Introducing Lidi Chea of Providence
āI think that we should start examining the struggles and shortcomingsĀ of our culture and community,ā says Lidi Chea, of Providence, RhodeĀ Island. āWe can't prosper as a people if we continue to neglectĀ certain stories.ā Her list is formidable. It includes Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderĀ (PTSD), the dichotomy of gender roles,Ā inter-generationalĀ barriers, andĀ the ostracization of homosexual and transgender community members. SheĀ believes Khmerican can generate dialogue and understanding about theseĀ issues.
In fact, as a young girl who was a member of the 1.5 generation, bornĀ in Cambodia but raised in America, Chea had little connection to theĀ Cambodian American community, and little desire for any. It seemedĀ patriarchal and extremely conservative, and she mostly saw theĀ negative stereotypes, such as domestic violence, gang involvement, andĀ gambling/alcohol addiction. However, she grew to realize that these behaviors had to be understoodĀ as coping mechanisms for both past suffering under the Khmer RougeĀ regime and ongoing hardships in resettlement as immigrants. "Ultimately, we are just trying to rebuild our community and preserveĀ our traditions and customs in a foreign country with limited assetsĀ and capacity,ā Chea says. A photographer, Chea joins the Khmerican team hoping to convey theĀ emotions of those she portraysāeven changing the perception ofĀ Cambodian Americans. She would also like to learn as much as possibleĀ and build up the communication among our communities nationwide andĀ overseas. EC
