1 50 4 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/37070/archive/files/7407db7b2958b0c274cc687e5563969c.mp3?Expires=1782345600&Signature=mdEd2DPmcZxJPt8tPDHsP0s92kQA6dYEkw%7E2x61NUws77Mea34i0UtoyFkqfElKdc6%7EpC9TSrnIsKX4A2ZQVQPn6Cq7ibnGwBXooM%7EAchiBjQw1q0CVNRPpJwEF0LFqRbtW67IVk3w45LAnzvQTodrf-vwWcNddD4kmg7NXg0fo0f-U69De%7E-rrQqLoswN3kz-fI18jT5ksgrlZN3v%7E6tKqOqxKhTMYz3x%7EDnQ3q-IQ9wP8dbTTve2MNHYgAEDclGVdc6v6qV7sXdudi6zumQRtovSgnkFCkv3WDbUfvuTkH2W067hKthii%7EWs%7Ev4WOTEN8VbD32gehS40p3s-UbQg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM e88529caae9830e55d8de12d9849f8f3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Prolong Khmer: A 50-Year Journey of Resilience and Remembrance Exhibit [2025] Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025 Description An account of the resource Proleung Khmer: A 50-Year Journey of Resilience and Remembrance was a commemoration event that took place in Lowell from March 2025 to June 2025. The event included displays at the Loading Dock Gallery and at City Hall. Additionally, students conducted oral history interviews under the guidance of Christine Su, a visiting faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright: This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use items in this collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Lowell (Mass.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Interviews completed as part of Professor Christine Su's Asian American Studies class in Spring 2025 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Subject The topic of the resource Cambodian Americans Community Development Restaurant owners Gay community Monks Buddhist centers Buddhist doctrines Refugees Asian American educators Refugee camps Group identity Generational trauma Generational conflict Post-traumatic stress disorder Khmer language Set designers Theater Psychology Arts, Cambodian Cultural property Small business Children of immigrants College students Musicians Rhythm and blues music Translators Translating services Law offices Laotian Americans Race discrimination Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF mp3 m4a Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Audio recording Transcript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katelynn Chanthavong oral history recording, 2025 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025 Description An account of the resource Transcript of interview between Max Khen and Katelynn Chanthavong about her perception of the Lowell Southeast Asian community and her experience working at Pailin Market. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Khen, Max Chanthavong, Katelynn Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Interviews completed as part of Christine Su's Asian American Studies Class in Spring 2025 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Subject The topic of the resource Cambodian Americans Laotian Americans Intergenerational conflict Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted: This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP3 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Audio recording Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Lowell (Mass.) https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/37070/archive/files/c01c458e5d2073464e6feeb3550a357c.pdf?Expires=1782345600&Signature=VA9Y2FjApEpTWFmd5y3sp%7EPDag9fxFkumd3963StTUYvb-WKBjT-6VpZQS7CPxx%7E2VVMV6lURWzyab5sroQo8nOiwIOh8rQfNUByg4JbMbZcyl%7Eakj4FA5gjaapy5G85Oj19nCzWx2bMVthR2z5mXTP5RxW2J2cdjZLgpcPT4JlCc5NzVtYrfnhO99lrJGA4N2OO-%7EDYBfGWvJRvJCwYsxixwTcIVTymdtxHsu0IcM%7E7Fk9WtsaV1ip5tTL2IgxKP2Z0cyvB7GHIR-RNt6HiUZy9pNxZtoRhnQ6raR72SLilPleQF60VNRsjtPrsWAm4Aa2Pq8MDcsfaq8CMdpzBug__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM a84f67ec6d03b1b68948d1767ee5fce8 PDF Text Text UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL SOUTHEAST ASIAN DIGITAL ARCHIVE PROLEUNG KHMER STUDENT ORAL HISTORIES, 2025 INFORMANT/NARRATOR: KATELYNN CHANTHAVONG (K) INTERVIEWER: MAX KHEN (M) DATE: MARCH 29, 2025 M: Let's see. Okay, 15 minutes. All right. Are you ready? K: This angle's catastrophic. M: What? Is that better? Is the brightness too big? K: No, I think it's okay. M: Okay, you ready? K: Yeah. M: Okay. Hi, my name is Max. I'm a student at UMass Lowell attending a Cambodian community class. And the sole purpose of this interview is for me to have a better understanding about the Cambodian community in Lowell and learn from someone who's been active in the community for some time now. So if you could please introduce yourself, starting off with your name and what you do, that would be great. K: Hi, my name is Katelynn Chanthavong and I work at New Pailin Market on Branch Street. M: Great, okay. Can you tell me what a typical day looks like you, or looks like for you? K: [laughs] Say it again, say it again, just cut it out. Say it again, say it again. M: Okay, can you tell me what a typical day looks like for you and like your usual routine? K: So I basically just go into work. My aunt owns a store and I live with my aunt. So basically I kind of sort of volunteer. But I just go into work. I work as a cashier and I just get to work straight away. M: What would you say your connection with your aunt is? Like, how is your connection with your aunt? K: I've known her since I was like 4. I'm from Minnesota, but I moved here and she's on my dad's side, my stepdad's side. So I met her pretty early, but I wouldn't say I've known her forever. M: And does that affect anything about the store or like how you work or anything? �K: No, I've been pretty close with her and my cousin, her son. So we used to like hang out when we were little. My grandma used to watch us and we used to have competitions. So I'm pretty close with her and I do live with her too. M: Okay, my next question for you is what do you enjoy most about living in Lowell and could you possibly describe a challenging time or experience you had while living in Lowell? K: I like living in Lowell because of how close I feel with my culture specifically. I'm Cambodian, but I'm also Lao, and I feel like there's a bunch of different ethnicities in Lowell, especially working at the store. I see like a lot of Thai people speaking in their native language and Lao people and Vietnamese people. And it's just really nice to just feel the sense of community, the Southeast Asian community, because I don't think I would get that anywhere else. M: So would you say you feel more like kind of like a home vibe at the market? K: Yeah, definitely. It does feel like a home kind of, like, imagining going to like a family function, like Thanksgiving or Christmas. It just feels like you're kind of just seeing all your uncles and aunts again. M: Okay. And can you describe a challenge about living in Lowell or it could be about maybe a time you faced, you looked, you were looked at different because you were a different ethnicity or you were treated differently or et cetera. K: Give me a second, cut this out. I need to think about that. M: Like... it can be anything. Like, maybe someone looked at you weird, or, I don’t know... K: Bro, I don’t get that. M: No? K: I can’t think of anything like that. Only when I’m driving, bro. M: Oh... are you talking about, like, road rage? That’s different. Other: Like, being an Asian woman? K: No, it’s just because I be doing stupid shit sometimes. Okay, let me think. M: Go ahead. K: I don't think there's anything I've experienced where I felt discriminated because of my, like, I guess, heritage or ethnicity or anything like that. Mostly because maybe I'm a girl. M: Okay. K: But I feel like that has nothing to do with what we’re talking about. �M: Okay, but I could say... Maybe it's difficult for you, but I know me growing up in Lowell, my dad has told me that he's faced some accounts of racism, I'd say. Maybe just driving and he gets called names and stuff. But I'd say that's a challenge for me, if you had something similar? Or no? K: Kind of. When I lived in my old house, we had like a reserved parking spot and our neighbors for a while would always be in that spot and we've called the cops a couple times and like my family's not really the type to call cops on people. But I remember there was a conflict for a little bit and they just kept leaving notes on our car and stuff and being like oh like God accepts you or God... something like religious like towards like, I don't know, Christianity or Catholic, but it was kind of like, we're Asian, so it's kind of weird to mention that or kind of use that against us as like, you need to like be in check, I guess, because of God. M: Okay, has that affected your view on Lowell or has it remained the same throughout your whole life? K: I think, since I'm more grown up, I notice a lot of things, especially in the political climate we're in right now. During the election, I've seen a lot of houses promoting who they're voting for and it made me think a little more because I always thought that Lowell was so diverse and that Massachusetts is such a liberal state that I didn't think that there'd be people so close to where I live, basically, against my views and my family because like the election basically showed that, oh, we're gonna vote against immigrants when this whole town, like the city of Lowell, was basically built off of immigrants and also LGBTQ and just, you know, voting against like the people that like make this city so important and what it is today, if that makes any sense. M: Okay. Let me think about what you just said. So, you said voting... K: Max, I basically said that people in this town voted against their own community. M: Okay, I think I got that. I think I did. Okay. Oh my goodness. How would I... let’s see. I was going to ask a question, like how does... Have you faced any hate towards the market or anything? I don’t know if that’s... K: Towards the market? M: Yeah. K: I mean, I guess that’s a relevant good question. M: All right. Okay. I guess a follow-up question would be... have you faced any hate towards the market at all while you’re working there? K: That’s a good question but I don’t know if I have an answer. �Other: I thought you were talking about the freaking stock market. K: No, bro, the market! The market. I don't think there's any hate. I just think that a lot of people might take advantage of my aunt's kindness sometimes. It may be biased because she's my aunt, but I do see her, you know, just giving like free stuff away and like just giving back to her own community. There's a lot of instances where some people are rude or they're being just like difficult and they don't really deserve... it sounds harsh, but they really don't deserve my aunt's hospitality. And she's a business owner, so I feel like she should be a little more ruthless, I guess, in a sense, but a lot of people do kind of take advantage of her kindness. M: Okay, and would you say the experiences you've had while working at the market are rather on the good side, more than the bad side, or vice versa? K: I would say it's good, but I am working with people a lot older than me. I don't really work with a lot of people that are around my age. I have my friend that's still in high school and my cousin who are around my age but everyone else is very old... Like, think of like Om age... M: Yeah. K: ... so I’m calling everyone Om. And you know how Asian aunts, they can be a little judgmental sometimes? So I've definitely had my fair share of comments where it's like, oh, you should, you know, get this fixed, or there's this imperfection in your physical looks, I guess. And I just like ignore it, but it's kind of, like, okay... M: And has that influenced you in any way, or? K: Not really, I just think it’s... M: You just brush it past? K: Yeah, I just think it’s rude. The type of person I am, I wouldn't take it to heart, but I feel like that's kind of a big thing in our culture, or in Asian culture specifically, where they always feel the need to comment on people's looks or weight. M: Okay, my next question would be, how has working at the Pailin market affected your perspective on the Cambodian community at Lowell? K: It's made me realize how many of these families are supported by food stamps, EBT... A lot or a majority of the customers are using EBT to pay for their groceries and also it just makes me see how... okay let me rephrase this. I've also seen so many people drive from really far just to come to the store because they don't have Asian stores in their area. So it's made me realize that Lowell is lucky to have such a great, vast community where everything's accessible and they can get their food products way easier than everybody else out of town or out of state. �M: So it's kind of like a one spot that everyone goes through, you would say? K: Yeah, I mean, it's on Branch Street and Pailin Park is on there. That’s where all the kids are and there’s also Red Rose and everything. So there's just back-to-back restaurants and stores that are Asian owned and, you know, have all the stuff that Asian people use to make food. M: And a follow-up would be... Is there a memorable experience that you had with a customer that you could remember? Maybe older or younger? K: I do remember this Vietnamese lady. She came in a couple times. I work every Sunday, but I also work other days, but I'm always there Sunday. And I remember in the morning, she would come in and then she would see me and always be like, you're such a good kid for helping your aunt and coming here and working instead of, you know, fooling around and doing bad stuff, you're a good kid, and I always just appreciated hearing that, especially from an older Asian person. It kind of felt like she was a family member, basically saying she's proud of me. And that was pretty memorable. And I still try to, you know... I hope that she comes by the store every so often, but I haven't seen her since in a while. M: All right, my next question would be... Is there a time you can remember where Lowell had a special meaning to you? K: I got homesick over winter break, which was a month long because I went to visit my family in Minnesota for that whole entire month. And Minnesota is kind of the polar opposite of Lowell. Where I live specifically, or where I used to live, there's no Asian local restaurants, and, if there is, it's a franchise and it's not as good as restaurants here. And it just, I don't know, it made me appreciate Lowell more because when I got home, I immediately wanted to go to eat some Asian food, even though I was with my mom [laughs]. No offense to her! Her food is really good. I miss her food. But I’m talking about the comparison of Lowell and Minnesota. I just really miss the feeling of the community, how it felt more like a family rather than... I felt so out of place over there. M: Would you say it's as diverse as Lowell or not as much? K: No, there is Asian people there and there are Cambodian people there, but it's not as compact as Lowell, so you definitely feel the difference. Like, when you're out in the store or something, it just feels like you're so out of place. That’s how I felt. M: So you’d say you would always come back to Lowell? K: I mean, yeah. Even though Lowell is kind of, you know... Som people say their stuff about it but... I just think it’s really nice to have the Southeast Asian community just be so strong and proud to be who they are in Lowell because you don’t really get that anywhere else. Maybe Long Beach, I guess. �M: Okay, so this would be my last question. Is there a time you can remember where you had to represent your culture at any point in time in Lowell for maybe high school or an event that took place near Pailin? K: There was this protest during quarantine. It was the Stop Asian Hate protest and it was with... I forgot what the organization was called, but it was like something movement. Something “C” movement. But I remember me and my mom showed up and we... They had a big poster board and I made a sign and I walked all through downtown and I protested with them. M: And how did that make you feel that you were fighting for, I guess, your people? K: It made me feel like I was doing something and I was taking action because when we were walking, there was this guy who was not Asian and he kind of was yelling at us and being like, oh, like, shut up or blah, blah, blah. And I felt like, he's never been in our position and we're speaking out and doing what we should be doing because at the time a lot of old Asian people and young Asian people were facing hate because of COVID-19. M: And did your mom say anything about the protest or how she felt, if you want to share? K: She has a very small impact on social media. She does have a lot of friends that are Asian and are business people and they live around Lowell or they live in Lowell. So I feel like her saying, it wasn't really her saying something, but it was her, you know, posting about it and speaking about it to like spread awareness. M: Okay, and if there is one last thing you could say that, why someone should come visit Lowell or how the community is, would you tell someone? K: I would tell them that Lowell is a very... let me reword this. Cut this out. Okay, this is my last thing so I gotta be inspirational. M: Because I got to quote something from this interview [laughs]... That’s why I asked this. K: Oh my god, okay. I would say that at first glance, Lowell doesn't seem like a very special place. It just seems like another small town and just another place in the east coast. But once you look deeper and you explore the city more, you tend to realize that there's so much history and culture behind it that it kind of draws you in and you realize there's so much culture that you get to experience just in this little town that it... [laughs] Sorry, this is a lot of pressure. Give me a second, give me a second. What did I say? M: You said... K: The last thing I said. M: Lowell may not look special to someone, I think? �K: Yeah, and then once you dive into the culture and you meet the people and you talk to them and you hear their stories, you realize that this city holds a lot of history, whether it be the Southeast Asian community, the Irish community, the Greek community, the Hispanic community, the black community, everybody has a story to tell. M: Okay! Thank you for sharing your experiences and I think you for accepting this interview. K: You’re welcome. M: Done. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Prolong Khmer: A 50-Year Journey of Resilience and Remembrance Exhibit [2025] Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025 Description An account of the resource Proleung Khmer: A 50-Year Journey of Resilience and Remembrance was a commemoration event that took place in Lowell from March 2025 to June 2025. The event included displays at the Loading Dock Gallery and at City Hall. Additionally, students conducted oral history interviews under the guidance of Christine Su, a visiting faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright: This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use items in this collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Lowell (Mass.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Interviews completed as part of Professor Christine Su's Asian American Studies class in Spring 2025 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Subject The topic of the resource Cambodian Americans Community Development Restaurant owners Gay community Monks Buddhist centers Buddhist doctrines Refugees Asian American educators Refugee camps Group identity Generational trauma Generational conflict Post-traumatic stress disorder Khmer language Set designers Theater Psychology Arts, Cambodian Cultural property Small business Children of immigrants College students Musicians Rhythm and blues music Translators Translating services Law offices Laotian Americans Race discrimination Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF mp3 m4a Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Audio recording Transcript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katelynn Chanthavong oral history transcript, 2025 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025 Description An account of the resource Transcript of interview between Max Khen and Katelynn Chanthavong about her perception of the Lowell Southeast Asian community and her experience working at Pailin Market. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Khen, Max Chanthavong, Katelynn Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Interviews completed as part of Professor Christine Su's Asian American Studies Class in Spring 2025 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Subject The topic of the resource Cambodian Americans Laotian Americans Intergenerational conflict Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted: This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Transcript Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Lowell (Mass.) https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/37070/archive/files/2fc4891b3e33faa8bec346f2460f15d1.pdf?Expires=1782345600&Signature=ThJ94XdnaoPTMS4CPU4CK8Oj0Ohd4T4S93-QO2%7Ed1HcczHMwoT0KYdYd3-nh8Dc-pyV9%7EW4eyguWxPIPdrd%7ENghPuRZxds3L62AmC%7EZmjnkHf1bIj007uyQ1wzsUGLrHuECTb8%7EDQEg1p82fWLmVNlKqZFJ0bVM7H5VN3TYp8Oq2RkpFGhe2ZmRsXvNt1%7EuccaZ3-d0UOi5S6Fy0i15sM7CjvNjukUNrGQUsgB2ZyQKfprfaNLCX1Y4T6-eaxilMOimcR-KVsWcjScBwTQyp310Hra6QtyixQsk1lzkZ9r4l4RO5xiGBQpDOZpWtTQkGoZpAw3Z6Vpc0fjenLK9kkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM f81f0878be610a9580c8a9823e79bd42 PDF Text Text Lowell Folklife Collection – Southeast Asian Subject Guide The Lowell Folklife Project was conducted in 1987-1988 as a cooperative project of the American Folklife Center and the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission, with support from the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities, to document contemporary ethnic neighborhoods, occupations, and community life related to the history of industrialization in Lowell, Massachusetts. One of the documented communities was the Southeast Asian community. This subject guide will link to the individual relevant items. Link to full collection: https://www.loc.gov/collections/lowell-folklife-project/about-this-collection/ Paylin Market (June-September 1987) Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Type Walking tour of Lowell with Doug DeNatale, Paul Marion, and Rosemary Noon, Lowell, Massachusetts Street scenes, Lowell, Massachusetts Street scenes, Lowell, Massachusetts; Paylin Market, Lowell, Massachusetts Paylin Market, Lowell, Massachusetts Paylin Market, 6 Branch Street, Lowell, Massachusetts Paylin Market, 6 Branch St., Lowell, Massachusetts; Street scenes, Merrimack St., Lowell, Massachusetts; Lee Jewelry, 474 Merrimack St., Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-06-19 Paylin Market Images # of Items 14 1987-09-11 1987-09-11 Paylin Market, Market Mills Images Images 8 26 Images Images Images 7 8 14 1987-09-11 1987-09-11 1987-09-11 �Trairatanaram Temple ceremony (August 30, 1987) Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Type Trairatanaram Temple ceremony, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 Trairatanaram Temple ceremony, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 Trairatanaram Temple ceremony, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 3 Trairatanaram Temple ceremony, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 4 Trairatanaram Temple ceremony, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 5 Trairatanaram Temple ceremony, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 6 Trairatanaram Temple ceremony, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 7 Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-08-30 1987-08-30 Sao Khun, Doug DeNatale Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Images 1987-08-30 Larry Flynn Images 38 1987-08-30 Sao Khun, John Massey Images 38 1987-08-30 Images 27 1987-08-30 Images 30 Images 38 1987-08-30 1987-08-30 1987-08-30 1987-08-30 1987-08-30 1987-08-30 1987-08-30 Sao Khun # of Items 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 36 �Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-08-30 George Chigas Images 38 1987-08-30 Doug DeNatale Images 38 1987-08-30 Images 9 1987-08-30 Images 1 1987-08-30 Images 9 1987-08-30 Images 1 1987-08-30 Images 9 1987-08-30 Images 1 Images 9 1987-08-30 Images 1 1987-08-30 Images 9 1987-08-30 Images 1 1987-08-30 Images 4 1987-08-30 Images 5 1987-08-30 Images 20 1987-08-30 Larry Flynn �Money Tree Celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Celebration at Trairatanaram Temple in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts 1987-08-30 Images 14 1987-08-30 Images 19 Asian Motors (September 1987-February 1988) Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Type # of Items 2 30 3 13 Street scenes, Lowell, Massachusetts Asian Motors, 36 Payne St., Lowell, Massachusetts Asian Motors, Lowell, Massachusetts Asian Motors, 36 Payne St., Lowell, Massachusetts; Scenes from Highland neighborhood, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-20 1988-02-10 1988-02-10 1988-02-10 Asian Automotive Center Images Images Images Images Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Type Battambang Market, Merrimack St., Lowell, Massachusetts Battambang Market, Merrimack St., Lowell, Massachusetts Battambang Market, Merrimack St., Lowell, Massachusetts Battambang Market, Merrimack St., Lowell, Massachusetts Battambang Market, Merrimack St., Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-12 Images # of Items 1 1987-09-12 Images 1 1987-09-12 Images 1 1987-09-12 Images 1 1987-09-12 Images 1 Battambang Market (September 12-14, 1987) �Street scenes, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-14 Market Mills, Lee Jewelry, and Battambang Market on Merrimack St., Lowell, Massachusetts Market Mills, Lee Jewelry, and Battambang Market on Merrimack St., Lowell, Massachusetts Battambang Market, Lowell Massachusetts Battambang Market, Lee Jewelry, Cosmo Apartments Images 9 1987-09-14 Images 30 1987-09-14 Images 8 1987-09-14 Images 2 Southeast Asian Medical Clinic (September 14-16, 1987) Title/Link Date In Dr. Hung Do’s office Dr. Hung Do and Dr. Giao Tran, Southeast Asian Medical Clinic, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-14 1987-09-16 Additional Metadata Type Images Images # of Items 8 6 Cambodian musicians at home of Sorn Veuk (September 20, 1987) Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Type Cambodian musicians at home of Sorn Veuk, Lowell Massachusetts Cambodian musicians at home of Sorn Veuk, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian music performed at the home of Sorn Veuk, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian musicians at the home of Sorn Veuk, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-20 Chorb Chan, Sokhm Bun, Nhak Chann George Chigas Images # of Items 25 Images 11 Nnak Chann, Sokhm Bun, Images Chorb Chan, Doug DeNatale Nhak Chan, Sokhm Bun, Images Chorb Chan, Chanthy Chigas 24 1987-09-20 1987-09-20 1987-09-20 36 �Cambodian musicians at the home of Sorn Veuk, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian musicians at the home of Sorn Veuk, Lowell, Massachusetts Home of Sorn Veuk, Lowell Massachusetts; South East Asian Restaurant, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-20 1987-09-19 1987-09-20 Chorb Chan, Nhak Chann, Doug DeNatale Sokhm Bun, Chorb Chan, Nhak Chann Sopheap Muth and Pen Hing, Chay Kim, Sarin Kim, Pen Vann Images 20 Images 16 Images 25 Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing (September 26-27, 1987) Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Type Wedding of Sopheap Muth and Pen Hing, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-26 Sarabuth Kao, Pen Vann Images # of Items 20 1987-09-26 Sarann Kong, Sirik Seng, Saravuth Kao, Sarin Kim Images 37 1987-09-26 John Massey, Sao Khon, Larry Flynn, Jack LeudersBooth, Angkor Garage David Taylor, Sarann Kong Images 32 Images 36 Doug DeNatale, Pen Vann, Jack Lueders-Booth, Sarin Kim, Larry Flynn Jack Lueders-Booth Images 36 Images 35 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 �Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts; Wedding reception held at Lin Gardens Restaurant, Dracut, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell Massachusetts 1987-09-26 Sarin Kim, Sarann Kong, Sirik Seng Images 36 Images 22 Images 20 1987-09-26 Images 16 1987-09-26 Images 20 1987-09-26 Images 38 1987-09-26 Images 36 Images 37 1987-09-26 Images 36 1987-09-26 Images 37 1987-09-26 Images 18 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 Doug DeNatale Pen Vann �Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Masaschusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Pen Hing’s mother, Mrs. Chounn Chen, Lowell, Masaschusetts Wedding of Pen Hing and Sopheap Kuth, as residence of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-26 Images 37 1987-09-26 Images 32 1987-09-26 Images 38 1987-09-26 Images 36 1987-09-26 Images 38 1987-09-26 Images 38 Images 20 Wedding of Pen Hing and Sopheap Kuth, at residence of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Pen Hing and Sopheap Kuth, at residence of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Pen Hing and Sopheap Kuth, at residence of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Pen Hing and Sopheap Kuth, at residence of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Pen Hing and Sopheap Kuth, at residence of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-26 Images 20 Images 20 Images 19 Images 3 Images 20 1987-09-26 Vath Ouk, Vann Pen, Sokha Kuth, Sao Khun, John Massey, Noy Pen Vann Pen, Phalik Ting, Vath Ouk, Noy Pen, Sokha Kuth 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 Vann Pen, Phalik Ting 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 John Massey, Chanthy Chigas �Wedding reception for Sopheap Muth and Pen Hing, Lin Gardens Restaurant, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding reception for Sopheap Muth and Pen Hing, Lin Gardens Restaurant, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding reception for Sopheap Muth and Pen Hing, Lin Gardens Restaurant, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding reception for Sopheap Muth and Pen Hing at Lin Garden Restaurant, Lowell, Massachusetts Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts, Part 1 Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts, Part 2 Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts, Part 3 Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts, Part 4 Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts, Part 5 Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts, Part 6 Wedding of Sopheap Kuth and Pen Hing at the home of Chhoun Chen, Lowell, Massachusetts, Part 7 1987-09-27 1987-09-27 David Taylor 1987-09-27 1987-09-27 Sirik Seng, Saravuth Kao, David Taylor 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 1987-09-26 Images 27 Images 36 Images 36 Images 20 Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording 1 Type # of Items 39 1 1 1 1 1 1 Veneration of the Ancestors Feast (September 27, 1987) Title/Link Date Veneration of the Ancestors Feast, Trairatanaram Temple, Chelmsford, Massachusetts 1987-09-27 Additional Metadata Images �Veneration of the Ancestors Feat, Trairatanaram Temple, Chelmsford, Massachusetts Veneration of the Ancestors Feast, Trairatanaram Temple, Chelsmford, Massachusetts Buddhist temple, Chemlsford, Massachusetts Ceremony for the Veneration of the Ancestors, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-27 Dhammak Vddho/John Massey Dhammak Vddho Images 30 Images 27 1987-09-27 1987-09-27 Dhammak Vddho Images Images 38 5 Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Type Ethnic Covenant Dinner, Lowell, Massachusetts Ethnic Covenant Dinner, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-10-24 1987-10-24 Images Images Ethnic covenant dinner, Notre Dame de Lourdes Church, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-10-24 Sameth Chea Peter Van Nguyen, Sameth Chea Sameth Chea # of Items 30 37 Images 14 1987-09-27 Ethnic Covenant Dinner (October 24, 1987) Southeast Asian Restaurant and Market (December 2-14, 1987) Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Unidentified, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987 Street scenes, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-14 Southeast Asian grocery store, Lowell, Massachusetts Southeast Asian Restaurant and Market, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-12-02 1987-12-02 Southeast Asian Restaurant Southeast Asian Restaurant, Southeast Asian Import Store Joe Antonaccio Type # of Items 3 6 Audio recording 20 1 �Southeast Asian Restaurant and Market, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-12-03 Joe Antonaccio 27 Southeast Asian Restaurant and Market, Lowell, Massachusetts Southeast Asian Restaurant and Market, Lowell, Massachusetts Southeast Asian Restaurant, Lowell, Massachusetts Southeast Asian grocery store, Lowell, Massachusetts Southeast Asian grocery store, Lowell, Massachusetts Southeast Asian Restaurant and Market, Lowell, Massachusetts; Street scenes, Lowell, Massachusetts Southeast Asian Restaurant, Lowell, Massachusetts Southeast Asian Restaurant, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-12-03 Joe Antonaccio 24 1987-12-03 Joe Antonaccio 36 1987-12-03 1987-12-03 1987-12-03 1987-12-03 Joe Antonaccio 11 19 10 35 Joe Antonaccio 1987-12-03 1987-12-04 3 11 Trairatanaram Temple (December 3 and 12, 1987) Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Type Trairatanaram Temple, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts Trairatanaram Temple, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts Trairatanaram Temple, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts Trairatanaram Temple, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts Trairatanaram Temple, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts 1987-12-03 John Massey Images # of Items 39 1987-12-03 John Massey, Michael Bell Images 27 1987-12-03 John Massey Images 2 Images 16 Images 34 1987-12-03 1987-12-12 Dhammak Vddho/John Massey �Trairatanaram Temple, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts Trairatanaram Temple, North Chelmsford, Masaschusetts Maha Visantara Jataka Desana ceremony, Trairatanaram Temple, Chelmsford, Massachusetts Chelmsford Buddhist Temple during Maha Visantara Jakata Desana, Chelmsford, Massachusetts Chelmsford Buddhist Temple during Maha Visantara Jakata Desana, Chelmsford, Massachusetts Maha Visantara Jataka Desana, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 Maha Visantara Jataka Desana, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 1987-12-12 John Massey Images 38 1987-12-12 John Massey Images 32 1987-12-12 John Massey, Michael Bell Images 38 1987-12-12 John Massey, Michael Bell, Sao Khon Images 20 1987-12-12 Images 4 1987-12-12 Audio recording Audio recording 1 1987-12-12 1 Phnom Penh Market (December 3, 1987) Title/Link Date Phnom Penh Market, Market St., Lowell, Massachusetts Phnom Penh Market, Market St., Lowell, Massachusetts Phnom Penh Market, Market St., Lowell, Massachusetts Phnom Penh Market, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-12-03 1987-12-03 1987-12-03 1987-12-03 Additional Metadata Type Images Images Images Images # of Items 9 1 6 6 Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association (CMAA) (December 17, 1987) Title/Link Date Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, 125 Perry Street, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-12-17 Additional Metadata Type Images # of Items 38 �Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, 125 Perry Street, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, 125 Perry Street, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, 125 Perry Street, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, 125 Perry Street, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, 125 Perry Street, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, 125 Perry Street, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-12-17 Images 38 1987-12-17 Images 38 Images 32 1987-12-17 Images 7 1987-12-17 Images 20 1987-12-17 Images 17 1987-12-17 Theresa Theobald Laotian and Cambodian New Year’s Celebrations (April 16, 1988) Title/Link Date Additional Metadata Type Laotian New Year’s Celebration at the Lowell Girl’s Club, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian New Year’s Celebration, Lowell Girl’s Club, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian New Year’s celebration, Lowell Girl’s Club, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian New Year’s celebration, Lowell Girl’s Club, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian New Year’s celebration, Lowell Girls Club, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian New Year’s celebration, Lowell Girls Club, Lowell, Massachusetts 1988-04-16 Images # of Items 38 1988-04-16 Images 38 1988-04-16 Images 35 1988-04-16 Images 36 1988-04-16 Images 20 1988-04-16 Images 20 �Laotian New Year’s celebration, Lowell Girls Club, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian New Year’s celebration, City Hall and the Lowell Girls Club, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian New Years celebration, Lowell Girls Club, Lowell, Massachusetts; Cambodian New Years celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian New Year’s celebration, Lowell Girls Club, Lowell, Massachusetts; Cambodian New Year's celebration, Cumnock Hall, University of Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian New Year’s celebration, Lowell Girls Club, Lowell, Massachusetts; Cambodian New Year’s celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian New Year’s celebration, University of Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian New Year’s celebration, University of Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian New Year’s celebration, Cumnock Hall, University of Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian New Year’s celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts; Cambodian New Year’s celebration, Cumnock Hall, University of Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian New Year’s celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts; Laotian New Year’s celebration, Lowell Girls Club, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian New Year’s celebration, Trairatanaram Temple, Lowell, Massachusetts 1988-04-16 Amy Weatherbee Images 17 1988-04-16 Images 32 1988-04-16 Images 8 1988-04-16 Images 20 1988-04-16 Images 36 1988-04-16 Images 36 1988-04-16 Images 36 1988-04-16 Images 10 1988-04-16 Images 20 1988-04-16 Images 8 1988-04-16 Images 15 �Other Images Title/Link Date Hair salon, Lowell, Massachusetts Hearings before Governor’s Advisory Board on Refugees Resettlement, Smith-Baker Center, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987 1987-06-19 Maps and Street Scenes, Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian wedding reception next to the Southeast Asian Restaurant near City Hall, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian American Organization, International Institute, Lowell, Massachusetts Additional Metadata Images Images # of Items 34 29 1987-06-19 1987-08-22 Images Images 2 7 1987-09-10 Images 21 Sherry Crump, Robert Sherman, Hai Pho, Jim Aldrich, Bill Waxman, Kathlee Llque, Sharon Woodward, Anthony Nguyen, Paul Majukai, Thomas Henlgan, Sylvia Sangiulo, Francisco Santiago, Lydia Mattei, Theresa Theobold, Ethnic Covenant, Office for Children at Lowell City Hall, St. Anthony’s Church, International Institute of Lowell, Northeast Consortium of Colleges and Universities, Laotian American Organization, Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association Type �Lee Jewelry Store, Lowell, Massachusetts Laotian American Organization, International Institute, Lowell, Massachusetts Street scenes, Lowell, Massachusetts Photos made while driving around Lowell, Massachusetts Street scenes, Lowell Massachusetts Street scenes, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-09-14 1987-09-15 Images Images 6 25 1987-09-18 1987-10-25 1987-10-29 1987-10-29 Images Images Images Images 2 7 2 1 Larry Flynn, Lowell, Massachusetts; Narong Hul, Lowell, Massachusetts, Fieldworkers, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-11-02 Images 12 Mekong Market Kong Pong Cham Asian Market Oral Histories and Other Audio Recordings Title/Link Date Interview with Thong Pham, Lowell, Massachusetts; Interview with Gia Pho, Chelmsford, Massachusetts Interview with Douangmany Malavong, Lowell, Massachusetts Interview with Xuandung Pham, Merrimack, New Hampshire Interview with Khanhnguyen Ong, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 Interview with Khanhnguyen Ong, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 Interview with wedding guests before the wedding of Ly Khoxayo’s daughter Phonh Khoxayo, Bedford, Massachusetts; Interview with Phosy Sengsiri, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-04-26 1987-05-10 1987-05-22 1987-06-10 1987-06-10 1987-06-13 Additional Metadata Type Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording # of Items 1 1 1 1 1 1 �Interview with Venerable Sao Khon, Trairatanaram Temple, 1987-06-19 North Chelmsford, Massachusetts Interview with Bouapha Bouala, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-07-15 Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording 1 1987-09-09 Audio recording 1 1987-09-10 Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording 1 Interview with Khamsone Silavong, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-07-23 Interview with George Chigas, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 Interview with George Chigas, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 Interview with Steve Schmidt, director of the Laotian American Organization of Greater Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 Interview with Steve Schmidt, director of the Laotian American Organization of Greater Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 Recording of English as a second language class for Laotian American Organization, Lowell, Massachusetts Interview with Mary Vu, Methuen, Massachusetts 1987-09-03 Interview with Larry Flynn, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 1987-11-02 Interview with Larry Flynn, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 1987-11-02 Interview with Larry Flynn, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 3 1987-11-02 1987-09-03 1987-09-09 1987-10-28 Interview with Narin Sao, Lowell Division of Employment 1987-11-04 Security of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts Interview with Phomma Sayasane, Massachusetts Division 1987-11-04 of Employment Security, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 �Interview with Phomma Sayasane, Massachusetts Division 1987-11-04 of Employment Security, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 Interview with Narong Hul, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 1987-11-09 Interview with Narong Hul, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 1987-11-09 Interview with Joe Antonaccio, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 Interview with Joe Antonaccio, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 Interview with John Massey, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 1987-11-16 Interview with John Massey, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 1987-12-01 Interview with Theresa Theobald, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 Interview with Theresa Theobald, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 Interview with Theresa Theobald, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 3 Interview with Sergent Kuch, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-12-17 Interview with John Massey, Lowell, Massachusetts 1987-12-22 Interview with Steve Schmidt, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 Interview with Steve Schmidt, Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 Interview with Ahn Vu (Hoang), Lowell, Massachusetts, part 1 1987-12-22 1987-11-16 1987-12-01 1987-12-17 1987-12-17 1987-12-21 1987-12-22 1988-01-07 Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording Audio recording 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 �Interview with Ahn Vu (Hoang), Lowell, Massachusetts, part 2 1988-01-07 Audio recording 1 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Lowell Folklife Collection, 1987-1988 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987-1988 Description An account of the resource <a href="https://www.loc.gov/collections/lowell-folklife-project/about-this-collection/?loclr=blogflt">Click here to view all the items in the Lowell Folklife Collection.</a><br /><br />Please note that this collection was not digitized by the Southeast Asian Digital Archive. By clicking the link above, you will be brought to the Library of Congress' website. Read below or on the project's website for more information on the digitization of these records.<br /><br />The Lowell Folklife Project was conducted in 1987-1988 as a cooperative project of the American Folklife Center and the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission, with support from the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities, to document contemporary ethnic neighborhoods, occupations, and community life related to the history of industrialization in Lowell, Massachusetts. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Library of Congress Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No copyright - Items in this collection are in the public domain. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Lowell (Mass.) Language A language of the resource English Central Khmer Subject The topic of the resource Laotian Americans Cambodian Americans Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Lowell Folklife Collection - Southeast Asian Subject Guide Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987-1988 Description An account of the resource The Lowell Folklife Project was conducted in 1987-1988 as a cooperative project of the American Folklife Center and the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission, with support from the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities, to document contemporary ethnic neighborhoods, occupations, and community life related to the history of industrialization in Lowell, Massachusetts. One of the documented communities was the Southeast Asian community. This subject guide will link to the individual relevant items. Subject The topic of the resource Laotian Americans Cambodian Americans Southeast Asian Americans Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No copyright - All items created by the Library of Congress are under the public domain. Type The nature or genre of the resource Finding aid Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Lowell (Mass.) https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/37070/archive/files/6ccd5b96db072c26d3c72df260cf49cd.pdf?Expires=1782345600&Signature=aPlz1GMrXUQrIxRSFF6B7Vp5uN589RregIgVv0tcw%7EslNnA-2qMW2MBHpeVYFvqbGYxQDkVN%7E6Vuvhy8q-7AzkMp4I9KhZWKX4yT2h4eENjsZZ39K1x5y9P55CYMbL26AOq04q393GmtFswfvkZkN4wQMtvDmpxrkxZI9icY8daUQH%7EluZJOiq%7EKhe3z6NxP1LPfxXgzRV5Wd76utNKnip2Ln4lTsWUqwwVCUdSYB5hlKdgQfEWj0S3brRtSlW9oADbfu9V2dAvDu-gLzZbPce2EUoccrtCe3wpfenAHSDY8zr38hKRSy2pmhqfumGTnAAFImfXOY9p-Vz5BgoL-nA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 1fda8d1eba5fa93e48cd0882a683dce3 PDF Text Text A NEW BEGINNING IN LOWELL BY JAMES HIGGINS & JOAN ROSS Foreword by Dith Pran Introduction by Hai B. Pho ����Southeast Asians ��Southeast Asians A NEW BEGINNING IN LOWELL BY JAMES HIGGINS & JOAN ROSS PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES HIGGINS Foreword by Dith Pran Introduction by Hai B. Pho M ILL TOWN GRA PHICS �Published by: Mill Town Graphics P.O. Box 2168 Highlands Station Lowell, MA 01851 Copyright © 1986 Higgins & Ross The histories that begin the Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese sections are excerpted from Peoples and Cultures of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam . Reprinted with the permission of the Center for Applied Linguistics. The poem "Yaws" © 1986 George Chigas. Reprinted by permission of the author. The Introduction is drawn from a 1983 audio-visual presentation of the Southeast Asian Program, Fitchburg Ethnic Heritage Program Series, sponsored by the Fitchburg Public Library with Dr. Gunther Hoos, Chairman of the Communication/Media Department at Fitchburg State College as Director and Dr. Hai B. Pho as Humanities Scholar. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief excerpts for use in critical articles or reviews. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 86-62068 ISBN 0-914613-04-9 Produced in conjunction with the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell, Inc. Project Coordination by Carol Keirstead Book design by Joan Ross Printed by Mercantile Printing Company Typeset by Typographix, Inc. Translation/Calligraphy: Cambodian by S. Say Laotian by Sompheth Phothisen Vietnamese by Tran Kirn Lan Manufactured in the United States of America �ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AUTHORS' NOTE First and foremost we thank all of those whose words and pictures appear in this book. The quotations in this book have been written as accurately as possible in order to preserve the authenticity of the speakers' voices. In many cases the English is ungrammatical, however this in itself is telling - learning a new language is a great challenge. The captions and quotations are, for the most part, said by or about the subject photographed. We have not attributed the statements out of respect for the privacy of those who helped us create this book. We thank Theresa Theobald and the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell for the organizational support needed to produce this book. Carol Keirstead, project coordinator, has been a valuable link to the Southeast Asian community, where she is so well respected. We thank the following people and organizations: Narin Sao, George and Chanthy Chigas, Heng Bun Chea, Sopheap Kuth, Michael Ben Ho, Joan Gendron, Leslie Yauckoes and all our friends at the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association; Silvia Sangiolo, Steve Lewis, Khamsone Silavong, and the Laotian MAA; and Mr. Ong and Mr. Gia from the Vietnamese MAA . We also wish to thank the following : Reverend Steven Stager, Kim Jaynes, and members of the Eliot Presbyterian Church; Vera Godley and the Lowell Ethnic Covenant; Lydia Mattei, Kathi and Larry Flynn, and the staff at the International Institute; Frank Dalphond and the Merrimack Valley Vietnam Veterans Organization; Jim Myers - Site Manager, Nate Kinnon and Sandy Jolin at Digital, Wilmington, MA; Arthur Robbins and the Lowell Hilton; Marilyn DeAngelis of Channel 56, Boston; Daniel Lam from the Office of Refugee Resettlement; Joe Antonuccio, Thoeun Thou, Evelyn Desmarais, Jim Doyle, Carol Merrian, Brian Dunigan, Kang Song, and Lan Pho. We gratefully acknowledge the special editorial support we received from Paul Marion, Cultural Affairs Director, Lowell Historic Preservation Commission, who even walked our dog when things got crazy. We appreciate the special advice and assistance we received from Maude Salinger. We thank Christine Reynolds for her design help. A special thanks to our three translators: S.Say, Sompheth Phothisen, and Tran Kim Lan . Funding for this project was provided by : rrrth in &P1:-' M ass:1 chusc1ts Founda tion for t-lu 1 mi 1ics and m Publi c Po lic)' Massachusetts Foundation for Humanities and Public Policy, New England Telephone Company, Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities Heritage Program, the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission - United States Department of the Interior, and the Massachusetts Arts Lottery Council as administered by the Lowell Arts Council. Additional support was provided by the Massachusetts Arts Lottery Council as administered by the Chelmsford Arts Council, Community Teamwork, Inc., St. Jean Baptiste Parish, the Church of St. Michael, the First Bank, the Commonwealth Federal Savings Bank, the Union National Bank, the Lowell Institute for Savings, and the Bank of Boston . The Foreword, Introduction Summary, captions, and quotations are translated into the languages of the Cambodians, Laotians, and Vietnamese in order to make the book accessible to the Southeast Asian community. This book represents almost two years of work with the Southeast Asian peoples of Lowell. Our respect for them is great - the friendships made forever rewarding. J.H. and J.R. 1965, it seems so long ago ... sitting in high school class, Beatles music playing in my head, and a knot in my stomach, wondering if I would be called on for an answer. While on the other side of the world dark clouds were gathering, clouds that would soon be heading this way. Decisions being made at the Gulf of Tonkin by people far removed from Mr. Hogan , my sleepy history teacher. J.H. ��FOREWORD by Dith Pran The plight of refugees is a universal and historic story. While trapped inside communist Cambodia for four and one half years, I vowed that when I reached freedom I would bring my message to the world. My story, as shown in the film "The Killing Fields," is not just my story. It is the story of refugees throughout the world. The Southeast Asian refugees, most of whom were forced through hardships of war to come to the U.S.A. , are now adjusting to life in a new world . These Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese people have suffered for years. When the war was over in 1975, an internal holocaust within the Southeast Asian countries con-. tinued. The survivors fled their country because they could not live under the communist regime where they had little food and no freedom. With the help of volunteer agencies and religious organizations, these refugees are being taken care of and are learning to adapt to the language, customs, and life in their new world. I applaud the American people because they have a tradition of helping the suffering people. I am now a citizen of the United States and I am proud to be one. I have a home and a country; I am no longer stateless. As Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations, I will continue to promote peace all over the world. Please share with me my concern for all the suffering refugees. I hope that someday the people around the world would join together in creating a peaceful global society. I am glad you care. ����INTRODUCTION by Hai B. Pho To many Americans whose grandparents first made the long journey to the United States at the turn of the century, the memories of their hardship, struggle, and often prejudicial treatment are likely wrapped in a mist of sentiment and nostalgia. Through hard work, education, and sacrifice, they and their children were often rewarded by a better life. Today, as part of the remaining legacy of the Vietnam War, another first generation of immigrants is beginning its upward struggle. Lowell is fortunate to count these courageous people as part of its cultural mosaic, and this book is an effort, at least in part, to document the upward struggle of the newest group of immigrants, the Southeast Asian refugees. Southeast Asia encompasses the vast mainland area east of India and south of China including Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam as well as the two island nations of Indonesia and the Philippines. Historically, it has been a crossroad of cultural activity. For more than 4000 years China, India, and Polynesia have influenced the languages, customs, and institutions of the peoples of the area. To these have been added the European Christian influences during the past 500 years resulting in a great diversity of life-style, culture, and language. The region abounds in great beauty and cultural riches. Geographically, Indochina reflects the mainland portion of Southeast Asia comprised of Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Politically, however, the name Indochina applies only to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, the countries which were once known as French Indochina. The history of French Indochina began in 1893 when the French first proclaimed the Indochinese Union after it had colonized these three independent states. The Union ended in 1950 when separate treaties were ratified, recognizing Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos as independent, self-governing states within the French Union. After the Geneva Conference in 1954 and the dissolution of the French Union, the name Indochina no longer had any political or constitutional meaning. Indochina's more than 2000 years of independent existence has been frequently disrupted by series of border disputes, wars of succession, invasions, and colonizations. Since World War II, after all the great ideologies such as capitalism, communism, and nationalism had swept across the Asian continent, the Indochinese peoples experienced widespread grassroots struggles for independence from the French and the ensuing internecine warfare. Following the decisive loss by the French to Ho Chi Minh's guerrillas at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the Geneva Accords was signed which gave international recognition of independence and unity to Cambodia and Laos, but divided Vietnam into two portions with an arbitrary line along the 17th parallel. It also left Ngo Dinh 11 �Diem's South Vietnam in a highly vulnerable position to North Vietnam's battle hardened guerrilla armed forces, the People's Liberation Army. It was after this Geneva Conference that the United States became directly and more deeply involved in the region. Speaking in 1955, at a meeting of the American Friends of Vietnam Association in New York, Senator John F. Kennedy, then a presidential hopeful for the 1956 election, declared: Vietnam represents the cornerstone of the free world in Southeast Asia, the keystone of the arch, the finger in the dike. . . . Vietnam represents a proving ground of democracy in Asia. . . . Vietnam represents the alternative to Communist dictatorship. . . . The U.S. is directly responsible for this experiment. . . . We cannot afford to permit that experiment to fail . . . . If we are not the parents of little Vietnam, then surely we are the godparents. We presided at its birth, we gave assistance to its life, we have helped to shape its future . . .. And if it falls victim to any of the perils that threaten its existence - Communism, political anarchy, poverty, and the rest - then the U.S., with some justification, will be held responsible. So, not willing to allow the North Vietnamese Communists to unify the country either by political maneuver or by force, President Eisenhower authorized an expansion of U.S. economic and military aid to South Vietnam. The battlefields in South Vietnam were then defined in Cold War theories and principles. South Vietnamese people thus became freedom fighters and the 17th parallel became the frontier of the Free World. Initially, small teams of U.S. military advisors were sent to Vietnam. At first, they were limited to a training role which was later changed to field advisors restricted to a "fire when fired upon" rule. This unrealistic dictum was largely ignored by the Americans and they took active part in skirmishes against the Communist-led front in the South known as the National Liberation Movement Front or the Vietcong. America went to Vietnam scarcely guessing the intricacy and pattern of ensuing events. The War rapidly escalated shortly after the assassination first of Diem then of Kennedy in November, 1963, and less than a year later President Johnson committed vast sums of AID money and tens of thousands of draftees into the war. In the South, a succession of generals failed to unify and mobilize the public will to defeat the Vietcong and the war dragged on. Like the French, the Americans were suddenly bogged down in a war that seemed unending. Finally, after tremendous resistance in America to the continuation and expansion of the war, the new strategy became Vietnamization. Without defeating the Vietcong, America began to withdraw, transferring all fighting responsibility to the South Vietnamese. The failure of the U.S. to live by its commitments to support South Vietnam against the North during the post-1973 Paris Peace Agreement period subsequently led to 12 �the defeat of the South by the North Vietnamese forces on April 30, 1975. Thus, the last American presence that many South Vietnamese saw was the U.S. helicopters leaving the American Embassy in Saigon. Less than two weeks before the capture of Saigon, Communist forces had seized control of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. But after four years of genocidal ruthlessness by Cambodian Premier Pol Pot, supported by the People's Republic of China, the Vietnamese Communist Army rolled into Cambodia and engaged the savage Khmer Rouge. Vietnam ultimately installed Heng Samrin as a new Cambodian Premier. Laos too came under complete control of Vietnam's Communist ally, the Pathet Lao in December, 1975. Since the middle of 1975, the great question in Indochina has not been freedom, but survival for those who hadn't given their loyalty to the Communist forces. Thus, after the Communist takeover more than 1.5 million people had escaped the new Regimes and started a search for a new beginning. Some fled for fear of reprisal. Some were pushed out because they were dissidents. Some, like the ethnic Chinese, were forcefully evacuated. And some left in search of freedom. The Vietnamese exodus took place in three phases. The first came after the fall of the Saigon government in April, 1975. In only three months over 130,000 Vietnamese refugees entered the United States. Vietnamese who had worked for the U.S. government as well as members of their families were evacuated along with the officials of the South Vietnamese government. Phase two refugees left Vietnam for a number of reasons including the steady nationalization of the private sector, the erosion of personal freedom, and the establishment of reeducation camps, actually, concentration camps. When registration for these camps began, many took small crafts that were readily available and headed for ports in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. Of all who left by boat during this time, more than half never made it to their destination. The Vietnamese dead may total 400,000. The phase three exodus began in 1978. This phase was characterized by the forcible eviction of Vietnam's ethnic Chinese population. No transportation was provided and they too were forced to leave on any available vessel. A conservative estimate was that between 30,000 and 50,000 persons drowned each month from May to July, 1979. In 1975 the Communist Pathet Lao took total control over the Laotian government. This also caused a massive exodus of many anticommunist Laotians as well as the Hmong people of Laos. The Hmong had worked closely for 15 years with the U.S. military and were involved in the effort to rescue U.S. pilots who were shot down over North Vietnam. During their 20 to 25 days walk from the hills of Laos to Thailand, many Hmong were assaulted, abused, or killed. They slipped over the Mekong at night aboard logs, make-shift rafts, or even lengths of bamboo underneath their arms to make a break for freedom. Once the survivors made it across the river to Thailand, many were placed into jails and ultimately into Thai camps. When Pol Pot ruled Cambodia, only a trickle of refugees escaped across the Thai border with unbelievable tales of horror. It was after the defeat of the Khmer 13 �Rouge by the invading Vietnamese forces that a flood of Cambodians spilled into Thailand. While a complete story of this modern day genocide may never be told, it was estimated that over three million, or nearly half of the Cambodian population, died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Anyone found to have some association with the West was summarily executed. The urban population, including the old and the sick in hospitals, was forced to march to communal labor camps in remote jungle bases. Infractions of the harsh, inhuman rules were punishable by death. Food shortage was rampant and, in the fall of 1978, famine threatened the survival of the entire country. The plight of the Cambodians attracted worldwide attention. The Indochinese refugee situation became a major international issue in 1979. Countries of first asylum sometimes refused to accept anymore refugees. International resettlement efforts were slow and bound up in red tape as well as politics. The July, 1979 Geneva Refugee Conference acknowledged an important principle. Refugee assistance should be considered an international responsibility. As a result of this conference, resettlements were doubled. Another development at Geneva was the Philippine Government's offer to provide a site for a facility which would serve as a refugee processing center. The U.S. strongly supported the establishment of such a site as a means of relieving the pressure on the countries of first- asylum and thereby encouraged them to continue to accept all new arrivals. From these camps of first asylum in Thailand, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, the refugees were eventually processed and resettled in many parts of the world including the U.S. Many regulations had been written to facilitate the resettlement of Indochinese refugees into the U.S., however, it was the enactment of the Refugee Act of 1980 which helped to speed up the resettlement of Indochinese refugees throughout the United States. This law which defined a refugee as any person who is unable or unwilling to return to his/her country ''because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion," established the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement and enabled the government to raise more funds for refugee reception and placement, cash and medical assistance, and language skills training as well as employment services. Refugee resettlement also increased in Massachusetts as a result of the Dukakis Administration's leadership with prominent citizens advocating for speedier family reunifications and less restrictive regulations for persecuted Cambodian applicants. The Refugee State Plan was extensively revised to facilitate access to state programs and services by refugees with linguistic and cultural barriers. Supplemental funds were appropriated by the State Legislature to assist cities and towns which received a high number of new immigrants and refugees. Nationwide, the refugee resettlement program was carried out by eleven U.S. volunteer agencies including among others the American Council for Nationalities Service, the American Fund For Czechoslovak Refugees, the Buddhist Council for Refugee 14 �Rescue and Resettlement, and the U.S. Catholic Conference. These agencies, under contract to the government, work to find individual or group sponsors who can assume responsibility for the refugee family. It was through such sponsorship that refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos found their way to Lowell. The sponsors, sometimes organized through churches and sometimes by the agencies themselves, played an important role for the new residents. Initially, they provided food, shelter, and clothing for the arriving family. Later, they assisted in finding employment, enrolling the children in schools, and helping the immigrants to understand and cope with the American customs. Through informal sponsorship duties, the sponsors often became close friends of the families and provided much needed personal support and encouragement during difficult times. In Lowell, the Indochinese refugees were mostly received and placed by the American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees and the American Council for Nationalities Service. They were also helped to resettle by local churches as well as the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association (MAA), the Laotian MAA, the Vietnamese MAA, and the International Institute of Lowell. These organizations are active in finding sponsors for new refugees as well as in providing job development and language training. Agency people continue to assist the new immigrants in their adjustment to life in the new country. In some ways, particularly with sponsorship and the state and federal governments taking a pro-active role, it is now easier for the new immigrants to assimilate into the American way of life especially when compared to the settlers at the turn of the century. Some problems, however, have not changed, such as the need to acquire the English language so that economic opportunities may be realized, the difficulty of finding employment during hard economic times, and of course, the problems of prejudice and suspicion. But as other immigrant groups before them, the Indochinese are ambitious, hard working, and greatly value education. These characteristics have been and continue to be the classic ingredients of American upward mobility. The earliest Indochinese refugees settled in Lowell only ten years ago. But many have already succeeded in improving their own economic situations. Families have become home-owners and have acquired other material goods. The high schools are regularly graduating sons and daughters of Indochinese immigrants. Some are now enrolled in colleges. Others are already working as technicians and engineers in high tech industries. And of course, most members of the Indochinese community are looking forward to receiving American citizenship papers. Although assimilation into American ways is important, the Indochinese immigrants greatly value their cultural traditions and keep them alive during celebrations and festivals throughout the year. The first generation of Indochinese refugees can never forget the horror of war and persecution that expelled them from their own countries or the Americans who welcomed them and brought them here. But like other ethnic groups before them, they are busy preparing a secure and stable future for themselves and for their children in a new land. 15 �16 �17 �Gulf of Thailand KEY INDOCHINA ~ Refugee Escape Routes I Refugee Camps �The recorded history of Cambodia dates back to the first century A.O., when it was known as Funan (100-500 A.O.). This was followed by the Angkor period which lasted until 1432. It was a period of great accomplishments in culture, arts and architecture. At its peak, the empire extended from the Annamite Chain in present-day southern Vietnam to the Gulf of Thailand . The temples at Angkor were erected during this period, which has been described as the height of Cambodian domination in Southeast Asia. At the end of the 13th century, the empire disintegrated into small kingdoms often ruled by Thai vassals. The struggle for territory between the Thais, Cambodians and Vietnamese has continued to the present . Cambodia became a French protectorate in 1864, and achieved complete independence under the leadership of Prince Norodom Sihanouk after the 1954 Geneva Conference. In 1970, Sihanouk was overthrown by his Prime Minister, General Lon-Nol. That same year, Cambodia was the target of attacks from the spreading war in Vietnam. This spurred the growth of the Khmer communist faction (Khmer Rouge), which gained control of the country in 1975, under the leadership of Pol Pot. In 1979, the Vietnamese communists overran and occupied Cambodia, installing a government headed by Heng Samrin. The Vietnamese communist occupation, along with the Pol Pot generated holocaust, caused an increasing number of Khmer people to flee their homeland and become refugees in Thailand. Some 8,000 Cambodians who are here today in Lowell, are victims of this continuing war and turmoil . 19 Cambodians �Most Cambodian refugees wait in the camps (holding centers) in Thailand for one to five years while arrangements are made for their resettlement . Language instruction and cultural orientation are then received at a processing center before leaving for the United States. The Mom family waited in the camps for six years before they could leave. After a twenty-five hour flight from Bangkok, they arrived in Boston where Ing Mom ' s sister and niece (on left) were there to meet them . 20 �21 �A newly arrived refugee family is given a demonstration of a hair dryer found in a donated box of clothes and small appliances . 22 �23 �Keo Saray' s parents are still in a camp on the Thai-Khmer border. They are not recognized as refugees by the Thai government or the U.S. government. They are considered '' displaced persons." Their only choices are to go back to communist Cambodia or wait in the camp with the hope that someday their status will change . 24 �25 �Poeun is forty-two years old. She's had ten babies but now there are six - four of them died during the Khmer Rouge regime. "In Cambodia there are lots of trees - hammocks are very common. It's so easy to 'string it and swing it. ' " 26 �27 �"Last night I heard a tape with the songs of my country. In my mind I went back to my grandparents' farm where I walked through fields of coconut and orange trees and ate fresh pineapple. I felt like there's no place like home ." 28 �29 �Bun Vong and a friend were driving on the Revere Beach Parkway when they became involved in a traffic dispute with another vehicle . A fight started and Bun Vong was knocked unconscious . He died of brain damage eleven days later. In the second of two trials, one of his assailants was convicted of manslaughter. The press converged on Bun Yong's widow as she left the funeral home . There was a barrage of questions and then an awkward silence as she began to cry . . . the only other sounds coming from the click and whirl of cameras . 30 �31 ��33 �Rom was a village leader in Cambodia . When he started ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, he had a strong motivation to learn . He entered the clerical program but became frustrated with the level of language skills required . He would say, " I can 't keep it in my head - my brain is too old." After transferring to the electrical program that offered more hands-on skills, Rom made good progress. " When I go to look for a job, maybe I will bring this to show and say to them 'this is my certificate. ' " 34 �35 �Division of Employment Security " When I tell them a job is available they ask if any other Cambodians work there. If I say no, then they don't want to go. If their own people are working there they feel comfortable . They are away from their own country and things seem strange here ." 36 �37 �The Moore Street School opened in January, 1986, to house the rapidly increasing population of Cambodian students. The school, segregated until June, 1986, is an example of the emergency conditions facing public institutions that deal with the Southeast Asian refugees . 38 �39 �"12 Sisters" is a Cambodian folk story that has been handed down from generation to generation and carried to Lowell by the refugees . The film was shown at St. Patrick's Church with a translator for the English speaking viewers . -=• ~?j~:rld~u," \;fl ~[_,G"l~ ¥3s ~ m cl 'l:]u., 'lJ rtf1 Ll / ~ ~ ck~~ \"~n,g~S /i11Si';J ~6'\i ~w ,s1GS"\~ • ~ lJ 4~~13.m81e..,..sG r§"JS u 1.-0'vJEc.L.l. Ui,) ~ frJn.n:3'1~ , d% ,/. ' , - 11 '<,A /' ,? I 1-ar1 '?~ , - L.(7/,,<A.. du'.e C, 'iL1ul"& :r ,-- c(,;;( Ki, I Ai, ~ ~ K e ~~ 1/tl - ~(__ ~ ,. ~ vao ~well ffvi· m c:ifut3.e, cti,,~ o ~ h."1i m- >f ft< li(c1( wr eo' ~;:- +( ?..aA1 a tu en m'i'\n ,-a,:::r r ~,..., I a., c:-'! n.., .nu ::, r..,J ~ !"'i ...is u ns,n,<1 u / ' _ - ,. - (_£UV/ le[ /V'-ai- ,, t:iwk f w3 e,;;- bJ n (]';~ .h !\.) .s, si .s t::ll 'l"l u ~ u,_ :r n:;; u~ u ~ t'~ :r t-si&l,:;~ ;1 l..-4 ·., C(_,U:/ , fA4'J '1"i o ~ 40 c1,c,1; ck ~,4 . �41 �" Under communist regime we lost more than three million people. We lost everything all of our culture which took more than 1000 years to build, and all of our trust for each other. We only trusted the Buddhist monk. Only the Buddhist religion can rebuild our culture." 42 �43 �The day came for celebrating the opening of the new Trairatanaram Temple, which had once been a Knights of Columbus Hall. Everyone dressed up everyone 's spirits soared. The next day they found out that it was illegal for Venerable Khon Sao to stay there without an occupancy permit. After contributing much time and hard earned money, the permit was finally granted . "In Cambodia if you want to build a house or a temple and live there, you go out and cut away some bamboo, drag it to where you want to build it, and move in." 44 �45 �"An American man come two times to our house and ask me if he can have my son to be his son. He say he will give him everything he need and send him to college. I have one son - I don' t give to somebody. I'm his mother - he 's a good boy and I love him too." 46 �47 �Many Southeast Asians became Christians in the refugee camps where there were missionary nurses and workers . When we asked Cheth if we could photograph his family with its newest son, he wanted to make sure that his pastor was included in the photograph . 48 �49 �50 �51 �Formal education in Cambodia stopped under Pol Pot's regime. At thirty years old, Salay is graduating from high school. "I' m not really proud yet until the next diploma - then I'm born again . When I finish with college, if God wants me to, I would like to be a missionary . That's why I try so hard to study. I want to go back to help my people - if not my people then others who need help ." 52 �53 �" The main reason I buy a house is so I can be independent. Now we can welcome everyone here without having complaints from a landlord . My father-in-law ' s friends live here too because they have nowhere to go . We all live together; it's Cambodian custom to receive anyone that needs a home ." t.< r- 9 I I Q' Q.~(} L nn'"' ~u zou r::nu:J tn t.9ul rs9JJ • (l, ..., - :n~:;:n Wu:;?J,.,.norilu,snS?02.~ " Cl.... t..-Q'lur-:J. ;JOU U..,0:J?29U.EY?J.J)0 ..,, ~ C\.'<1,d:;"' . ' -' M$)1.):5't.J V/''".J F'>UJ...J>U>J.J lt.>UU?iJ •' , .' ........ 2::7 :;Jinn,u<n O) c-, t.,u 9>nr~, (.l. G' , L. L/ f:s91.J • rw&u w7 c.:-"T W_J '1.8U,; ,-4 ..,_ · li;, - I C\l(l,.;'Q_ f a.,/ 9-,~udtnu f)3"J>J n,.n,o,w.>n • 'DO C\!I) Cl! I rbrn ,t,.,l,J tn 10 if) c;i';"!J&,:au rj. n.u CY.{;G) w~ WU .9>.5U J ,.l, p ,.... o," , 0 V)T> , F>IJ, J.JJ...} U..UJ.J"l,:J.JUlr>>"c:)J...J2.~ rnn.rJ.JJ...I, 54 �55 �'When we fight in the Cambodian Army we believe the more tattoos on the body, the more protection in the war:' 56 �57 �L.<- "My grandmother says 'if my country is free, I want to go back,' but we like it here . Even if it's free, I don ' t think I go back - I stay here ." , I,.., t,.. _ ... ' cc. .... rr.vc'>UJt&u,:n::n ,z,r./:,cno p... ~ CT.C'l ... 1'._J')t.97 tsu n./u ;--;:Ss F>u, tsud,n v (:i\_ C'\., ')') I I '-' -nunu ,J...J-9 ~ rr;">;n W.>ne&u _. f o.!(l}• ' Q .., f , V v. J.Jn J V)u · ff JJ.v.>J .uurrfu OP (;:S'S C-l, , ':Z') 7J ~ .'G ' V ~ CL t.9uuno.>7 tau~~ ,--,ur>u ..., ' 0-'0 ... ,JJ.9- f.9u-;>:dtf)u. v 58 >> �59 �I Mother and child at home in the U.S.A . r Q..'Q._ () <f.JJ rr;;,~ -;:)>'HJ ,n r:seu1u t.fs r~:::I:. tnt::x> ~= ,_!}~,n . 60 -1-iu· ~ · u h tvJ· {;,(Jh O L ?tk- �61 �Phalik performs traditional Cambodian dances - her brother likes the "moon walk" better. ~/<._--&,~~ ot;~ Vc,/-f¼ ::J~ f{lc,~ u/4 Wl? -~ -~ Gm fw• 'c ; ' I · ~~ ~ '' /vu;oh Sa.f.):_ ' MIL-_ 1 62 �63 �mJ.J~:r~.u.d=~~C;jq~'-:Jr., Cambodian New Year Celebration t. • .ui..J 64 . �65 �The first wedding of an American man and Cambodian woman in Lowell. "The priest gives the couple a haircut as a symbol of cleanliness. The locks of hair will be mixed in a bowl to symbolize the sharing of the bride and groom. The monks advise them to use the plural, not singular, when speaking in the house . They should say we instead of I." 66 �67 �YAWS* A scratch was doom if their village had it. Without penicilin it could hide in blood forever burning holes through skin that won't close. She said her mother put leaves on infected sores to draw the tiny worms started by flies far enough out to get at with toothpicks. My experience doesn't even begin to touch this. The closest it ever came was the summer I got poison ivy chipping out of rough to save par. And when I ask her, she'll just shrug it off. To her it's just something terrible that happened. We even laugh when she tilts back on her heels with fingers and toes spread to show how they walked. *A tropical condition caused by a bacteria, characterized by skin lesions on faces, palms of hands and soles of feet . 68 �69 �The Lao people moved from the Yunnan area of China and settled in the northern part of Laos in 658 A.O., eventually spreading throughout the present-day areas of Laos and Thailand . Many wars were fought among clans to gain domination. There were three major kingdoms in Laos by 1707. By 1779, the kingdoms were colonized by the King of Thailand. Many unsuccessful attempts by the Lao to free themselves from Thai domination followed . In 1893, France took control of Indochina and pressured the King of Thailand into relinquishing some of the Lao territory. A treaty was signed in 1907 dividing the Lao people into two nations, one under French control, the other under Thai. During World War II, Japan conquered Laos, pushing the French out of the country. Its rule was short-lived, however, and France regained control in 1946. This resulted in many Lao leaders fleeing to Thailand to create a "Free Movement." The Movement was successful in 1949, when Laos was given greater independence by France, and many members of the "Free Movement" returned to Laos and participated in the 70 �formation of the new government. Others, however, remained in Thailand and founded a movement known as the "Pathet Lao," led by Prince Souphanouvong. The Pathet Lao was headquartered in northeastern Laos. Subsequent years saw continuous power struggles between various factions for control of the government. During this time, in 1954, Laos achieved full independence. The power struggles continued, and Prince Souphanouvong was arrested. He later escaped to the jungle to join the Pathet Lao. A coalition government was formed in 1962, under the leadership of Souvanna Phouma, to demonstrate solidarity. This government received aid from the United States. This support was phased out, however, in 1973, when another coalition government - between the communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government - was being created. Communist control was total by December 1975. The current exodus of refugees from Laos began at that time, as those who resisted communist control escaped the country. Some 2,000 Laotians are here in Lowell today. 71 Laotians · �"There are several things that bind all Southeast Asians: the suffering they have experienced, religion, and good food . When Chanthip and I opened the restaurant we wanted to make sure that the food was authentic . That meant not worrying about the Americans and what they would think of the smells or the taste of the food . We wanted to have a congregating place for the Asians - something that they could call their own. " ......, , ,L.I :' M:J rr .uu .9nYnJ.J rrtf) . . 'O I _, - JJJJ in.nu 9 ' ._/ F)O > JJOJ u.AJn>u':) ou vr,;0:nu 0 r, o/ " ........ F>uS=r.uSn>-J rr;:;J~ wonrtJ..;))9JC) Q .!°' Q~ I _, QI ':;):F)flf'rJJOIJ>J UIJOIJ~Onv:nJJ C)_ r::?, .,; o, m i'6) I ,-. ~Y))IJ .._, ~ .9, r:n,AJ . .,,a wonwu Cl! J,n in.u~=rz1s...1tn,7,JJ>j-" n._ , 0' nl..J,f;J):U;uvOS)i- ~~nJ ....... , .,/ r,. Won&'r,7..;;>J 9,&')~J.J...J>~ r&J..JC'">>.u .,... _.... Huu~n,ro,11:;. 72 --,"") �73 �Somdeth has been in this country for less than two years. He escaped from Laos by swimming across the Mekong river at night with a plastic bag he filled with air to help keep him afloat. His seven brothers and sisters and parents remain in Laos . "When I came to Lowell I went to Adult Education classes for ESL, and then to a special banking program at the Vocational School. I feel very lucky to have my job at the bank. The people who come here always ask how to pronounce my last name . They want to know why I came over here, but I have a hard time to explain ." 74 �75 �0 Q I "':!JY,.,,2:!)1,'0 :::))-.>/U.JJI..J. A Lao/Cambodian wedding . WV) Neither bride nor groom speaks the other' s language, although they both speak a little English . The bride's relative says " they need an interpreter by day, but not by night. " u.urQ1~,v ,,;:,:: u.JJr.nu,o~lo G' Q'Q QB I o' Q ~ U):;): I O) .' Cl .....~ , ,... ,,.L- '-""" _ ... ~n'J 16' U>J..9U ~ n G'-' v w, <'?)J.J • ,...... S>)Uf~UJ..J:!} ~ r:;>),::1>,) -.'- , &'::))::)) : w.in,t.,r9, n:J n,u,..,,u =,.e, r- ~ .;', 0.~o. >'> f.J )JJJJ LI Q.'-v ~HM U >A.IJ.J 76 0 c.l,:nt.c.1,.e,~JJ9:1'? ''7)".UJ..J wo.n.z. , ,o, u:J :ers7 ~: ,.:n - o~ ......... '6 • = .... I_L a.. F')l,J • r::>u , ,,,', ,rno,u NJJ>J �"When I dance I feel like a thousand eyes are looking at me." 77 �'When we get to America my sons grow faster. It's sports and American food that make them grow tall. They don't like Lao food - they like McDonald's and Papa Gino's and they drink lots of Pepsi:' 78 �79 �80 �81 �, ft.i' l<f_ d,·o/ilM IU/W) c1-u; ~ I :6-t; Il{_ (._ v~ do-,-:6 ~~­ fedi Ouw-c Lao cf-e ... ~ ~t)rf_ t1J ~ ~ ~ Centuries of migration caused the hill tribes of Northern Laos to create a portable art. For hundreds of years textile designs have been passed down from mother to daughter . This Hmong tapestry, made in a refugee camp, is an example of Pa'ndau which means "Flower Cloth ." C..0 / ~L;?ii_-~ a 11.,6 i . ~ ~ MM,t, ~ _' c&dt:r -f~~' -bf cfdi ~ ~ ck!Cc>t, . I a)n; T~~ fl-~~~ ot.llrc.. d-e.!-- d ~r -/'1£t,,, fx Jv:µ-J · -& 1n-.?I- ~ v°1F fh. /n dQA,.(_ 1 Co 1 ~ 4 V ,&_- _, 82 Va-< fka._. ., u: �83 �0. 0.,.. The Pink and The Purple f):JJ:::Si_,JJb "We know the Lao music but we like American better - it's the beat I guess. We like groups like Kiss, Dokken, Keel, and Motley Criie. Right now we just play for fun, but you never know . . . . " H;::)~ I .0.Uj ,,... .,_, rQ I I ~nr:snt'>J.JtnS ;;,,., r,n-o,w;»"I (.t. _ a/ o..., _I a r-:s,.JJn'->JJ""':S e!!Js:.,.u:snJJ't:!)£} I .., I Q .}° n:n _ .AJJ.Jr,.uJ.J;o;:,,n,J.J "nJ.J a' .u - O' - ..,; C'>>.JJtf>~.9u,o,,~ . u,.>.nr:s, .A.Jnn:: Or'r-0 Q.-' u:. F><>::!>, .>n rnu, F>;;;,::>, rr;;:,:: .c:,:: ,... Cl ✓ a,.. J.J:. ,1..1";:, F>S;:J. 't_j";)U t..U.:,:nr-S,o/j) I 0"" d, ~ rro tnJ.Jrw.9F>o,.J.J.eun 1/JA.J?i..Jrt/ll ~,_, , _,...."', . . ...,a..,..., u1..1, '"''"" ;,, w;Jn ,,nu s-:;in ,;:,u... I 84 �85 �"My parents have a lot of kids, they can't raise them all so we have to separate and go to live with different relatives. That way we can have something to eat growing up and we can go to school instead of work in the fields. I don' t know exactly how many brothers and sisters I have . When I was seventeen I try to track them down and I found two or three of them . Then after sixteen years away I meet my real mother again. She cries and tells me she feels very, very sorry but that it was the best thing she could do . When I come to this country my sister try to help me out so she wants one of my twins for her own . I tell her I want to raise all my kids. I don't want them to separate. I want every kid with me no matter where I go ." 86 �87 �"When my son was three he got poison from lead paint and took a lot of medicine . I move to another apartment but now I patch up all the holes in the wall because I'm afraid for his sister." 88 �89 �"We all share the bathroom. There is no electricity - if we close the door we can't see. " 90 �91 �"I leave my first job at 2 p .m. and get home and pick up my son from school. I feed my son and daughter and when my wife gets home from work, I leave for my second job . Many times I work overtime on Saturdays . On Sundays we usually do the shopping. " 92 �93 �" I have lots of problems here - broken windows, the ceiling broken down, toilet and sink that don't work. Every time I have a problem I call the landlord but nobody ever come. I need a better place for her." 94 �95 �~1-'·a- Nj '"t>"la;, '1n Laos, the elderly spend their time in the yard . The yard is not grass but a large vegetable garden that provides food for the famil y. Now, she lives on the third floor of a tenement building. Below is a parking lot. She speaks no English, there is nowhere to go." nef /JA,U ca/ ~a:_ ck'-cd M-ue Vdoh.. d:ii c//.,c, 'fr'e<- c/40,. . ¾ J'?,- /!:a-~ ~ f-ih Jdj -t/l._,J' '3 0,,,i'aw~.eu') j-.w"ci ' Mt ~- ~ alfk ;c-e-. .3a rtwy ~~ ~- cf~~ ~~ Offd;/, JJ 1.- 96 -h~i ,1,,.1._ vd eo' c.A.o~ ),ac, ah.'- �97 ��99 �"Now that I'm a United States citizen I feel more confident living here . I feel different. Not only my appearance is different, I feel different inside. . . being one of the people in this big country." 100 �101 �The ethnic Vietnamese are believed to be mainly descendants of a Mongoloid race who spread southward through the Red River delta. The Chinese conquered the area in the second century, B.C., and ruled for a thousand years. After many revolts against China were attempted and failed during that long period of domination, the Vietnamese finally succeeded in regaining independence and founded the first national dynasty in 938 A.O. Subsequent invasions from the north were repelled, including the major one by the powerful Mongols in the late 13th century. In the 15th century, China tried again to re-establish its rule but was defeated by the Le dynasty after ten years of war. Vietnam's sovereignty ended with the advent of French colonization which was achieved in 1883 and lasted for about 60 years. In 1940, the Japanese entered Vietnam with the consent of the Vichy government. In March 1945, Japan overthrew the French authorities and granted independence to Vietnam under Emperor Bao Dai, the last ruler of the Nguyen dynasty. In August 1945, only a few days after Japan surrendered to the Allies, Bao Dai handed over the imperial seal to Ho Chi Minh, who declared independence that September. Negotiations with the French to implement this independence 102 failed, and the French-Indochina war began. It ended in 1954 at the battle of Dien Bien Phu, after eight years of enormous casualties. The 1954 Geneva Accord divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel, placing the North under Ho Chi Minh and the South under ex-Experor Bao Dai, now Chief of State, who later lost control to his prime minister, Ngo Dinh Diem, in a referendum. After a few years of relative peace, the early 1960's were marked by a steadily increasing penetration of South Vietnam by Vietnamese communist guerrillas known as the Viet Cong. Beginning in early 1965, the pace of the war accelerated sharply. From being largely supportive and advisory, the United States role increasingly became one of active combat, with U.S. troops engaging in operations designed to search out and destroy the guerrillas. During this period, the internal political situation in South Vietnam was in turmoil. After the coup d'etat in November 1963, during which President Ngo Dinh Diem was killed, rule was taken over by successive military regimes. Corruption was a constant problem, and the political unrest fueled Viet Cong efforts. Finally after persistent peace talks and negotiations, a Peace Agreement was signed in Paris on January 27, 1973. �The Peace Agreement was intended to bring about a ceasefire throughout the country, the beginning of negotiations between the two Vietnams toward a political settlement, and the withdrawal of foreign military forces. All U.S. forces were withdrawn within the stipulated 60-day period . While South Vietnam lost the vital support of the United States and had too little time to consolidate its own strength, North Vietnam continued a massive infiltration of troops and military supplies. As a result, the defense system in the South rapidly disintegrated, and Saigon finally fell into communist hands on April 30, 1975, causing a massive and chaotic evacuation of at least 130,000 people in only a few days. The pacification, the unification, and the enactment of economic and political policies by the victorious communist authorities in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos produced a continuous stream of refugees to the first asylum countries of Thailand, Malaysia, the Peoples Republic of China, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. By the end of January, 1986 nearly 1.7 million people had fled their homelands. Of these, 781,000 have been resettled in the United States, 728,000 in other countries, and over 154,000 are still languishing in refugee camps. As a result of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Policy some 1,000 Vietnamese refugees have resettled in the Lowell area. 103 Vietnamese �"Before my husband died he left a portrait of himself dressed in his traditional mandarin robe and seated in the ceremonial position. I am 88 years old now and must prepare to die. I have nothing to leave behind but this portrait of me properly seated so that after I am dead, it will be placed on the family altar, next to my husband's portrait for all my children to remember us." 104 �105 �"' [} '-u"r-i/.. '1 work on a TV station in Vietnam singing and dancing. My husband was a conductor in the army and write patriotic songs. When Saigon fell in 1975 he have to escape. One day I'm home cooking and I say 'Oh my God, my husband not come home.' We don't think we meet again, but three years later I receive a letter that he is safe in America . We make a plan for me to escape when my daughters are older. When I get to Thailand they take everything I have, my clothes . . . everything. Some girls they grab and rape. Thank God my daughters were only five and six. It's terrible in the camps. After five years we meet in America . Now we have two more kids. We live for our kids - they must grow up right." N{Av._ ~ /4;;.._ T'tUye--;; 1h;l,_ T!s-1--P..aJ. wr ?vvurf_. cll,C)~ f~- (a ,~ +wa~ h,ci~ Cf Mn cfa-,· ~ alt ~~ faf r;,Ju1,~ -uiJ i/,y_"c,_ c/lo .)),ii ---{Sj. lA, ~w -nM ~ r ,Ji/' t;,6L · &#u' .f'a,, Cfv"'°rf-.dJ- ,,~ vCCo CJ'\~ 171-s-; JJvJi ~- f1vt1 f0/. J;,-. tt,~/;z;~/ ~. '';~ dr·, c~ t21 -~ clUM!:J Vi.~rJ,..i; .'' t")!.;'-(c;- J".R.."- Co 1 -ta?, ,t:11.i>y 1,.,/ ;a.'f- 4 ~ ~ ~ (v:VfYL- 4..a.u_ -fci /1../Jiw cfu.<k ttu.J Cleo -8 1'..e'J- cu-..A ydvJ .&:e.i:4 c3'- cr..y ,di:7- Hy. lL;if -hY ---t..ea..d, d,·11..? c.~c'd ~ ~-'J, c.d-o -!Bi --10', cit· ~eu· fun_ --fw, [J-d.. ~- ,t(.,;:,:, c.w ~ , /4.o ,-{;,y -/.-, c.d [ C,I n L~ -;/-r,~- /-i:,; ~-!% .J-.1 t Mii1~ '!}- ' r !A...t£,Vj U.o . .. . ~ ---£.ii. 1h 1.c,' tt.,<f ?i 4,e'[; G¢ tl·c;j I J'.l -·- I~ I - !'' -fl,.£;, 4~ . )',,L ch 11.2-> :fA._;J:. co, lw clcr·• [p 1 t;- v1T C, -1-uo/". ·Pdi sc_i! o"' r l\w-' ff'ICV- -fa- 6' . Jlw< _r-~, ~~ -fct ~ /~ ~)- &,,; ~cl i,,•d- Uta~ u Hit,., ~ ~ ~-/m'· £,nj (./I-Core clu,,,~ #,, t{J)' , ~ h.l,'c;" Uuu~ JL.d ~ -1~~ ~ ~4." 106 \, _(~ UL,~ �107 �IN Khanhnguyen's brother and sister escaped from Vietnam by boat in 1979. Three years later, resettlement in the United States was arranged for Khanhnguyen and his parents. Khanhnguyen is now enrolled in the College of Music at the University of Lowell. Uv,· v-4.- UUI.~ d<J..,uJ, ~ ~ 3 A-Ao, //,£1 -N:vm h o '1,_, ~ ~~ ~ ~ ! f ft'l PCL. ~/rt Jeu,,._ :J:..A_cu,J, I ~ V£tciJ:l ?Yee 4USc.,Aff fef d 1 w -Jai. Mj' h4 //-,0? ~ ~ ,{ 7::;entC..eo ~ c ~ ~ c ~ ~ ~ Lo we!/ d ~ k d~ "When I first came to the University, I was very lonely and depressed . It wasn 't easy for me to make friends . The first time I was to perform before the school, I walked onto the stage and back off again. I failed because I was too nervous, I could not cope." A month later Khanhnguyen performed before the school with his own improvised work . He received three standing ovations. ;l-0; .-a.ec, ~ ~ Ail CB c/oJ,J -6-a~- C1,,;;;;,. fo; Vt,- +u},,;.__ /(l,,.,o 1 U-o-fo'; rltWJ ~ ({ ~ . ~ ~ h~ ~~ -1~ ~ , d~ a'- Tw.1:t~ ... -lvi .teJx_ /,_a_ ~ ~ ,,(~ rua . +ib'-" vao •/151 ~ !ITT ~J IN,~ c-fr,, ~ Jill'. " 108 ~ - �109 �Six days a week Dr. Tran drives from his home in Connecticut to his office in Lowell. He never knows how many patients will be waiting because appointments are not necessary. "It's like a walk-in clinic here - the people are used to it that way. Back home they don't make appointments because people don't have telephones. They like to keep it the same way here." 110 �111 �"I believe nobody should work for the first seven days of Tet because it will bring bad luck and hard life for the rest of the year. I must prepare all these special dishes in advance so that at New Year all this food will be offered to my Creator, to the souls of the family ancestors who are expected to visit us, and to all my children and grandchildren who must come to visit me and wish me a happy long life." 112 �113 �Vietnamese New Year (TET) '' All other activities come to a halt, every sorrow set aside before midnight of New Year's Eve. This is a time when some people shoot firecrackers to welcome the New Year and others quietly pray at pagodas and temples ." 114 �115 ��117 �International Beauty Salon " Asian hair is very straight and strong. The men love to have their hair permed - they can do more with it. They don ' t go to American shops because many cannot speak English . Besides Vietnamese, I speak Lao and a little Cambodian. They are so happy that I can speak their language . " 118 �119 �Job interviews in this country can sometimes be difficult for Asians. Their interviewing skills come from a culture less aggressive than our own. Phu's American friends helped prepare her to be interviewed for an engineering position. "After my interview at Digital, I think I better wait for this job . The people are friendly and always help each other. At work I'm very Americanized but I don't lose my tradition . Within the family I'm very Vietnamese." 120 �121 �John at home with fiancee. In July, 1979, John and his older brother escaped from Vietnam on a twenty foot fishing boat. Late at night, sixty-five men, women, and children met on the shore and swam one mile to the boat. The younger children were pushed on floats . Each person paid the boat owner one bar of gold . After seven days and nights in rough waters, without food , they landed in the Philippines . " After we buried one boy at sea who died from starvation, I wished that the boat would capsize so that I would die. . . then I wouldn't have to be so afraid ." t /.,<>l. 122 I 'I ~ /J - \. 0P--< - ·· ;,> �123 �"Look at him - see what a terrible life he' s had . He was a major in the Saigon Army . Look at him now ... I don' t believe this ." 124 �125 �Memorial Day Parade " These guys are our allies . We fought side by side with them. I said to myself - who' s more of a Vietnam Veteran than the Vietnamese?" 126 �127 �''When I was in the refugee camps I light a candle in a bowl and turn it upside down so the smoke go on the inside of the bowl. Then I use the black smoke on the brush to paint. I did this painting after I get to this country. It' s about the boat people from my country who would rather die on the sea than live under communistic atheism. " 128 �129 �The Catholic Church has been a source of friendship and support for the Southeast Asian refugees ... and sometimes vice versa . "I won' t need to look in the mirror to see if the cut' s a good one. If it's done out of love, it' s good ." 130 �131 ��JAMES HIGGINS and JOAN ROSS work as a photo/design team on documentary, editorial, and architectural projects. Their first book Lowell - A Contemporary View, has been distributed both regionally and nationally. They are currently working on a book documenting the cultural aspects of Ulster and the Republic of Ireland. They make their home, with three children, in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts. HAI B. PHO, Ph.D. , Project Humanities Scholar, is an associate professor of Political Science at the University of Lowell. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Indochinese Refugees Foundation and serves as a Co-chair on the Governor's Advisory Council for Refugee Resettlement. CAROL KEIRSTEAD, Project Coordinator, works as the curriculum coordinator for the Southeast Asian Bilingual Program in the Lowell Public Schools. Ms. Keirstead holds a Master's degree in Administration, Planning, and Policy and has worked as an advocate for Southeast Asian refugees in Lowell for over five years. ���.* .* /-.·~l< *:: *:_-·fi ·* *·:.'* ¼ ~ -* * * · * * * * * •=· ~ * * * ri~ -*} · * * * * * * * * * · * * * * · * * * ~ * · ** * * 1 r. r;* * :* * * * * * *.* * *"* * * * * * .* * * *~ ·/rJ * * * * * * * * * *,·-. * * * * * * * * * . * . ~ *! *-*·* * * * * * *·* * * * * * *·*-* * '.1* * :* * * * * * * * *''* * * * * * * * * *·* * * ~ ~ }* * * . * * ~ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ~ * ~ - * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * ' * ~ ti* *· ** ·•'1 * * * * * * * * * * * '* * * * * * * * * i* ,,,:* * * * * * * * * * * * *·* * * * * * * * * ., : * * * * * * * * */* * * * ** * * * * * * ~ * ,·;* * * * * * *.* * ·* * * * *·* * * * * * * * ~ ·~ * * * * * * * * * ~ * * * * * * * * * * * ~ * f:k * * * * ·* *- * * /k * * * * * * * * * * * ~ * ·i* * * * * * * * *7. * * ✓* * * * * * * *.* * ~ i. ;# . .' I , . . . . ' ;* * *-* * *' * * /* * * * *· * * * * * * * * ~ * l* ! */* * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * l * {* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *·1 ·} ·* * * * * *- -·* * * * * * *·* * * * * * * * * .;* * * * * * * * *- * * * * * * * * * * * * 1 : * ';* '* * '* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1 * ./***. * * * *.~ ** * * * * * *·* *. I; *** **********~ ~ "*********1 j* ·* * * * + ,t,. .* * + • + + .+ * * * * *'5B~9i46*..* , * 1''~* * * *"* ** * * * 1 1 ~ l LT~ RA* :,r-t.,._-~ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Higgins, James (Jim). Lowell Books Collection, 1983-1997 Description An account of the resource The James Higgins book collection includes 2 copies each of 3 books related to Lowell and the Lowell area Cambodian and larger Southeast Asian communities. <br /><br />The collection is completely accessible on this site. <br /><br />View the collection finding aid for more information, <a href="https://libguides.uml.edu/uml7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://libguides.uml.edu/uml7</a>.<br /><br />-------------------- <br />SEADA would like to thank the following individuals for their work in making this collection available online: Monita Chea, Julia Huynh, and Chornai Pech. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Higgins, James (Jim). Lowell Books Collection, 1983-1997. UML 7. Center for Lowell History, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA. Relation A related resource The collection finding aid, <a href="https://libguides.uml.edu/uml7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://libguides.uml.edu/uml7</a>. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Southeast Asians: A New Beginning in Lowell photobook, 1986 Subject The topic of the resource Refugees--Southeast Asia Cambodian Americans Laotian Americans Vietnamese Americans Black-and-white photography Description An account of the resource A photography book designed and created by James Higgins and Joan Ross with a foreword written by Dith Pran and and introduction by Hai B. Pho. "Southeast Asians: A New Beginning in Lowell" highlights some members of the Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese community in Lowell, Massachussetts. Some photographs are accompanied by text translated into English, Khmer, Lao and Vietnamese. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Higgins, James Ross, Joan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Higgins, James (Jim). Lowell Books Collection Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Mill Town Graphics Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource UMass Lowell Library makes this material available for private, educational, and research use. It is the responsibility of the user to secure any needed permissions from rightsholders, for uses such as commercial reproductions of copyrighted works. Contact host institution for more information. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 140p.; 10.5 x 10.5 Language A language of the resource English Khmer Lao Vietnamese Type The nature or genre of the resource text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context uml7_b01_f01_i001 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Lowell, Massachusetts 1980-1989 Books Cambodians Laotians Photobooks Refugee resettlement Vietnamese