Cambodian American Literary Arts Association

Cambodian American Literary Arts Association
Common name	CALAA
Type	Arts and culture
Focus areas	literary arts; poetry; storytelling; Khmer heritage
Subjects	Literature & Storytelling; Language & Literacy; Migration & Diaspora; History & Remembrance; Community & Civic Life
Audience	Youth; Adults; Families
City	Lowell
State / province	Massachusetts
Country	United States
Address	PO Box 9687, Lowell, MA 01853
Founded	2017
Organization identifiers	EIN (United States): 82-3511710
Website	Website
Donation	Donation
Contact	[email protected]
Languages	English; Khmer
Impact geography	Greater Lowell, Massachusetts and the wider Cambodian diaspora
Instagram	Instagram
LinkedIn	LinkedIn
Operating status	active

The Cambodian American Literary Arts Association (CALAA) is a nonprofit literary arts organization in Lowell, Massachusetts. Its name is pronounced /k’lah/, like the word for tiger in Khmer, and the organization describes its purpose as empowering voices in the Cambodian diaspora through the literary arts while serving as a resource for the preservation and enrichment of historical, social, spiritual and cultural values for Khmer communities worldwide. (CALAA: About and mission) CALAA publishes The Stilt House zine, runs writing workshops and readings, commissions new work from diaspora writers, and presents the Cambodian American Literary Arts Festival in Lowell. (CALAA home; CALAA: The Stilt House Zine; CALAA: Workshops and readings)

History

CALAA was founded by a group of Khmer writers and community organizers and held its first public program, a free intergenerational writing workshop series called “Where We Come From,” on July 29, 2017 at Middlesex Community College in Lowell, with breakout groups for children, adolescents and adults led by founders Peuo Tuy, Sokunthary Svay and Tararith Kho. The workshop was sponsored by Global Education at Middlesex Community College and co-sponsored by the Center for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. (CALAA: Where We Come From workshops; CALAA: Workshops and readings)

The organization lists nine co-founders: Tararith Kho, Peuo Tuy, Joan Chun, Ida Keovimean Borin, Sokreinith Ten, Bunrith E. Sath, Sokunthary Svay, Monica Sok and Moniphal Bing. Peuo Tuy, a spoken-word poet, was a founding member and served as executive director. (CALAA: Staff and founders; Wikipedia: Peuo Tuy)

CALAA received nonprofit status on January 10, 2018, with an effective date of exemption of November 28, 2017. It is registered as a 501(c)(3) organization with the Employer Identification Number 82-3511710 and is classified under arts, culture and humanities with an arts-education focus. (CALAA: News and events; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: CALAA filings)

Documented milestones and awards:

2017 — First public writing workshops in Lowell; effective date of federal tax exemption November 28 (CALAA: Where We Come From workshops; CALAA: News and events)
2018 — Nonprofit status received January 10; subgrant received October 14 through the Khmer Linguistics Access Program at the Center for Hope and Healing, funded by the Office for Victims of Crime; Lowell Cultural Council grant of $2,900 on December 21 for The Stilt House Zine Issue 02, Genealogy Stories (CALAA: News and events)
2019 — Lowell Sun coverage of the zine’s submissions call in February; workshops in New York and Lowell; Lowell Cultural Council grant of $2,720 in December for Issue 03, Food and Identity (CALAA: News and events; CALAA: Workshops and readings)
2020 — First official launch of The Stilt House Zine, held virtually on March 21 after the in-person launch at the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association was cancelled; Literary Arts Emergency Fund award of $5,000 on September 14; first annual newsletter, Ahn & Sorsé (Read & Write), in December (CALAA: Virtual launch of The Stilt House Zine; CALAA: News and events; CALAA: Ahn & Sorsé newsletter)
2021 — Lowell Cultural Council grant of $3,200 on February 8 for the Monsoon Montage and Zine Project; Greater Lowell Community Foundation grant of $13,000 on February 28 for a community dialogue and workshop series on racial equity and inclusion; four Khmer New Year poems commissioned from community writers (CALAA: News and events; Greater Lowell Community Foundation: grants lift up Cambodian voices; CALAA: Khmer New Year poems 2021)
2022 — Fall and winter writing program of virtual workshops; The Stilt House issue on food and culture in circulation and sold through Lowell booksellers (CALAA home; Khmer Post USA: Coffee Club at lala books)
2023 — Youth Writing Workshop Program funded by the Saab Family Foundation, including Poetry and Pizza at Roberto Clemente (Pailin) Park on October 22 (CALAA: Youth Writing Workshop Program)
2025 — Khmer Literary Arts Day held on March 21 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell South Campus (richardhowe.com: Khmer Literary Arts Day)
2026 — Cambodian American Literary Arts Festival scheduled for March 14 at Western Ave Studios in Lowell (CALAA home)

Leadership has passed among the founding circle and later volunteers. Lena Sarunn was introduced as executive director in 2020 and signed for the organization as program director in 2021; Sanary Phen served as president and has described the organization as born from a desire to highlight Cambodian writers, both emerging and established; and co-founder Joan Chun was identified as president in 2025. A federal filing for fiscal year 2025 lists Lena Sarunn as treasurer and Ellen Proeung as clerk, with Chris Miller, Laura Ly and Sovicheth Boun as directors. (CALAA: Virtual launch of The Stilt House Zine; City of Lowell: Clemente Park letter of support; Greater Lowell Community Foundation: grants lift up Cambodian voices; richardhowe.com: Khmer Literary Arts Day; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: CALAA filings)

Programs and services

CALAA’s core program is The Stilt House, a digital and print publication started to preserve storytelling in the traditional Khmer home. The organization explains that Khmer households in Cambodia are built on stilts, above the earth and protected from the elements, and treats the stilt house as a symbol of the survival of Khmer memory, history and stories. Each issue gathers short stories, poetry, photographs, visual art, music, audio recordings and recipes. (CALAA: The Stilt House Zine)

Workshops and readings are offered free or at low cost, in person in Lowell and online. Documented sessions include “Fun Stuff” workshops in April 2018 with Tararith Kho, Peuo Tuy, Mana Kheang and Nay Yen; “Herstories and Healing,” a Khmer culinary and literary workshop in New York in April 2019 with chef Chakriya Un and poet Sokunthary Svay; a genealogy storytelling workshop in May 2019; a Stilt House reading and open mic in July 2020; and a Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 virtual writing program with sessions on voice led by Sokunthary Svay, on reflection and rebirth led by Princess Moon, and on music, memory and identity led by Bradley DeMatteo. (CALAA: Workshops and readings; CALAA: Stilt House reading and open mic; CALAA home)

The Cambodian American Literary Arts Festival is the organization’s largest public event; the 2026 edition is scheduled for March 14, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Western Ave Studios in Lowell and is free and open to the public. A related Khmer Literary Arts Day was held on March 21, 2025 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell South Campus, organized with Dr. Christine Su of the UMass Lowell Department of History, and featured Bunkong Tuon leading a fiction workshop, Chanda Ouk Wolf on children’s literature, Chath pierSath on poetry and Sanary Phen on memoir. (CALAA home; CALAA: Cambodian American Literary Arts Festival 2026; richardhowe.com: Khmer Literary Arts Day)

Youth and community programming includes the Youth Writing Workshop Program funded by the Saab Family Foundation, which presented Poetry and Pizza at Roberto Clemente (Pailin) Park in Lowell on October 22, 2023, led by Joan Chun. (CALAA: Youth Writing Workshop Program)

In 2021 CALAA ran a community dialogue and workshop series on racial equity and inclusion supported by a $13,000 Greater Lowell Community Foundation grant. The series included six workshops led by Tararith Kho, Monica Sok, Sanary Phen, Sabrina Im, the 2Khmerican Sisters and Dr. Thy Phu, and a panel on racism, anti-Blackness and colorism in the Khmer community on October 23, 2021 with Silong Chhun, Vichtcha Kong, Princess Moon and Sokunthary Svay. A companion project published Khmer translations of racial-justice vocabulary with the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association and the Cambodian American Student Association at UMass Lowell. (CALAA: Community dialogue and workshop series; Greater Lowell Community Foundation: grants lift up Cambodian voices; CALAA: Black Lives Matter Khmer translations)

For Khmer New Year in April 2021 the organization commissioned four poems from community writers for partner events: “The Laughter of My People” by Princess Moon, “For My Khmer People on Khmer New Year” by Charlie Pheaktra, “New Year Musings” by Sanary Phen and “Revolution in Bloom” by Moleca Mich. (CALAA: News and events; CALAA: Khmer New Year poems 2021)

Reading promotion is a continuing service. CALAA maintains a Cambodian writers book list with the Lowell Book Company, publishes a “What Are You Reading” series in which community members explain their reading choices, and issued an Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month children’s book list in 2023. (CALAA: Cambodian writers book list; CALAA: What Are You Reading; CALAA: AANHPI Heritage Month children's book list)

Publications

Three issues of The Stilt House are documented on the organization’s site, each edited by Christine Su: Pheap Thon: Stories from the Khmer Diaspora as Issue 01, The Stilt House: Genealogy Stories (Krous’saa K’nyoum) as Issue 02, and The Stilt House: Food and Identity (Ahar Ning At Tak Sanh Nhan) as Issue 03. (CALAA: The Stilt House, Pheap Thon; CALAA: The Stilt House, Genealogy Stories; CALAA: The Stilt House, Food and Identity; CALAA: News and events)

CALAA also publishes an annual newsletter, Ahn & Sorsé (Read & Write), whose first issue appeared in December 2020. (CALAA: Ahn & Sorsé newsletter)

Community served

Emerging and established writers in the Cambodian diaspora, supported through growth, visibility and creative freedom (CALAA: About and mission)
Khmer families and residents of Greater Lowell, including intergenerational workshops for children, adolescents and adults (CALAA: Where We Come From workshops; CALAA: Youth Writing Workshop Program)
Multicultural communities reached through programs that encourage literary development, storytelling and intercultural, intergenerational communication (CALAA: About and mission)
Khmer survivors and descendants documenting family memory, genealogy and foodways in print (CALAA: The Stilt House, Genealogy Stories; CALAA: The Stilt House, Food and Identity)
Community healing and civic dialogue, described by the organization as encouraging storytelling through writing, poetry, arts and food (Khmer Post USA: Coffee Club at lala books)

Partnerships and support

University of Massachusetts Lowell — Center for Asian American Studies co-sponsored the first 2017 workshops; the Department of History hosted Khmer Literary Arts Day in 2025; the Cambodian Student Association at UMass Lowell partnered on Khmer New Year programming and Khmer translation work (CALAA: Where We Come From workshops; richardhowe.com: Khmer Literary Arts Day; CALAA: News and events; CALAA: Black Lives Matter Khmer translations)
Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell — Host of the 2018 Apsara in New York reading and the planned 2020 zine launch, and a listed supporter (CALAA: Apsara in New York reading; CALAA: Virtual launch of The Stilt House Zine; CALAA: Supporters and donors)
Center for Hope and Healing and Northeast Legal Aid — Khmer Linguistic Access Program partnership funded by a subgrant from the Office for Victims of Crime (CALAA: Supporters and donors; CALAA: News and events)
Lowell Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council — Repeated project grants for The Stilt House and the Monsoon Montage and Zine Project (CALAA: News and events; CALAA: Supporters and donors)
Greater Lowell Community Foundation — Racial equity and inclusion grant supporting six workshops and a community dialogue (Greater Lowell Community Foundation: grants lift up Cambodian voices; CALAA: News and events)
Literary Arts Emergency Fund — Emergency operating award in September 2020 (CALAA: News and events)
Saab Family Foundation — Funder of the Youth Writing Workshop Program (CALAA: Youth Writing Workshop Program)
Lowell Book Company and lala books — Booksellers carrying the CALAA reading list and The Stilt House (CALAA: Cambodian writers book list; CALAA: The Stilt House, Food and Identity; Khmer Post USA: Coffee Club at lala books)
Writing the Land, Clemente Park Committee and Lowell Community Health Center — Listed partners and supporters (CALAA: Supporters and donors)

Contact and participation

Website: http://www.calaalowell.org (CALAA home)
Email: [email protected] (CALAA: Get involved)
Mailing address: PO Box 9687, Lowell, MA 01853 (CALAA: Donate; City of Lowell: Clemente Park letter of support)
Instagram: @calaalowell (CALAA: Get involved; CALAA: Supporters and donors)
Volunteering: Committees cover social media, outreach and promotion, The Stilt House Zine, volunteer recruitment, fundraising and grant writing; a signed volunteer application and consent form is required, and board positions have been open for vice president and directors (CALAA: Get involved)
Membership: Open to all, with forms and questions handled by email (CALAA: Membership)
Giving: Donations are accepted online and by check payable to the organization (CALAA: Donate; CALAA home)

Sources