of Long Beach, California (the largest Cambodian city outside of Cambodia). Also included on this video, a second video (38 min) presents the complete...

The rags to riches story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee arriving in America in 1975 and building a multi-million-dollar empire baking America's favorite pastry, the donut. His story is one of love, hard knocks, survival, and redemption. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business. By 1979 he was living the American Dream, but a great rise can come with a great...

Nearly 30 years ago, Pol Pot overtook Cambodia and more than one million people perished in the Khmer Rouge’s brutal “killing fields.” Many others were forced into unspeakable acts in order to survive; Arn Chorn Pond is one of these survivors. Now, after living in the United States for 20 years, Arn is a musician and activist, traveling the country and giving lectures on human rights. He is also on a mission to reconcile the demons of his past....

"Like feathery seeds, a young girl and her mother take flight, putting down roots in an adopted country. Soon they blossom in their new home, strong and beautiful among hundreds of others just like them. . . A poetic tribute to the bravery of immigrants and refugees, inspired by the author's childhood experience of moving to the United States from Cambodia"--

The late Anthony Veasna So's debut story collection, Afterparties, was a landmark publication, and he was equally known for his comic, soulful essays. This volume gathers those essays together, along with previously unpublished fiction. Written with wit and an unflinching eye, the essays examine his youth in California, the lives of his refugee parents, his intimate friendships, loss, pop culture, and more. And in linked fiction following three...