Khmer Voices

Apr 01 2025 14 ep. 49 mins 3

Khmer Voices Podcast artwork

Growing up in Canada, there was a lack of representation of stories that truly resonated with my experiences when it came to professionals. In this podcast, I aim to close this gap. We're celebrating and amplifying Khmer voices through conversations with Cambodian people dispersed around the world. We discuss their journey, successes, failures and their upbringing.

Society & Culture

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It's Never Too Late with Sopheaktra Heang

Apr 01 2025 59 mins

Sopheaktra Heang (aka Peter) is a Khmer Canadian who was born in a Thai refugee camp. He moved around a lot in his childhood and didn’t establish roots until he was an adult. Like many of us koun Khmer, his parents are survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide; this along with other emotionally and psychologically traumatic events in his childhood greatly affected him. He was in with

Representation in Children's Books with Chanda Ouk Wolf

Mar 18 2025 51 mins

Author of A Dozen Delicious Donuts: A Sweet Cambodian American Story, Chanda Ouk Wolf has loved reading for as long as she can remember, but growing up in the United States, she never came across stories that gave her a sense of who she is as a Cambodian American. Chanda grew up in Long Beach, California and later Lowell, Massachusetts, both home to the two largest Khmer communitie

Changing Careers at 37 with Cheata Nao from Cheata Cooks Cambodian

Mar 04 2025 61 mins

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Cheata Nao is a second generation Khmer Canadian who is pursuing a new career showcasing Cambodian cuisine. She has always been a good cook and loved hosting dinner parties since she was a teenager, but back then she was focused on learning how to master western dishes. It wasn’t until she moved away for university that she really missed her

Transforming Emotional Pain into Purpose with Heng Vay

Feb 18 2025 63 mins

Heng Vay is a second generation Khmer American who was born in Los Angeles, Calfornia, spent his early teenage years in Minnesota, and then moved to Texas where he currently resides with his wife and two children. At the age of 14, Heng’s parents arranged a marriage for him. And guess what? Over 20 years later, they’re still together! Heng and his wife owned and operated a donu

The "Lucky Princess" with Rothany Sar

Feb 04 2025 71 mins

Rothany Sar is a first generation Khmer American who arrived in the United States via an arranged marriage. The Cambodian community here often said to her she was “so lucky” and her life was like that of a princess. But she didn’t identify with either of those labels. Was she lucky? Why didn’t she accept being a “princess?” Rothany was born in a refugee camp in Thailand

Finding Community After Loneliness & Making an Impact with Mitchell Keo

Jan 21 2025 57 mins

Mitchell Keo is a second generation Khmer American born and raised in Houston, Texas. He grew up in a Mexican neighbourhood, and never felt a connection to a community growing up. He started exploring his Asian American identity while studying biology at University of Texas at Austin. Today, Mitchell works as a software engineer and credits his love for books and Sokha, owner of Ma

The Cambodian Can Collector with Keo Sar

Jan 07 2025 70 mins

Keo Sar is one of 6 children in his family. At a young age, his father who was the breadwinner got injured at work which resulted in him going on disability. To bridge the gap between disability cheques, he, his older brother, and their father would wake up early to dig in people's trash bins for cans before school started. Back then, recycling and garbage weren't separated! Kids a

Taking the Path Not Taught in School with Channy Salazar

Dec 10 2024 56 mins

Channy Salazar is a strong, resilient, and tenacious lady from Texas, USA. She was born in Cambodia in 1973 and remembers bits and pieces of her time before arriving and settling in the US. Her recollections (at the 4 minute mark and lasting about 1 minute) are traumatic. Life wasn't easy growing up, but she had the love and support of her parents and grandparents. They instilled i

The Only Asian in The Class with Sokha Mov

Nov 26 2024 58 mins

Sokha Mov shares her journey from being born in a refugee camp in Thailand to growing up in France where she was the only Asian in her class, navigating cultural identity, and pursuing a career in law and public service. She discusses her transition to Cambodia, the challenges of adapting to life there even though she’s koun Khmer and she speaks the language with good fluency. Sh

From Stay-at-Home Mom to Technical Lead Delivering IT Projects

Nov 12 2024 29 mins

Dimary (aka Mary) Leak didn't know how to speak English when she started kindergarten. A non-satisfactory test score in grade 1 ignited her desire to perform well academically, which she did all through primary and secondary school. When it came time to decide on a career however, she didn't have a clear direction or vision, and life went on. In this episode, we talk about Mary's p