First They Killed My Father_ A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers - Loung Ung [126]
“‘In America, we heard of Viet Cong Death Camps but rarely heard of Tuol Sleng Slaughter house.’”
“‘After shoveling snow for almost three years in Kansas, my folks moved to Los Angeles and eventually settled in Orange County.’”
It looks like I won’t be able to limit myself to one page. Interestingly enough, I’m also Cambodian of Chinese descent. I stayed in Lam Sing refugee Camp in Thailand for almost one year. We arrived in Wichita, Kansas in the bitter colder winter of 1978. After shoveling snow for almost three years in Kansas, my folks moved to Los Angeles and eventually settled in Orange County. I attended and graduated from CA. State Long Beach in the late eighties in engineering. Well, it’s going to take at least a few more pages to go over the journey after we left Cambodia and made our way to the west. I guess I have made my point for now.
At your leisure, please drop me a note or so.
Thanks for taking the time to read out of your busy schedule.
D.P.
California
March 12, 2000
Loung Ung,
Please accept this letter as a thank you note for a very inspirational book. I’m sure like many, it has touched my life deeply. Though reading it, I have found strength and peace within myself.
Let me start by introducing myself. My name is L.P. I was born in Cambodian on May 1st, 1975. About two weeks after the invasion of Phnom Penh. This I’ve learned from your book. My family, mom, dad, two younger sisters and I came to the U.S. in 1981 as refugee.
I was still a baby then but my parents have never speak of their past with me. The only memories I have is of my childhood here in the U.S. I guess now I can understand why they choose not to. But I believe my life would have taken a different course if I knew it then. For most part, I grew up wondering.
It was only through the conversation my parents had with friends of our past in Cambodia that I overheard bits and pieces, but not enough to understand. One day I overheard something I would remember for the rest of my life! That I had an older sister and she died of some type of illness. I’ve always wanted an older brother or sister and to find this out I felt a lost without quite understanding it all! I’ve always kept my feeling suppressed and somehow through that I grew up feeling lonely.
While reading your book I imagined my life as an infant; bombs dropping, bullets flying, and everything around me is struggling to survive. Me, I wasn’t aware of what was going on and around me cause I was still so little. Honestly, I don’t know whether I should feel lucky or guilty for having such an easy way out while everyone is suffering. From your book I was able to understand a lot of my and family’s past.
Maybe I should talk to my parents about it now that I am older. I know it was a horrible and terrifying time. They have been through enough and I have contributed to some of that because of my incarceration. It’s all the more reason for me not to see them sad again.
I am incarcerated now, also facing a possible deportation ’cause of my crime. I would loose much sleep worrying. I have never been back to visit, but if worst come to worse, I’m not sure if I should be afraid. I guess I am afraid. Being able to obtain your book is one of the best things that happened to me in here. My hear goes out to you and “Awh-koon” Loung Ung. It’s through your book that I am grateful to be alive today.
“‘I am incarcerated now, also facing a possible deportation ’cause of my crime. … Being able to obtain your book is one of the best things that happened to me in here.’”
“‘Unlike you, Bong srei, I’ve never got the chance to get to know my father and other brother whom my family and I lost in the hands of the Khmer Rouge.’”
If given a chance I would like to tell you a little about my life and why after reading your book I become renew! Once again, thanks!
L.P.
Chump reap sour, Bong Srei,
Greeting! First and foremost I hope and pray that you’re in good health and spirit at the time you’re reading this