Cambodians in New York

In the 1980s and 1990s, around 10,000 Khmer refugees escaping the Khmer Rouge arrived on the East Coast of the United States, in New York City. A majority settled in one main borough: the Bronx, with a majority residing in Bronx Park East, Fordham, and University Heights.

Whilst Cambodian communities managed to flourish in other parts of the country, such as in California, the Cambodian community in the Bronx struggled regarding their resettlement, as their population began to deteriorate throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Cambodian housing was often sponsored by agencies and Khmers were placed in run-down apartments and projects, where social separation and cultural isolation became prominent as a result of living in an enclosed, poverty-ridden community.

Refugees faced a low quality of life and a lack of education in their new American environment. Some faced gang-affiliated violence. Due to the lack of jobs, as well as trouble assimilating, many Cambodians left the Bronx and relocated to areas such as Lowell Massachusetts, Providence Rhode Island, and California, leading to a large decrease in the population. The 2005 American Community Survey recorded that 1,024 Cambodians out of the 3,364 in New York State were living in NYC. The cities with the highest Cambodian populations more recently greatly surpass the population in the Bronx. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 census recorded a population of 102,317 Cambodians in California. Massachusetts followed behind at 28,424 people, and Washington was third, with a population of 22,934 Khmer people.

Statistics

Poverty still is present in today’s Cambodian communities in the Bronx. The rates of public benefits such as food stamps being used in the Bronx are almost double the amount being utilized nationwide, according to NYU’s Cambodian CHNRA (Community Health Needs & Resource Assessment).

54% of Cambodians in the Bronx receive government health insurance, which is higher than the amount of health insurance provided to all New York City residents (34%).Cambodian Americans in general face significant struggles with education and poverty.

According to SEAARC, a vast majority of Cambodians living in the U.S. do not receive a higher education. Only 17% have achieved a bachelor's degree or higher, which is equivalent to half the amount of Cambodians who didn’t graduate high school.

Cambodians are the least likely Southeast Asian group to have a high school diploma. 14% of Asian Americans in general are recorded to lack a high school diploma. However, over a third of Cambodians (34%) do not have one, which is about double the amount of Black Americans and over triple the rate of White Americans that lack a high school diploma. The poverty rate for Cambodian Americans is about 20%, which is one of the highest rates out of all Asian American groups.

Cambodian Religion in the Bronx: Wat Jotanaram

For older members of the Khm diaspora, going to temples and showing dedication to religion is one of the most valued aspects of their culture. The rate of young adult Khmer American Buddhists is much lower than the amount of Khmer Buddhists present in older generations.

Wat Jotanaram is a temple and gathering place for Khmer Buddhists. Located in the Bronx, it attracts many Cambodians from around the surrounding areas of the city.

Cambodian refugees who had escaped the Khmer Rouge and relocated to the Bronx helped to raise thousands of dollars to purchase the property and turn it into a religious building where the community could practice Buddhism together.

Even as Wat Jotanaram primarily serves as a gathering place for older Cambodians and monks, young Cambodians can connect and learn about Khmer language and culture here by connecting with elders.

Cambodian American Youth

Even with the existence of Khmer religious institutions and festivals, younger generations of Cambodians go about connecting to their heritage and knowledge of their culture in various ways. In the U.S., finding Khmer community can be difficult. However, the California State University of Long Beach is home to multiple classes regarding Cambodia, such as a Khmer Language class and Cambodian American Experience class. Students at the university also have their own Cambodian Student Society where they can connect. The school also holds cultural graduation ceremonies for Cambodians. Long Beach California has a population of 486,000 people, with 4% of its residents being Cambodian, so CSULB serves a place where Khmer students can connect and learn with many other people of the same background. Information about Cambodia can still be hard to find in school curriculum. Other ways that young Cambodians learn about their culture is often through activism and summer internships for Asian Americans.