Som Phin: Preserving the Culture
| Preserving the Culture | |
|---|---|
| Collection | KQED Perspectives |
| Recording type | Radio or broadcast recording |
| Narrator | Som Phin |
| Recorded | 2026-09-16 |
| Language | English |
| Subjects | Migration & Diaspora; Family & Intergenerational Life; Religion & Spiritual Life |
"Preserving the Culture" is a first-person radio commentary by Cambodian-American author Som Phin, broadcast on KQED's Perspectives series on September 16, 2026. The piece traces the arc from childhood assimilation to an adult return to cultural identity, catalyzed by becoming a parent. (Source)
Description
Som Phin grew up Cambodian-American in Bakersfield, California. She spent years in ESL classes, was bullied for her food, her Buddhism, and her appearance, and her family of seven was on welfare and food stamps. After becoming a parent, she began asking whether her children would know Cambodian stories beyond the Khmer Rouge — whether they would know the mythology, food, dance, Buddhist traditions, and ordinary family memories that existed alongside survival. She realized that if she did not preserve those things, she could not assume someone else would.
The essay describes assimilation as a strange inversion: spending youth trying to distance oneself from where you come from, only to spend adulthood trying to find your way back. Som Phin wants her children to inherit belonging, and to know they never have to become less Cambodian to become more American.
Credits
- Narrator: Som Phin
- Publication: KQED Perspectives