Christina Long interview
Item
Title
Christina Long interview
Creator
Long, Christina
Banh, Jenny
Relation
Central Valley Southeast Asian Successful Voices
Coverage
Fresno, California
Date
7/6/2017
Rights
Copyright has been transferred to Fresno State
Identifier
SCMS_casv_00038
extracted text
>> Okay.
>> Hello, welcome, if you could, you can say your name if you like, it's optional. Please spell your name, give me the
date and please give me verbal permission to interview you.
>> Okay, today it's July 6, 2017 and I give verbal permission to be interviewed today and my name is Christina Long
and C - h - r - i - s - t - i - n - a - L - o - n - g.
>> Great! Okay. All right, what is your gender?
>> Female.
>> Okay. What is your birth year?
>> I was born in 1986.
>> What is your ethnic group?
>> Cambodian American.
>> Where were you born?
>> I was born in Stockton, California.
>> What was your undergraduate major?
>> I got my social work in 2008.
>> Oh, what is your generation in the United States?
>> I'm considered second generation.
>> What is your mother and father's highest education?
>> I think it was part incomplete, they didn't get their degree or anything.
>> What was your family composition like brothers, sisters?
>> Like how many?
>> Mm-hm.
>> Including myself there's seven, so there's six girls and one boy.
>> Wow. Okay. What is your GPA if you remember?
>> Well, I just recently graduated, so I got a 4.0 all the way for two years.
>> Excellent. Okay. What is your ultimate degree aspiration?
>> Well, currently I just graduated, so I got my Master's in social work.
>> Congratulations.
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>> Thank you, this year May, 2017, so maybe, hopefully I can get my licensing in the near future once I feel more
confident.
>> Awesome. Okay. What, growing up in your, your social economic background, was it working class, middle class,
affluent which means wealthy or what would you say your background was?
>> Like for my family?
>> Uh-huh.
>> I, may like low working class.
>> Okay. Was your high school public or private?
>> It was public.
>> Public? Okay. What was your racial and what high school did you go to?
>> I went to Fresno High School.
>> And what was your racial demographics for high school?
>> Like, like the group of people there?
>> I mean what was it mostly Latino, Hispanic, was it African American?
>> Yeah, it was like mostly Hispanic. There was African American, there was some group of Asian. I mean.
>> Was it small or large?
>> Pretty small, I mean, I think throughout my life I was just, I was surrounded with just my family that were
Cambodian from like elementary school, middle school. In high school you start to meet like maybe five more and then
we kind of all like hang out.
>> Okay, hopefully you found some more at Fresno State. Do many Cambodians go to college? Why or why not.
>> I think they do when they first graduate from high school, they do go to college in either BA. It's encouraged by the
family. At least from my family, all I hear is oh go to school, go to school, but they don't really know the family doesn't
know behind it. The parents don't know behind what it takes to do well in school.
>> Okay.
>> The ones who don't go to college, why don't they go to college?
>> They, if they don't go to college, if you know either because they are from a, like a maybe more rural background
where they don't have resources or environment. There's more influence by gang activities, alcohol and gambling.
Because I mean growing up I saw my mom like gambling a lot or drinking and you know, bad things I didn't like, so I
kind of wanted to do the opposite for myself.
>> Okay, great. Let's see. Do Cambodian students have strong relationships with administrators and faculty? Why or
why not?
>> It depends on the individual. If you reach out, you're in, I know when I went to school for my graduate study, I you
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know, reach out to the graduate writing center and I talked to my professor, I emailed him saying you know, it's been a
while since I've been back to school for my Master's, you know. I'm a single mom and I need all the resources I need.
So, I made myself available to talk to my professor, just to reach out to anyone that could help me. It just really depends
on the individual. I encourage you know, like friends or even my siblings like, hey if you need help go take the extra
step to talk and build relationships with your administrator or faculty.
>> Okay.
>> It's kind of like, it just depends on.
>> The individual, okay.
>> The individual.
>> What makes a good professor and what makes a bad professor to pass a class? Like what makes, what do you
consider a good professor, what do you consider a bad professor?
>> If they don't understand where you're coming from and you have to meet your students in the middle, like hey like,
we need to sit down with, the student would like to sit down with their professor. But most time we do a lot of emailing,
but if you can make the face to face interaction, that will be really meaningful. And [inaudible] they don't have good
English or writing skills, because they didn't have the tools and maybe in high school. I think in high school I did like, I
didn't have any tutors. I kind of just like went with the flow, but I wish I had a tutor in high school so I wouldn't be
struggling in my undergraduate even with my Master's so.
>> What makes a bad professor? It doesn't, doesn't it meet you in the middle?
>> It didn't, well you know if they don't, I know when I went to undergraduate study, I think the first week when the
professor like slap, not you know well he, he said this is the worst paper you guys have ever wrote, written like he told
the entire class. And that made us feel really bad you know. And he asked for those students who needs help go to
tutoring or go to me, talk to me. So you don't, you felt like he was directly like talking to you or someone personally but
then that kind of scared me to do well, so I actually talked to him and he said okay well and he was more understanding
that way.
>> Okay.
>> Just understanding like that there's different culture background, something Cambodian people or Southeast Asian,
we're quiet, we don't really like to raise our hands or ask questions and just sit there. He's always saying we like ask
questions when anyone leaves.
>> Right. Good point, good point, so not ask questions. That's a very important point. Have you ever been mentored?
>> Have I ever been mentored?
>> Someone giving you advice.
>> You know, when I went to, I've been mentored since 2013, so I've, so she's also Asian, she's Chinese and she lives in
L.A. as well.
>> Okay.
>> I wonder if you know her, but she was a faculty at Fresno State. And I found her email like a long time ago, so I
reached out to her like hey I'm applying for this program can you please be my reference. We kept intact for like, she's
been like, she was a faculty for me in my undergraduate study.
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>> What's, is it Asian American studies?
>> No, she was social work.
>> Oh, okay, social work.
>> Yes.
>> I don't know the social worker people. Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> Is she still at Fresno State or is she gone?
>> She's gone, she's in L.A. but I still keep in [inaudible], keep in touch with her. We communicate, like at you know,
like family or what's going on.
>> Great. Okay. Awesome.
>> Yeah, she's my, she's my [inaudible].
>> Okay. What were your teacher expectations of you, were they neutral, low or high. I'm talking about high school and
undergrad.
>> Undergrad and high school. I think they were pretty neutral. I mean I remember one high school professor, he was
history major and he said, Christina I expected more from you. And that really sucked for me, like so I felt like you
know, in high school, there was a lot of students that didn't care about education and they were distracting me. And I
didn't feel like I learned the best but I, I kind of put my head down and just did my best. I remember him telling me that
so it kind of stuck through with me in undergraduate. I don't know, it was undergraduate study, not really. No.
>> Okay. Important. Did you take any Asian American classes at all?
>> I did. I did, you know, your under, it was required so, Asian American, just one or two.
>> Was it Dr. Amy or do you know a girl or a boy?
>> Male, he was older maybe, he was tall and bald.
>> Franklin [inaudible] or I don't know.
>> It's been a while.
>> Oh okay. What are, how did teachers in your high school treat your co-ethnic groups. I mean you said there was only
five Cambodians, but how did they treat them?
>> How did they treat them?
>> Yeah. Did they have high expectations, was it medium or neutral. I think there was a Lao counselor in high school,
so she also inspired me too. I mean like wow like I want to be a counselor someday. I want to be a Cambodian
counselor to reach out to other students. So I always kept it in mind like how did she do it you know, like you know. I
don't think she was born here but you know, she, she got her way, she was able to become a counselor. That was kind of
inspiring.
>> Interesting.
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>> And the teachers, I think, there was a Cambodian club there but like and a Lao club but I don't think it made it far.
>> It didn't make a difference?
>> It didn't make, it didn't make, I think the Lao counselor tried to help out but it's really for the students and maybe
they need more direction, more purpose, more structure.
>> More structure okay.
>> So, I don't know, I think some of the teachers kind of, they kind of just, were just invisible.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> In start of visibility, did you have any notable media depictions of your ethnic group?
>> Like what do you mean by?
>> Any movies about Cambodians that you saw as a kid, documentaries, anything in the media?
>> Cambodians?
>> Yeah or Cambodian Americans?
>> Cambodian Americans, I don't know, probably not.
>> Okay, a lot of people say nothing for that answer. Did you feel like your high school prepared you enough for
college?
>> No.
>> Tell me why and how. How can we change that?
>> Again, I think there should be more of a reach out for Southeast Asian. Try to get everyone all together.
>> Okay.
>> I mean I know the Hmong club, they were there. They had Asian Americans but it was mostly Hmong. Maybe it's
better when you have your own individual group.
>> Okay.
>> To focus on Cambodians, Lao, Vietnamese.
>> Okay. Great.
>> And just have you know, what to have, you want to connect with someone. I felt like I connected with the Lao
counselor even though she wasn't Cambodian, like oh she's similar to my background so she inspired me and.
>> Anything else, what else did you feel like you weren't prepared for then? Any English classes, math classes.
>> Currently you know, I think English. I'm always struggling. Like I'm still like you know, reading on my own time to
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better my grammar, my writing, speaking and this you know, being able to reach out to the Cambodian students.
>> When you came to Fresno State as an undergrad, did you go to the bridge, there was a bridge program. Did you do
that for a program or?
>> No, I didn't. I didn't but my sister did. I didn't know about it.
>> Oh, because you didn't know about it.
>> My sister, she actually told me she didn't know about it. The Hmong, her Hmong friends told her about it.
>> Oh, okay, wow, that's important to know. How did your sister, just told from the Hmong friends?
>> Yeah, because most of our friends, group of friends are mostly Hmong, so they talk about it, they hear it.
>> Oh, okay.
>> So, they hear it, they tell my sister, they're younger than me so.
>> Okay.
>> I didn't know, I didn't know about the bridge for myself.
>> And you, she did it?
>> Yeah, actually two, both of them did it.
>> Oh, great, did they say it was a good thing or?
>> Yeah, it was a good thing. I think they did like the dorms right? Is that the dorms?
>> Right, right, right, yeah. A whole month, okay. Well, good to know, okay. Were there any, so well actually first
there's then, now doing the second, third of the interview. Were there any barriers to your higher education success?
Thinking back, were there any struggles. I mean did you have to work outside the school for instance?
>> Yeah, I mean in my undergrad study, I've always been a working person going to school whether it's during the
weekend, throughout the week. And I think most of my classes were in the day time, maybe one night class. And
sometime, one time I wanted to quit school because, in 2006 my parents separated, there was a recession, we lost our
home.
>> So, in terms of, those are huge barriers. Did you have to actually take care of maybe your mom or your dad? I mean
you talked about your mom and dad, but did you have to take care of children or your grandparents at all.
>> I'm the second one out of the group of seven and.
>> Did anyone go ahead of you, go to college or are you the first one to go to college?
>> Yeah, no my sister did. Maybe later in life she went to get her medical assistance but I was the first one to get my
Bachelor in 2008. The first one to get my Master's, so I had to break you know.
>> Impressive.
>> I mean, family's everything and I'm glad I didn't quit school because I saw my family struggling but I kept going.
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>> So I think you, you're kind of the first one actually, that's the hardest one to actually. So, I'm glad I, thank you so
much for the interview because I think it's easier for the second sibling because the other people I've interviewed have
been the second and third sibling, so they all say the same thing, my older sister went first.
>> Oh yeah.
>> So we're kind of psychologically opened okay.
>> I don't know, my oldest sister, like we don't have a great relationship. I don't know if she, there's a maybe, she
always felt like everything was given to me, but I worked hard, we all struggled.
>> How come she didn't go to college?
>> She just went straight to, she went to City College. I think, you know when they went to Fresno City College there
was a lot more socializing and they lose focus while they're there.
>> Okay.
>> And I went straight to university and I've just been very hungered for education.
>> How come you went straight and didn't go city?
>> I didn't think, I still tell my friends or you know, I feel like city, they don't really prepare, I don't know, I don't think
they really prepare the student to do well. And maybe they lack motive, the students lack motivation because they're
there for more peer activity and they don't know what to major in, so they hang out more than they're more focused.
>> Well, do your sisters, did they go to City or did they go straight?
>> My older sister went to City and let's see, everyone else except for my third sister, she didn't go to college. But the
fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, all went to college.
>> Wow, okay.
>> So, little baby sister, she just graduated from UC Santa Cruz.
>> Oh my gosh, that's!
>> And my other sister, who's the fourth, fifth, she graduated in UC, oh gosh, there's so many, UC.
>> Riverside, L.A., San Diego?
>> Davis.
>> Davis, okay. So, do they ever thank you because you're the first one?
>> I don't know, you know.
>> Maybe they'll never know.
>> Maybe they'll never know.
>> And you're the first one that opened those.
>> And they tell me now, oh you know, they see me, oh I'm missing a mom, you work part-time, you go interning a
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school like.
>> 4.0
>> It's hard for them to do well too.
>> Right, right, so, yeah, you'll never get the credit but thank you so much for doing the interview. So, do you ever, do
you feel that there's any cultural barriers, such as for example, do Cambodian women, are they expected to go to
college, are they, for instance, my example, I interviewed some Cambodian women in L.A. and they said that they were
not expected to go to college, because they were told just own, marry a owner. Because if have a couple of interviews
where Cambodian women were like and it was that [inaudible] and they were saying, a parent said, you don't have to
finish, you could just marry a Cambodian. Did that ever happen to you or?
>> Actually, you know, they said oh, my family were predominantly women and you can't really depend on men. We're
strong willed. I mean the men they don't stay around or they're just not stable. I didn't have, I have one uncle that's a
truck driver, he still provides for his family, so he's the only male figure for my life. Let's see, and cultural.
>> Was it expected to go to college in your family specifically, like Cambodian culture. I mean they tell me like oh go
to school, get your education but at the same time when my family was struggling, they kind of told me well oh, they
wanted me to like help the family if I married someone from Cambodia. Like, I remember when I was like 18 or 19
years old because we were struggling. If you marry him, it'll help out the family you know, you get $30,000. Only that's
nothing and I just, I'm glad I didn't do it, because something like, even though they strive for education, but they want
you to help the family by either marrying someone that can provide for the family or someone that's rich.
>> Do you think your life would be different if you were male?
>> If I was a male?
>> Mm-hm. Sort of like, would they push you out of college to provide for the family more. I mean is it good to be
female and a Cambodian woman. I mean bad, does it matter for college?
>> I think, it doesn't matter but it just depends on the person. I know, I mean I know a few people that are male, they
graduated.
>> Oh wow, okay.
>> Either in graphic design or IT, accounting, just into computer stuff and that's all they go for.
>> In your family, were they because that's overwhelmingly positive statically rare that your entire family went to
college. How about your cousins, did they go to college?
>> Yeah, they actually do. So, you know, my, on my mom's side, everybody went to college, at least most of them went
to college.
>> Wow. Okay.
>> And like my aunt, [inaudible] she has three kids so, you know, they, one of them graduate from UC Merced in
something, I think a cognitive something.
>> Okay.
>> It was a couple or a few years ago. And the other one, she's in UC Berkeley.
>> Wow.
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>> And she wants to do studies in medicine. And then my other cousin, he's also in UC Berkeley as well.
>> Wow, okay.
>> Her, the mom, she's a medical assistant. She has, she's been working for 20 years with it and her husband's a truck
driver. So, they provide stability and structure for the, they push their kids to be more you know, to be more successful.
And then you have my parents who are not working, they're all on disability benefits and but then, I know my family,
like my siblings and I, we know our parents can't provide, so we try to look out for like resources in the community.
>> Are there any resources in the community?
>> If you hear about it. I know for me to get through my Master's profile I applied for a stipend, so they paid for my
education and they give me money to spend.
>> They pay for your entire education?
>> Yes, but I have to work for the county for two years to get, you know to pay back the loan. And also, I applied a
scholarship is called Essential Asian Woman Pacific [inaudible] scholarship.
>> Wait a minute I've heard about that.
>> So, I went to one of like our actually the first year my professor was like oh we're going to go to a student success
conference at [inaudible] Union. Did you hear about that?
>> No. Okay. Go on.
>> So, I saw one of my mentors, actually oh yeah she's another mentor there, she's like an EOP. I was connected to
EOP.
>> What is an EOP?
>> It helps like EOP, Education Opportunity, EOP, I think they help like first time college students with anything. Like
they provide like counseling or any, they encourage you to attend, like back in my undergraduate they, different
seminars and workshops like how to manage and balance, dress, you know, whatever it is. So, there's an Asian like a
staff. I think she's a pastor now. Her name is [inaudible]. I'm like hey, it's me Christina, I saw you a long time ago
during undergraduate. I said hi today, I'm back in school for my Master's and then she said, and then I met Ms. Gina,
she's a history teacher.
>> Gina Gong?
>> Gina Gong. Oh yeah, uh-huh, they told me about the Asian American scholarship. It's really rare that any, you can
all like get it, you can get it. Because they're looking for you know, Asian Americans [inaudible] school, you know,
being successful, so you can apply for scholarship. So, I actually applied and I got accepted. It was like last year.
>> Wait a minute. Did you go to some awards ceremony? Was that you?
>> Yeah, that was me!
>> I was clapping in the audience! Oh my god, that's so impressive! Oh my god. Right, I actually recorded that.
>> That's good. That was awesome. I was like wow, you know, like you know if you reach out, there's people out there
to help you and you never know who wants to help out. Like I needed, I needed, I needed support.
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>> That's very impressive. You are like a, a big uniform. My god that's wonderful.
>> In my graduate study, I'm like man I'm the only Cambodian student here. And there's maybe like six, seven, eight
Hmongs in the graduate study but I, you know.
>> If you went to [inaudible] Long Beach, it might be much bigger.
>> Probably.
>> And East Riverside, there's a bigger Cambodian community.
>> I actually tried for more higher education, like the numbers are small for Southeast Asian. At UC [inaudible] oh
yeah, like when I went to graduate or undergraduate there was like I saw more Cambodian people. And I was in a club
at Fresno State.
>> Oh you were in a Cambodian club?
>> Yeah, it's called the CCA.
>> CCA, okay.
>> The Cambodian Collegiate Association.
>> Okay.
>> They might change their name.
>> Okay.
>> But back then there was a lot of us and we were really involved doing outreach, we did outreach to middle school.
We talked to the students.
>> Middle school, okay.
>> And we did, I mean it was just a vol, the community volunteered, just helping cleaning. And we met with other
students throughout California, so it's called the KUG.
>> What's KUG?
[ Inaudible ]
>> Ooh.
>> If I could recall right. But we met, I remember the first day we went to Long Beach and we met with other like
university. You'd see different college throughout California to come together. So we, you know, we just interact to like
you know go network through, among each other.
>> That's wonderful.
>> And to encourage us. And that was back then. And I know I met another student that, he's trying to, I think he reround the club, the Cambodian club, but there's not many students.
>> Right, right.
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>> And I was so busy with graduate studies. I was like, you know what, we need to do an outreach you know.
>> Yeah, I'm actually, I'm not the main advisor, but they asked me to advise them, to be a co-advisor, so the main
advisor is this Anglo man.
>> Is it for Asian or Cambodian?
>> It's Cambodian and also Filipino, but I'm the second advisor to everyone but that's, this is really great. I would love
to do this.
>> Yeah definitely, I have so much ideas. I want to reach out. I know I was busy with graduate study and I was working
I didn't have no time. And I'm barely getting back on my feet. This is my third week working for the county.
>> Wow, great.
[ Inaudible ]
>> All right, that's impressive. Wow, yeah, later on if you want to do this and be a guest speaker for the club that would
be great.
>> Definitely.
>> Inspire them to graduate. Okay, great. What about structural. Well, you talked about you got that, that's a very
impressive, the whole community acknowledged that you're the number one.
>> Like my parents were unable to financially support me. I never asked my parents for money, like I find ways to
support myself, whether it's working, reaching out to service. You know, I'm a single mom and then like I'm on public
assistance so that helped me. So, I kind of used assistance to help me to like, this is just temporarily a transition like I
don't need anyone to help. My daughter actually got accepted to the daycare for Fresno State, that really helped.
>> Okay.
>> So, the community providing a support. I reach out everywhere. I went to like different like daycares to apply. I
haven't heard from Family First [inaudible] whatever it is. I heard from Fresno State, so I was really grateful for that.
And my, I think my aunt she'll help me with my daughter when I had my class homework or gotten in from my
internship [inaudible]. So she'll pick her up and watch her until I get home at 10:00 at night. And I'll come home late
and do my homework until 2:00 in the morning and I wake up at like 6.
>> Wow, okay.
>> So.
>> Impressive. So, actually going back to the Central Valley, what does it mean to you that the entire Asian community
recognize that you're the, kind of the number one student. How does that make you feel, because I mean that's
impressive.
[ Multiple Speakers ]
>> It was mostly Hmong students, Hmong community, but actually put it on my [inaudible] to encourage other people
for the Cambodian community like you know what I'm a single mom and I got accepted for this scholarship award and
just give me speech. We all have our stories. You know, it's how hungry you are, what's your motivation? What's your
vision? And I hope to inspire other people to try for higher education.
>> Didn't it mean something also because you got a fellowship at Fresno? Does it make any difference that's it's from an
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Asian organization? Did they recognize that you are?
>> Oh yeah definitely. I was like, I was really surprised that they chose me andasked me to speak. I was like really
scared that they asked me to speak, like what do I say?
>> It was really impressive. I was in the audience with my family like oh.
>> I think I said, the impossible was possible you know.
>> Yeah. Oh great! Okay, so did you, so any other barriers, did you feel such as, such as, kind of like, like you talked
about economic, gender, cultural, general, any other things that you felt. For example, what makes Fresno State a chilly
environment? What makes it a warm environment to you?
[ Inaudible ]
>> Like a chilly or warm environment. So like what, what at Fresno makes you cold?
>> Like a welcoming university?
>> There is a lot of research towards African Americans that say that the college institution is a very chilly environment
towards them and so.
>> The university?
>> Yeah, so because of that, they don't feel, they don't feel warm. For example, is African Americans are followed on
campus. And so, if you're followed on campus you don't feel like you're warm because and that's a very common among
the entire nation. So, what makes Fresno a warm environment and what makes it chilly environment to you too.
>> Like my personal experience?
>> What does it matter?
>> You know, I guess to me it's warm. It was warm to be connected to other classmates. But you're kind of just connect
to your department, but you want to be connected as a whole other, other clubs. I kind of connected myself to
Cambodian clubs. I'm still connected because there's somebody there like me and like oh I can relate or I hope we can
help each other through life, through education. So, I think ethnic groups helps, seeing a professor that's you know
Asian, whether, I mean they're not Cambodian obviously, but they're Chinese or Lao. So, that was exciting to have some
similar faces to you. And to prove chilly, I'm not really sure. I don't think I've ever felt like that.
>> And is there anything that I didn't ask you that hampered your graduation success. I mean. Was there any other
barrier that I didn't ask you about, cultural, structural, health, gender?
>> I think there's always barriers, just how you respond to it. And if you feel like there's always resources to help you.
And you know, if you talk to your family they can help you. There were some family members that weren't supportive
of my education so I don't really say much. I mean, I feel like I'm, I feel like I'm more connected to my peers, to, they
understand where I'm coming from. Then I have older cousins, even my sister who I felt like they weren't really
supportive of my education. So I mean you do this for your family but the more you achieve, the more they want to do
better than you. Like no, I want to help everyone to succeed.
>> A common thing in the research that once you get a degree it's like some separation.
>> From the family?
>> How have you mentored your little sisters to go to college, like what have you told them?
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>> Well, you know what? They, when I was in my undergraduate, I always made sure like I took them with me to
school. They sat with me. So, they sat with me, my cousins. I felt like I want to give them some exposure to college life.
You know, when I was going through my Master's, my sister was like can I go and sit with you? I'm like no, this is my
graduate life, like I don't think, she already got her Bachelor's already. So, I think before they went to high, college, I put
them under my wing and had them like, kind of shadow me.
>> Did you tell them they had to go to college?
>> Probably, I thought I did you know.
>> And were they in the audience when you got your big award?
>> Oh you know, my siblings are everywhere. Yeah. No, my family wasn't there.
>> Oh okay.
>> I think it was financially they couldn't make it.
>> But it was impressive and [inaudible]. So, this is the last part of the interview. I'm going to ask you about personal
enablers. So you are a very rare person, because you're the first generation right in terms of going to college for your
family. But also in your lineage, like your, why is your personality, like what, why did you make it when so many like
over 80% did not make it? Why you? Like what is it about your personality that made you keep going?
>> I think I'm always optimistic and motivated and very hungry. You know, at the end of the day it's only me like who's
going to take care of myself and I went with a hungry, like a hungry state of mind. Like you know, I've got to do,
especially when you have a daughter. She's 3 1/2, she'll be 4, so my goal was to get my Master's before 5. When I was
pregnant, I wrote in a journal, like my goal is to get my Master's before she turns 5.
>> Wow, okay.
>> She got into the program when she was 2.
>> Okay.
>> So she's 3 now.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah, so this.
>> I mean, is there something like, were you like this in elementary?
>> You know, like.
>> Because you had a lot of barriers.
>> I had a lot of barriers. I mean I saw things or witnessed things like you know, there was domestic violence, there was
drinking, gambling. And I saw my mom come home drunk and I didn't like that. So, I think I told myself, I think in first
grade or really young I wanted to just be opposite of my mom and strive for education. I think [inaudible] I talked to my
siblings. They used education as a way to escape from home.
>> Oh interesting, interesting. Okay.
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>> And I think I don't blame my parents. I mean they did what they knew how at the moment. And especially what they
had gone through like, like the killing fields.
>> Right, right.
>> Personal experience.
>> The refugee issues.
>> The refugees, so they weren't really as affectionate. My dad was really nice and calm. My mom was kind of more the
discipliner. So they knew what they knew back then. No, this is not okay for you to put fear or intimidation on your kids
to do well. Oh, they probably believed by hitting us and to discipline us we would do well, but it kind of instilled fear
and we don't want to be at home.
>> Good point, good point.
>> So, that's kind of a family enabler. That was the next question.
>> It was a lot of chaos growing up. And I kept like, I don't know how I did it. I kept like, I graduated high school,
graduating within four years at the university. And it took me seven years to come back for my Master's.
>> You may consider writing a book because its, your story's very unique but also inspiring. So, you may on the side if
you ever have time. It might help a lot of people.
>> Yeah, in my family they may not speak much, but I found with their actions if they work really hard I mean they
provided me a roof. My mom, even when she wasn't that great but she made sure there was food on the table. So, I was
very grateful there was food on the table. She took me to school. She actually like tested us on our multiple skills, like
math skills, sewing skills. So, she did what she knew how.
>> Right.
>> So.
>> Impressive. Now we go to like the positive stuff. Cultural, like I asked you about the bridges right, educational,
financial. You talked about you were selected as the number one Central Valley woman which is very impressive
community kind of support and acknowledgement that you're the number one. And you talked about how you got
financial aid and you had that thing. Were there any other like things like, things that why you're successful. Is there any
like gender, health, structural, financial, educational. I mean you told me already a lot. Anything else you want to
mention?
>> Yeah, I think also spiritually, I mean I went to church so that really helped me to get through when I'm like
struggling emotionally.
>> Okay.
>> So, it's so busy like Monday through Friday, I find time for you know, God. On Sunday I'll go to church with my
daughter.
>> Is this Buddhism?
>> No, actually Christian.
>> Oh, oh my goodness. Okay. Oh interesting.
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>> My maternal, my mom's side, they're more Buddhism and then my dad's side they're Christian.
>> Oh.
>> I have both worlds. But I still go to like the temples, the ceremonies so I can know it for my own self.
[ Inaudible ]
>> Okay.
>> So, I still go out of respect for family.
>> What does Christianity give you?
>> And you were raised as a Christian?
>> Yes, I was raised when I was young. Again, on my dad's side, his mom like you know, she, she told me like, she
prayed to God like she wanted to learn how to read in Cambodian. And she was really hungry and [inaudible]. I don't
know how she learned how to read but over time she knew how to read. She said God gave her that gift.
>> Wow. Okay so, that's very impressive for that generation.
>> Yeah.
>> To read English?
>> Well no, in Cambodian.
>> Wow.
>> You know, I'm like grandma how did even know. She's always been self-sufficient like as a young girl so. She you
know, she cut hair, she sewed her own clothes, that's what she got by to survive. She comes here, gives me her story. I
said, oh grandma you've been through a lot.
>> Does that inspire you at all knowing your story?
>> I think my grandmothers, I think both of them they can here as little. And my maternal side she came with four kids,
she lost two on the way. And the other one, she came with three but she lost one or you know. So, I think I look at
grandmas, they've been through a lot. You know, I've always said, my success is you know what, they've been through a
lot and you know, we're given the opportunity to do well in America, in the United States. There's so much opportunity
and they'll complain, I don't think I should complain about you know, how life is so hard. They've gone through more
worse than, you know, they have gone through worse.
>> Did they both go through the genocide?
>> Yeah, they did, they both went through the genocide?
>> Wow.
>> I hear about my family tree, because I did like a family tree like yeah, yeah.
>> Oh wow, great I mean. That is a huge barrier and that they went through so.
>> Yeah they were little and they came from nothing. Some people were not, my dad's side, they're not educated or
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anything but there's, my aunt, she's a single mom. She has four kids. I want to change a generation. I want to be able to
provide a better, they did what they could and now we're the next generation so hopefully this generation we could
better ourselves.
>> Wow, okay, so kind of their stories inspire you.
>> Yeah, the stories definitely.
>> Okay, great. So, were there any bridges also to your education like. When we talked about community, any
institutional you said you got financial aid, you got the[DJ1] number one student [inaudible]. So, what makes, I think I
already asked you this but what, I mean you're kind of a leader with within the Cambodian community.
[ Inaudible ]
>> Yeah, I mean what made you even apply because a lot. I would say a majority of people didn't because I they don't
feel the confidence to even apply to things like that.
>> First, I was like you know what back then, 7 years old, 8 years old. Like you know, I don't have the money for it. I
made all these excuses in my head like you know, I don't have financial aid to do it. But then you know, one day I just
woke up and said I can do it. You have to change, just switching that mindset and say, I can do it. I think what's more
inspiring is to know that this other professor [inaudible] and got her Master's. I was like if they can do it, I can do it too
you know.
>> Does it feel weird that you're less than 1% of all people? I mean not just Cambodians but all.
>> I tell people I want to contribute back to the community leader you know, a mentor to other people.
>> Well, you are a community leader so what does that mean to you. I mean what do you want to do as a leader?
Because it's kind of acknowledged you're the Cambodian leader and a woman too right.
>> Yeah, just to reach out to other students to do other, to strive for education. I think what's my main focus is to
educate about mental illness among the Cambodian community.
>> Okay.
>> Because I they've been through a lot and I think we need services for our elderly in the community. But to me I don't,
I feel like my language, the barrier is speaking fluently in Khmer.
>> Are you fluent?
>> I'm okay but I can be better.
>> Oh okay.
>> But I think it would be difficult to work in the community to provide that because if they need someone that's more, I
guess more fluently.
>> Right, right, right. Right.
>> So, how can you give back to the community when you lose that, lose that language.
>> Right.
>> And you want to help your elderly.
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>> So, that's a good point.
>> And I see, so I see a lot of like mental illness among my family. They may not be diagnosed but whatever they have
gone through, it's still there. They're still like suppressing, post traumatic syndrome.
>> They're common among Southeast Asians in general but particularly the elderly. It's a lot. It's a big thing. So, when I
did my graduate study I did it on [inaudible] of mental health among [inaudible] Americans.
[ Multiple Speakers ]
>> Yeah tell me.
>> So, I interviewed like [inaudible] Long Beach.
>> Okay, oh okay.
>> Yeah, I interviewed like four, four in Fresno.
>> Okay.
>> And two in San Jose.
>> First generation?
>> First generation.
>> How did you find them?
>> It was just through family, friends, through social media too.
>> Oh my goodness, okay.
>> Yeah.
>> So, you asked them, were they shy about.
>> No, and they feel like mental health has put an impact on the culture and we need, we need some type of services for
our, for the community and sometimes a lot people shy away from it. And maybe, I interviewed someone from Fresno
[inaudible] holistic, well he works at Holistic View.
>> What's that?
>> Holistic View, I think it's, they work with different minority groups that are immigration or.
>> They're in Fresno?
>> Is it spelled h - o - l or w?
>> H - o - l- i - s - t, Holistic View.
>> Holistic Culture View. I forget the name of it.
>> Okay.
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>> But it's on Kings Canyon and Winery.
>> Okay.
>> But he says, he has a small [inaudible] which means happy, happy.
>> Mm-hm.
>> So, he tries to reach out to the elderly on mental health.
>> That's got to be so hard.
>> And he says it's real hard to maintain the number. And most of the time the elderly like to go to the temple, so he
meets them at the temple. They feel more comfortable you know, the traditional. And we have to kind of educate the
community about mental illness.
[ Phone Ringing ]
>> Oh sorry. It's my son's friends like texting.
>> Actually I have my studies archive in the library.
>> So, what was your conclusion? I don't want to know, so you interviewed these first generation. What was your
conclusion and your findings?
>> That.
>> So, I will look for Christina. And what's your Master's called.
>> Social work.
>> I mean what's the title of your thesis?
>> Perception of mental among first generation Cambodian Americans.
>> What is the perception?
>> You know what? They feel like, if you know what if you are strong then you can overcome mental illness. If you are
weak then you have mental illness.
>> You're kidding?
>> Yeah.
>> Even though the genocide just demolishes you?
>> Yeah and some of them come here, they try, you know you don't know my parents. You really witness the genocide,
they normalize their experience.
>> Mm-hm.
>> They normalize their experience and they have like. It was a lot. If you read you'll figure it. Yeah.
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>> Okay, I'll look it up.
>> It's a major page of writing.
>> So, then okay, so that's interesting thank you. So, you sort of have an inside or outsider kind of perspective to your
community because your academic you know, but also a social worker but also embedded so.
>> I do have a family member, she's diagnosed as bipolar. Obviously like whatever she was going through I helped my
family, so that kind of has a personal meaning to it.
>> Wow, okay. So, that's kind of like pushed you to that area. And being a social worker you're ongoing. Great, so I
already asked you what warm environment, you said it was warm. Did you get your four years or?
>> Four years, wow.
>> In my undergraduate?
>> How did you do it because that itself, the number is even smaller. How?
>> In 2004 and 2008. I just made sure I mean I went in. I majored in history and I actually wanted to be an Asian
America professor. I wanted to because there's so much history.
>> Like a Gina.
>> When I was, I love history so, you know, I guess in high school or even in college, they didn't have a lot of like, they
have a little sentence about Khmer Rouge and that's it. it's not really much. I think I have educated the community what
the Cambodian people have gone through. And I think now so many people are breaking out from being silent. I think
they're getting recognized in the city to make April 14, 15 as the date of the [inaudible] event.
>> Okay. Hold on one second. Sorry.
[ Silence ]
>> Sorry my son is on a field trip right now and his friend is saying get on the bus. So, I'm like oh my god I hope
they're.
[ Inaudible ]
>> I think.
>> Hold on one second, I'm sorry.
[ Silence ]
>> All right, so sorry about that, continue on again.
>> So, I went straight to college and like when I graduated from high school before I went to college in 2004. I
graduated in 2008 came and we had a recession.
>> Right.
>> It was really hard to find a county job. I worked for nonprofit. I just kept working.
>> Okay, wow, okay. But how did you do four years, that's. You just did all the classes?
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>> I did all the classes but I wanted to major in history and I think I changed it in like somewhere throughout one of the
semesters.
>> Okay.
>> And I changed it to the, to become a social worker.
>> Why social work?
>> I figured out you know, I can still connect with our people and learn about them, who they are, so that kind of gave
me a since of like the history itself, like literally talking to people.
>> Okay. Oh important. Okay, so this is the last part. What do you want at Fresno State to change it, to get more
Southeast Asians to be successful like yourself to graduate? And did you mention the gender issue. We do have a
gendered issue. It is more Southeast Asian women, not the men for whatever reason.
>> Like for BA and higher?
>> Yes, down the line. Double A, it's mostly Southeast Asian women. So like yourself there's, it's rare, it's small but still
it is women that are making it through. What do you want at Fresno State? Do you want smaller classes or it makes no
difference?
>> It probably makes no difference. I mean you want to be open to diversity.
>> What about, go ahead and say.
>> But you want to feel connected to your, someone's that you know, has similar face.
>> Okay, okay.
>> So, I would say to you know, yeah there's a Cambodian club that would reach out to like, reach out to people with
online university to join the club. And to reach out back to outside the community, especially targeting Cambodian
teenagers and really in middle school.
>> Targeting teenagers.
>> Or middle school.
>> To go to college.
>> Yes.
>> So, we'll have to have guest speakers like yourself because it's got to be. Okay.
>> I think my younger siblings, they're more exposed to like help than like myself because I'm the first one. But I think
they were into, they were exposed to like.
>> Bridge.
>> Bridge and they also went to like, in middle school they went to visit university which I've never done.
>> Were they Avid?
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>> I don't know, they're Avid I think they're Avid.
>> Did you do Avid?
>> No.
>> Ah, okay.
>> I don't know what's avid, what's avid like?
>> It's a college preparatory program in this area. Very successful.
>> Maybe it barely started and they didn't have it for myself.
>> Wow, okay.
>> I was the guinea pig.
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> Without any kind of help, but my siblings they were more exposed to the bridge, Avid. They went through all that. I
didn't do that.
>> Wow. Okay. So, it would be helpful if you had it. What about, would it make a difference if you had like, you said it
would make a diff, like co-ethnic professor or how about co-ethnic classmates?
>> Yes.
>> More Asian or more Cambodian specific.
>> More Cambodian.
>> Okay.
>> I would say because I'm like used to like Hmong, Lao but there's not many Lao students like a lot of Hmong
students.
[ Inaudible ]
>> Okay, excellent. What about ethnic clubs?
>> Yes, I strongly encourage more ethnic clubs.
>> Okay.
>> And I don't mind going back and giving.
>> Talks.
>> Talks, giving talks and finding someone that has succeeded and to bring them back.
>> So that they see, it's like a psychological, particularly a male. Yes, I think you would be extremely like very
powerful if you talked to the kind of, the students right now. Because you know, they kind of want to quit even though
they're second, third so.
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>> Hopefully, there's a lot, I met, I think his name was Vaughn
>> Vana.
>> Vana.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah, he's very dedicated and hungry for school.
>> So, now the last part is kind of the fun part and also I'll ask you for the third generation but what workshops do you
want for college [inaudible].
>> College?
>> Yes, college to graduate in four years like yourself?
>> Like in college, for college only?
>> College and grad school, like what do we need, what do we need down the line at Fresno State?
>> I mean there's always like, there's a writing center that's already there already.
>> Okay.
>> Maybe peer support, some mentoring.
>> Peer mentoring. Anything else?
>> Gosh, you're putting me on the spot right here.
>> Well, I mean do, is there any workshop like a writing workshop, do you want a financial aid workshop? Do you want
a dance program I don't know?
>> Well, I think we have a dance program in the community already.
>> Oh really?!
>> Yeah.
>> Okay, so there's a Cambodian dance program.
>> United Preserving in something.
>> Dance program. Okay. Go on.
>> Oh God, so we have that but there's a club, when he has his little culture night, Cambodian night, they, the
community will perform.
>> Ooh, that's a huge cultural thing, okay.
>> It's actually ran by a law enforcement. Well, he I think he might be interviewed because he's pretty.
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>> I think someone emailed me about that.
>> He's a police officer.
>> He's a police officer yeah.
>> It's a small world. This is small, it's like him and a lot of other people.
>> I'm pretty sure all of you will be hit up to be guest speakers on a panel to help the next generation. Anything else?
>> I think it's more important in high school and middle school. It hit early on because I didn't know how to like, I didn't
know about financial aid, I struggled.
>> How did you do it then?
>> I think I, I kind of heard some stuff. I went, I went to like, I heard it from somewhere and I went to apply for
financial aid.
>> So, how did you learn because that, people ask about that? We don't have a financial aid workshop.
>> I tell my siblings hey don't forget to apply for financial aid, this is the password, this is how you do it. I mentor them.
>> I know. I don't know how you did it because no one mentored you, you know. The first, that wow.
>> Maybe the last counselor helped me kind of a little bit.
>> Okay.
>> And from there I kind of digged for more information.
>> Okay, so the last one is advice for third, fourth generation. As you know it's still very low graduation rate 12%.
What, if someone [inaudible]. What advice can you give to the third and fourth generation who will be coming up in
like 10 years, right who will also struggle, who are Southeast Asian but also a specific Cambodian American. What can
you tell them to kind of keep going and graduate because they want to quit.
>> I guess my advice to the ongoing generation is to never give up and whatever you have gone through, you can still
change your story and become successful, just don't give up. And again, myself, I, it's very common for the elderly to
gamble, to be on SSI and you want to change that for yourself. The communities, you're here to better yourself and just
reach out and talk to people, don't be afraid, don't be afraid to.
>> Ask questions.
>> Ask questions, reach out to community, do some research, lock arms with someone that are successful to give you
guidance. And don't be afraid because I want to see the Cambodian people to succeed in the community, you know,
across the United States.
>> Right.
>> And we need to come together because I know, you know we've been separated since the killings. So there's a lot of
mistrust among the community but we need to change that, we need to change whatever the elderly have gone through,
that's their own view and we can change that our view or perception that hey we stick together, let's be cohesive. You
know, let's be united and help each other.
>> Okay, great thank you. Is there anything else you want to add?
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>> No, I mean I hope I said.
>> You did, yeah so I'm going to turn off the phone, the recorder so thank you so much. [DJ1]
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>> Hello, welcome, if you could, you can say your name if you like, it's optional. Please spell your name, give me the
date and please give me verbal permission to interview you.
>> Okay, today it's July 6, 2017 and I give verbal permission to be interviewed today and my name is Christina Long
and C - h - r - i - s - t - i - n - a - L - o - n - g.
>> Great! Okay. All right, what is your gender?
>> Female.
>> Okay. What is your birth year?
>> I was born in 1986.
>> What is your ethnic group?
>> Cambodian American.
>> Where were you born?
>> I was born in Stockton, California.
>> What was your undergraduate major?
>> I got my social work in 2008.
>> Oh, what is your generation in the United States?
>> I'm considered second generation.
>> What is your mother and father's highest education?
>> I think it was part incomplete, they didn't get their degree or anything.
>> What was your family composition like brothers, sisters?
>> Like how many?
>> Mm-hm.
>> Including myself there's seven, so there's six girls and one boy.
>> Wow. Okay. What is your GPA if you remember?
>> Well, I just recently graduated, so I got a 4.0 all the way for two years.
>> Excellent. Okay. What is your ultimate degree aspiration?
>> Well, currently I just graduated, so I got my Master's in social work.
>> Congratulations.
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>> Thank you, this year May, 2017, so maybe, hopefully I can get my licensing in the near future once I feel more
confident.
>> Awesome. Okay. What, growing up in your, your social economic background, was it working class, middle class,
affluent which means wealthy or what would you say your background was?
>> Like for my family?
>> Uh-huh.
>> I, may like low working class.
>> Okay. Was your high school public or private?
>> It was public.
>> Public? Okay. What was your racial and what high school did you go to?
>> I went to Fresno High School.
>> And what was your racial demographics for high school?
>> Like, like the group of people there?
>> I mean what was it mostly Latino, Hispanic, was it African American?
>> Yeah, it was like mostly Hispanic. There was African American, there was some group of Asian. I mean.
>> Was it small or large?
>> Pretty small, I mean, I think throughout my life I was just, I was surrounded with just my family that were
Cambodian from like elementary school, middle school. In high school you start to meet like maybe five more and then
we kind of all like hang out.
>> Okay, hopefully you found some more at Fresno State. Do many Cambodians go to college? Why or why not.
>> I think they do when they first graduate from high school, they do go to college in either BA. It's encouraged by the
family. At least from my family, all I hear is oh go to school, go to school, but they don't really know the family doesn't
know behind it. The parents don't know behind what it takes to do well in school.
>> Okay.
>> The ones who don't go to college, why don't they go to college?
>> They, if they don't go to college, if you know either because they are from a, like a maybe more rural background
where they don't have resources or environment. There's more influence by gang activities, alcohol and gambling.
Because I mean growing up I saw my mom like gambling a lot or drinking and you know, bad things I didn't like, so I
kind of wanted to do the opposite for myself.
>> Okay, great. Let's see. Do Cambodian students have strong relationships with administrators and faculty? Why or
why not?
>> It depends on the individual. If you reach out, you're in, I know when I went to school for my graduate study, I you
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know, reach out to the graduate writing center and I talked to my professor, I emailed him saying you know, it's been a
while since I've been back to school for my Master's, you know. I'm a single mom and I need all the resources I need.
So, I made myself available to talk to my professor, just to reach out to anyone that could help me. It just really depends
on the individual. I encourage you know, like friends or even my siblings like, hey if you need help go take the extra
step to talk and build relationships with your administrator or faculty.
>> Okay.
>> It's kind of like, it just depends on.
>> The individual, okay.
>> The individual.
>> What makes a good professor and what makes a bad professor to pass a class? Like what makes, what do you
consider a good professor, what do you consider a bad professor?
>> If they don't understand where you're coming from and you have to meet your students in the middle, like hey like,
we need to sit down with, the student would like to sit down with their professor. But most time we do a lot of emailing,
but if you can make the face to face interaction, that will be really meaningful. And [inaudible] they don't have good
English or writing skills, because they didn't have the tools and maybe in high school. I think in high school I did like, I
didn't have any tutors. I kind of just like went with the flow, but I wish I had a tutor in high school so I wouldn't be
struggling in my undergraduate even with my Master's so.
>> What makes a bad professor? It doesn't, doesn't it meet you in the middle?
>> It didn't, well you know if they don't, I know when I went to undergraduate study, I think the first week when the
professor like slap, not you know well he, he said this is the worst paper you guys have ever wrote, written like he told
the entire class. And that made us feel really bad you know. And he asked for those students who needs help go to
tutoring or go to me, talk to me. So you don't, you felt like he was directly like talking to you or someone personally but
then that kind of scared me to do well, so I actually talked to him and he said okay well and he was more understanding
that way.
>> Okay.
>> Just understanding like that there's different culture background, something Cambodian people or Southeast Asian,
we're quiet, we don't really like to raise our hands or ask questions and just sit there. He's always saying we like ask
questions when anyone leaves.
>> Right. Good point, good point, so not ask questions. That's a very important point. Have you ever been mentored?
>> Have I ever been mentored?
>> Someone giving you advice.
>> You know, when I went to, I've been mentored since 2013, so I've, so she's also Asian, she's Chinese and she lives in
L.A. as well.
>> Okay.
>> I wonder if you know her, but she was a faculty at Fresno State. And I found her email like a long time ago, so I
reached out to her like hey I'm applying for this program can you please be my reference. We kept intact for like, she's
been like, she was a faculty for me in my undergraduate study.
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>> What's, is it Asian American studies?
>> No, she was social work.
>> Oh, okay, social work.
>> Yes.
>> I don't know the social worker people. Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> Is she still at Fresno State or is she gone?
>> She's gone, she's in L.A. but I still keep in [inaudible], keep in touch with her. We communicate, like at you know,
like family or what's going on.
>> Great. Okay. Awesome.
>> Yeah, she's my, she's my [inaudible].
>> Okay. What were your teacher expectations of you, were they neutral, low or high. I'm talking about high school and
undergrad.
>> Undergrad and high school. I think they were pretty neutral. I mean I remember one high school professor, he was
history major and he said, Christina I expected more from you. And that really sucked for me, like so I felt like you
know, in high school, there was a lot of students that didn't care about education and they were distracting me. And I
didn't feel like I learned the best but I, I kind of put my head down and just did my best. I remember him telling me that
so it kind of stuck through with me in undergraduate. I don't know, it was undergraduate study, not really. No.
>> Okay. Important. Did you take any Asian American classes at all?
>> I did. I did, you know, your under, it was required so, Asian American, just one or two.
>> Was it Dr. Amy or do you know a girl or a boy?
>> Male, he was older maybe, he was tall and bald.
>> Franklin [inaudible] or I don't know.
>> It's been a while.
>> Oh okay. What are, how did teachers in your high school treat your co-ethnic groups. I mean you said there was only
five Cambodians, but how did they treat them?
>> How did they treat them?
>> Yeah. Did they have high expectations, was it medium or neutral. I think there was a Lao counselor in high school,
so she also inspired me too. I mean like wow like I want to be a counselor someday. I want to be a Cambodian
counselor to reach out to other students. So I always kept it in mind like how did she do it you know, like you know. I
don't think she was born here but you know, she, she got her way, she was able to become a counselor. That was kind of
inspiring.
>> Interesting.
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>> And the teachers, I think, there was a Cambodian club there but like and a Lao club but I don't think it made it far.
>> It didn't make a difference?
>> It didn't make, it didn't make, I think the Lao counselor tried to help out but it's really for the students and maybe
they need more direction, more purpose, more structure.
>> More structure okay.
>> So, I don't know, I think some of the teachers kind of, they kind of just, were just invisible.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> In start of visibility, did you have any notable media depictions of your ethnic group?
>> Like what do you mean by?
>> Any movies about Cambodians that you saw as a kid, documentaries, anything in the media?
>> Cambodians?
>> Yeah or Cambodian Americans?
>> Cambodian Americans, I don't know, probably not.
>> Okay, a lot of people say nothing for that answer. Did you feel like your high school prepared you enough for
college?
>> No.
>> Tell me why and how. How can we change that?
>> Again, I think there should be more of a reach out for Southeast Asian. Try to get everyone all together.
>> Okay.
>> I mean I know the Hmong club, they were there. They had Asian Americans but it was mostly Hmong. Maybe it's
better when you have your own individual group.
>> Okay.
>> To focus on Cambodians, Lao, Vietnamese.
>> Okay. Great.
>> And just have you know, what to have, you want to connect with someone. I felt like I connected with the Lao
counselor even though she wasn't Cambodian, like oh she's similar to my background so she inspired me and.
>> Anything else, what else did you feel like you weren't prepared for then? Any English classes, math classes.
>> Currently you know, I think English. I'm always struggling. Like I'm still like you know, reading on my own time to
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better my grammar, my writing, speaking and this you know, being able to reach out to the Cambodian students.
>> When you came to Fresno State as an undergrad, did you go to the bridge, there was a bridge program. Did you do
that for a program or?
>> No, I didn't. I didn't but my sister did. I didn't know about it.
>> Oh, because you didn't know about it.
>> My sister, she actually told me she didn't know about it. The Hmong, her Hmong friends told her about it.
>> Oh, okay, wow, that's important to know. How did your sister, just told from the Hmong friends?
>> Yeah, because most of our friends, group of friends are mostly Hmong, so they talk about it, they hear it.
>> Oh, okay.
>> So, they hear it, they tell my sister, they're younger than me so.
>> Okay.
>> I didn't know, I didn't know about the bridge for myself.
>> And you, she did it?
>> Yeah, actually two, both of them did it.
>> Oh, great, did they say it was a good thing or?
>> Yeah, it was a good thing. I think they did like the dorms right? Is that the dorms?
>> Right, right, right, yeah. A whole month, okay. Well, good to know, okay. Were there any, so well actually first
there's then, now doing the second, third of the interview. Were there any barriers to your higher education success?
Thinking back, were there any struggles. I mean did you have to work outside the school for instance?
>> Yeah, I mean in my undergrad study, I've always been a working person going to school whether it's during the
weekend, throughout the week. And I think most of my classes were in the day time, maybe one night class. And
sometime, one time I wanted to quit school because, in 2006 my parents separated, there was a recession, we lost our
home.
>> So, in terms of, those are huge barriers. Did you have to actually take care of maybe your mom or your dad? I mean
you talked about your mom and dad, but did you have to take care of children or your grandparents at all.
>> I'm the second one out of the group of seven and.
>> Did anyone go ahead of you, go to college or are you the first one to go to college?
>> Yeah, no my sister did. Maybe later in life she went to get her medical assistance but I was the first one to get my
Bachelor in 2008. The first one to get my Master's, so I had to break you know.
>> Impressive.
>> I mean, family's everything and I'm glad I didn't quit school because I saw my family struggling but I kept going.
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>> So I think you, you're kind of the first one actually, that's the hardest one to actually. So, I'm glad I, thank you so
much for the interview because I think it's easier for the second sibling because the other people I've interviewed have
been the second and third sibling, so they all say the same thing, my older sister went first.
>> Oh yeah.
>> So we're kind of psychologically opened okay.
>> I don't know, my oldest sister, like we don't have a great relationship. I don't know if she, there's a maybe, she
always felt like everything was given to me, but I worked hard, we all struggled.
>> How come she didn't go to college?
>> She just went straight to, she went to City College. I think, you know when they went to Fresno City College there
was a lot more socializing and they lose focus while they're there.
>> Okay.
>> And I went straight to university and I've just been very hungered for education.
>> How come you went straight and didn't go city?
>> I didn't think, I still tell my friends or you know, I feel like city, they don't really prepare, I don't know, I don't think
they really prepare the student to do well. And maybe they lack motive, the students lack motivation because they're
there for more peer activity and they don't know what to major in, so they hang out more than they're more focused.
>> Well, do your sisters, did they go to City or did they go straight?
>> My older sister went to City and let's see, everyone else except for my third sister, she didn't go to college. But the
fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, all went to college.
>> Wow, okay.
>> So, little baby sister, she just graduated from UC Santa Cruz.
>> Oh my gosh, that's!
>> And my other sister, who's the fourth, fifth, she graduated in UC, oh gosh, there's so many, UC.
>> Riverside, L.A., San Diego?
>> Davis.
>> Davis, okay. So, do they ever thank you because you're the first one?
>> I don't know, you know.
>> Maybe they'll never know.
>> Maybe they'll never know.
>> And you're the first one that opened those.
>> And they tell me now, oh you know, they see me, oh I'm missing a mom, you work part-time, you go interning a
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school like.
>> 4.0
>> It's hard for them to do well too.
>> Right, right, so, yeah, you'll never get the credit but thank you so much for doing the interview. So, do you ever, do
you feel that there's any cultural barriers, such as for example, do Cambodian women, are they expected to go to
college, are they, for instance, my example, I interviewed some Cambodian women in L.A. and they said that they were
not expected to go to college, because they were told just own, marry a owner. Because if have a couple of interviews
where Cambodian women were like and it was that [inaudible] and they were saying, a parent said, you don't have to
finish, you could just marry a Cambodian. Did that ever happen to you or?
>> Actually, you know, they said oh, my family were predominantly women and you can't really depend on men. We're
strong willed. I mean the men they don't stay around or they're just not stable. I didn't have, I have one uncle that's a
truck driver, he still provides for his family, so he's the only male figure for my life. Let's see, and cultural.
>> Was it expected to go to college in your family specifically, like Cambodian culture. I mean they tell me like oh go
to school, get your education but at the same time when my family was struggling, they kind of told me well oh, they
wanted me to like help the family if I married someone from Cambodia. Like, I remember when I was like 18 or 19
years old because we were struggling. If you marry him, it'll help out the family you know, you get $30,000. Only that's
nothing and I just, I'm glad I didn't do it, because something like, even though they strive for education, but they want
you to help the family by either marrying someone that can provide for the family or someone that's rich.
>> Do you think your life would be different if you were male?
>> If I was a male?
>> Mm-hm. Sort of like, would they push you out of college to provide for the family more. I mean is it good to be
female and a Cambodian woman. I mean bad, does it matter for college?
>> I think, it doesn't matter but it just depends on the person. I know, I mean I know a few people that are male, they
graduated.
>> Oh wow, okay.
>> Either in graphic design or IT, accounting, just into computer stuff and that's all they go for.
>> In your family, were they because that's overwhelmingly positive statically rare that your entire family went to
college. How about your cousins, did they go to college?
>> Yeah, they actually do. So, you know, my, on my mom's side, everybody went to college, at least most of them went
to college.
>> Wow. Okay.
>> And like my aunt, [inaudible] she has three kids so, you know, they, one of them graduate from UC Merced in
something, I think a cognitive something.
>> Okay.
>> It was a couple or a few years ago. And the other one, she's in UC Berkeley.
>> Wow.
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>> And she wants to do studies in medicine. And then my other cousin, he's also in UC Berkeley as well.
>> Wow, okay.
>> Her, the mom, she's a medical assistant. She has, she's been working for 20 years with it and her husband's a truck
driver. So, they provide stability and structure for the, they push their kids to be more you know, to be more successful.
And then you have my parents who are not working, they're all on disability benefits and but then, I know my family,
like my siblings and I, we know our parents can't provide, so we try to look out for like resources in the community.
>> Are there any resources in the community?
>> If you hear about it. I know for me to get through my Master's profile I applied for a stipend, so they paid for my
education and they give me money to spend.
>> They pay for your entire education?
>> Yes, but I have to work for the county for two years to get, you know to pay back the loan. And also, I applied a
scholarship is called Essential Asian Woman Pacific [inaudible] scholarship.
>> Wait a minute I've heard about that.
>> So, I went to one of like our actually the first year my professor was like oh we're going to go to a student success
conference at [inaudible] Union. Did you hear about that?
>> No. Okay. Go on.
>> So, I saw one of my mentors, actually oh yeah she's another mentor there, she's like an EOP. I was connected to
EOP.
>> What is an EOP?
>> It helps like EOP, Education Opportunity, EOP, I think they help like first time college students with anything. Like
they provide like counseling or any, they encourage you to attend, like back in my undergraduate they, different
seminars and workshops like how to manage and balance, dress, you know, whatever it is. So, there's an Asian like a
staff. I think she's a pastor now. Her name is [inaudible]. I'm like hey, it's me Christina, I saw you a long time ago
during undergraduate. I said hi today, I'm back in school for my Master's and then she said, and then I met Ms. Gina,
she's a history teacher.
>> Gina Gong?
>> Gina Gong. Oh yeah, uh-huh, they told me about the Asian American scholarship. It's really rare that any, you can
all like get it, you can get it. Because they're looking for you know, Asian Americans [inaudible] school, you know,
being successful, so you can apply for scholarship. So, I actually applied and I got accepted. It was like last year.
>> Wait a minute. Did you go to some awards ceremony? Was that you?
>> Yeah, that was me!
>> I was clapping in the audience! Oh my god, that's so impressive! Oh my god. Right, I actually recorded that.
>> That's good. That was awesome. I was like wow, you know, like you know if you reach out, there's people out there
to help you and you never know who wants to help out. Like I needed, I needed, I needed support.
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>> That's very impressive. You are like a, a big uniform. My god that's wonderful.
>> In my graduate study, I'm like man I'm the only Cambodian student here. And there's maybe like six, seven, eight
Hmongs in the graduate study but I, you know.
>> If you went to [inaudible] Long Beach, it might be much bigger.
>> Probably.
>> And East Riverside, there's a bigger Cambodian community.
>> I actually tried for more higher education, like the numbers are small for Southeast Asian. At UC [inaudible] oh
yeah, like when I went to graduate or undergraduate there was like I saw more Cambodian people. And I was in a club
at Fresno State.
>> Oh you were in a Cambodian club?
>> Yeah, it's called the CCA.
>> CCA, okay.
>> The Cambodian Collegiate Association.
>> Okay.
>> They might change their name.
>> Okay.
>> But back then there was a lot of us and we were really involved doing outreach, we did outreach to middle school.
We talked to the students.
>> Middle school, okay.
>> And we did, I mean it was just a vol, the community volunteered, just helping cleaning. And we met with other
students throughout California, so it's called the KUG.
>> What's KUG?
[ Inaudible ]
>> Ooh.
>> If I could recall right. But we met, I remember the first day we went to Long Beach and we met with other like
university. You'd see different college throughout California to come together. So we, you know, we just interact to like
you know go network through, among each other.
>> That's wonderful.
>> And to encourage us. And that was back then. And I know I met another student that, he's trying to, I think he reround the club, the Cambodian club, but there's not many students.
>> Right, right.
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>> And I was so busy with graduate studies. I was like, you know what, we need to do an outreach you know.
>> Yeah, I'm actually, I'm not the main advisor, but they asked me to advise them, to be a co-advisor, so the main
advisor is this Anglo man.
>> Is it for Asian or Cambodian?
>> It's Cambodian and also Filipino, but I'm the second advisor to everyone but that's, this is really great. I would love
to do this.
>> Yeah definitely, I have so much ideas. I want to reach out. I know I was busy with graduate study and I was working
I didn't have no time. And I'm barely getting back on my feet. This is my third week working for the county.
>> Wow, great.
[ Inaudible ]
>> All right, that's impressive. Wow, yeah, later on if you want to do this and be a guest speaker for the club that would
be great.
>> Definitely.
>> Inspire them to graduate. Okay, great. What about structural. Well, you talked about you got that, that's a very
impressive, the whole community acknowledged that you're the number one.
>> Like my parents were unable to financially support me. I never asked my parents for money, like I find ways to
support myself, whether it's working, reaching out to service. You know, I'm a single mom and then like I'm on public
assistance so that helped me. So, I kind of used assistance to help me to like, this is just temporarily a transition like I
don't need anyone to help. My daughter actually got accepted to the daycare for Fresno State, that really helped.
>> Okay.
>> So, the community providing a support. I reach out everywhere. I went to like different like daycares to apply. I
haven't heard from Family First [inaudible] whatever it is. I heard from Fresno State, so I was really grateful for that.
And my, I think my aunt she'll help me with my daughter when I had my class homework or gotten in from my
internship [inaudible]. So she'll pick her up and watch her until I get home at 10:00 at night. And I'll come home late
and do my homework until 2:00 in the morning and I wake up at like 6.
>> Wow, okay.
>> So.
>> Impressive. So, actually going back to the Central Valley, what does it mean to you that the entire Asian community
recognize that you're the, kind of the number one student. How does that make you feel, because I mean that's
impressive.
[ Multiple Speakers ]
>> It was mostly Hmong students, Hmong community, but actually put it on my [inaudible] to encourage other people
for the Cambodian community like you know what I'm a single mom and I got accepted for this scholarship award and
just give me speech. We all have our stories. You know, it's how hungry you are, what's your motivation? What's your
vision? And I hope to inspire other people to try for higher education.
>> Didn't it mean something also because you got a fellowship at Fresno? Does it make any difference that's it's from an
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Asian organization? Did they recognize that you are?
>> Oh yeah definitely. I was like, I was really surprised that they chose me andasked me to speak. I was like really
scared that they asked me to speak, like what do I say?
>> It was really impressive. I was in the audience with my family like oh.
>> I think I said, the impossible was possible you know.
>> Yeah. Oh great! Okay, so did you, so any other barriers, did you feel such as, such as, kind of like, like you talked
about economic, gender, cultural, general, any other things that you felt. For example, what makes Fresno State a chilly
environment? What makes it a warm environment to you?
[ Inaudible ]
>> Like a chilly or warm environment. So like what, what at Fresno makes you cold?
>> Like a welcoming university?
>> There is a lot of research towards African Americans that say that the college institution is a very chilly environment
towards them and so.
>> The university?
>> Yeah, so because of that, they don't feel, they don't feel warm. For example, is African Americans are followed on
campus. And so, if you're followed on campus you don't feel like you're warm because and that's a very common among
the entire nation. So, what makes Fresno a warm environment and what makes it chilly environment to you too.
>> Like my personal experience?
>> What does it matter?
>> You know, I guess to me it's warm. It was warm to be connected to other classmates. But you're kind of just connect
to your department, but you want to be connected as a whole other, other clubs. I kind of connected myself to
Cambodian clubs. I'm still connected because there's somebody there like me and like oh I can relate or I hope we can
help each other through life, through education. So, I think ethnic groups helps, seeing a professor that's you know
Asian, whether, I mean they're not Cambodian obviously, but they're Chinese or Lao. So, that was exciting to have some
similar faces to you. And to prove chilly, I'm not really sure. I don't think I've ever felt like that.
>> And is there anything that I didn't ask you that hampered your graduation success. I mean. Was there any other
barrier that I didn't ask you about, cultural, structural, health, gender?
>> I think there's always barriers, just how you respond to it. And if you feel like there's always resources to help you.
And you know, if you talk to your family they can help you. There were some family members that weren't supportive
of my education so I don't really say much. I mean, I feel like I'm, I feel like I'm more connected to my peers, to, they
understand where I'm coming from. Then I have older cousins, even my sister who I felt like they weren't really
supportive of my education. So I mean you do this for your family but the more you achieve, the more they want to do
better than you. Like no, I want to help everyone to succeed.
>> A common thing in the research that once you get a degree it's like some separation.
>> From the family?
>> How have you mentored your little sisters to go to college, like what have you told them?
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>> Well, you know what? They, when I was in my undergraduate, I always made sure like I took them with me to
school. They sat with me. So, they sat with me, my cousins. I felt like I want to give them some exposure to college life.
You know, when I was going through my Master's, my sister was like can I go and sit with you? I'm like no, this is my
graduate life, like I don't think, she already got her Bachelor's already. So, I think before they went to high, college, I put
them under my wing and had them like, kind of shadow me.
>> Did you tell them they had to go to college?
>> Probably, I thought I did you know.
>> And were they in the audience when you got your big award?
>> Oh you know, my siblings are everywhere. Yeah. No, my family wasn't there.
>> Oh okay.
>> I think it was financially they couldn't make it.
>> But it was impressive and [inaudible]. So, this is the last part of the interview. I'm going to ask you about personal
enablers. So you are a very rare person, because you're the first generation right in terms of going to college for your
family. But also in your lineage, like your, why is your personality, like what, why did you make it when so many like
over 80% did not make it? Why you? Like what is it about your personality that made you keep going?
>> I think I'm always optimistic and motivated and very hungry. You know, at the end of the day it's only me like who's
going to take care of myself and I went with a hungry, like a hungry state of mind. Like you know, I've got to do,
especially when you have a daughter. She's 3 1/2, she'll be 4, so my goal was to get my Master's before 5. When I was
pregnant, I wrote in a journal, like my goal is to get my Master's before she turns 5.
>> Wow, okay.
>> She got into the program when she was 2.
>> Okay.
>> So she's 3 now.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah, so this.
>> I mean, is there something like, were you like this in elementary?
>> You know, like.
>> Because you had a lot of barriers.
>> I had a lot of barriers. I mean I saw things or witnessed things like you know, there was domestic violence, there was
drinking, gambling. And I saw my mom come home drunk and I didn't like that. So, I think I told myself, I think in first
grade or really young I wanted to just be opposite of my mom and strive for education. I think [inaudible] I talked to my
siblings. They used education as a way to escape from home.
>> Oh interesting, interesting. Okay.
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>> And I think I don't blame my parents. I mean they did what they knew how at the moment. And especially what they
had gone through like, like the killing fields.
>> Right, right.
>> Personal experience.
>> The refugee issues.
>> The refugees, so they weren't really as affectionate. My dad was really nice and calm. My mom was kind of more the
discipliner. So they knew what they knew back then. No, this is not okay for you to put fear or intimidation on your kids
to do well. Oh, they probably believed by hitting us and to discipline us we would do well, but it kind of instilled fear
and we don't want to be at home.
>> Good point, good point.
>> So, that's kind of a family enabler. That was the next question.
>> It was a lot of chaos growing up. And I kept like, I don't know how I did it. I kept like, I graduated high school,
graduating within four years at the university. And it took me seven years to come back for my Master's.
>> You may consider writing a book because its, your story's very unique but also inspiring. So, you may on the side if
you ever have time. It might help a lot of people.
>> Yeah, in my family they may not speak much, but I found with their actions if they work really hard I mean they
provided me a roof. My mom, even when she wasn't that great but she made sure there was food on the table. So, I was
very grateful there was food on the table. She took me to school. She actually like tested us on our multiple skills, like
math skills, sewing skills. So, she did what she knew how.
>> Right.
>> So.
>> Impressive. Now we go to like the positive stuff. Cultural, like I asked you about the bridges right, educational,
financial. You talked about you were selected as the number one Central Valley woman which is very impressive
community kind of support and acknowledgement that you're the number one. And you talked about how you got
financial aid and you had that thing. Were there any other like things like, things that why you're successful. Is there any
like gender, health, structural, financial, educational. I mean you told me already a lot. Anything else you want to
mention?
>> Yeah, I think also spiritually, I mean I went to church so that really helped me to get through when I'm like
struggling emotionally.
>> Okay.
>> So, it's so busy like Monday through Friday, I find time for you know, God. On Sunday I'll go to church with my
daughter.
>> Is this Buddhism?
>> No, actually Christian.
>> Oh, oh my goodness. Okay. Oh interesting.
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>> My maternal, my mom's side, they're more Buddhism and then my dad's side they're Christian.
>> Oh.
>> I have both worlds. But I still go to like the temples, the ceremonies so I can know it for my own self.
[ Inaudible ]
>> Okay.
>> So, I still go out of respect for family.
>> What does Christianity give you?
>> And you were raised as a Christian?
>> Yes, I was raised when I was young. Again, on my dad's side, his mom like you know, she, she told me like, she
prayed to God like she wanted to learn how to read in Cambodian. And she was really hungry and [inaudible]. I don't
know how she learned how to read but over time she knew how to read. She said God gave her that gift.
>> Wow. Okay so, that's very impressive for that generation.
>> Yeah.
>> To read English?
>> Well no, in Cambodian.
>> Wow.
>> You know, I'm like grandma how did even know. She's always been self-sufficient like as a young girl so. She you
know, she cut hair, she sewed her own clothes, that's what she got by to survive. She comes here, gives me her story. I
said, oh grandma you've been through a lot.
>> Does that inspire you at all knowing your story?
>> I think my grandmothers, I think both of them they can here as little. And my maternal side she came with four kids,
she lost two on the way. And the other one, she came with three but she lost one or you know. So, I think I look at
grandmas, they've been through a lot. You know, I've always said, my success is you know what, they've been through a
lot and you know, we're given the opportunity to do well in America, in the United States. There's so much opportunity
and they'll complain, I don't think I should complain about you know, how life is so hard. They've gone through more
worse than, you know, they have gone through worse.
>> Did they both go through the genocide?
>> Yeah, they did, they both went through the genocide?
>> Wow.
>> I hear about my family tree, because I did like a family tree like yeah, yeah.
>> Oh wow, great I mean. That is a huge barrier and that they went through so.
>> Yeah they were little and they came from nothing. Some people were not, my dad's side, they're not educated or
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anything but there's, my aunt, she's a single mom. She has four kids. I want to change a generation. I want to be able to
provide a better, they did what they could and now we're the next generation so hopefully this generation we could
better ourselves.
>> Wow, okay, so kind of their stories inspire you.
>> Yeah, the stories definitely.
>> Okay, great. So, were there any bridges also to your education like. When we talked about community, any
institutional you said you got financial aid, you got the[DJ1] number one student [inaudible]. So, what makes, I think I
already asked you this but what, I mean you're kind of a leader with within the Cambodian community.
[ Inaudible ]
>> Yeah, I mean what made you even apply because a lot. I would say a majority of people didn't because I they don't
feel the confidence to even apply to things like that.
>> First, I was like you know what back then, 7 years old, 8 years old. Like you know, I don't have the money for it. I
made all these excuses in my head like you know, I don't have financial aid to do it. But then you know, one day I just
woke up and said I can do it. You have to change, just switching that mindset and say, I can do it. I think what's more
inspiring is to know that this other professor [inaudible] and got her Master's. I was like if they can do it, I can do it too
you know.
>> Does it feel weird that you're less than 1% of all people? I mean not just Cambodians but all.
>> I tell people I want to contribute back to the community leader you know, a mentor to other people.
>> Well, you are a community leader so what does that mean to you. I mean what do you want to do as a leader?
Because it's kind of acknowledged you're the Cambodian leader and a woman too right.
>> Yeah, just to reach out to other students to do other, to strive for education. I think what's my main focus is to
educate about mental illness among the Cambodian community.
>> Okay.
>> Because I they've been through a lot and I think we need services for our elderly in the community. But to me I don't,
I feel like my language, the barrier is speaking fluently in Khmer.
>> Are you fluent?
>> I'm okay but I can be better.
>> Oh okay.
>> But I think it would be difficult to work in the community to provide that because if they need someone that's more, I
guess more fluently.
>> Right, right, right. Right.
>> So, how can you give back to the community when you lose that, lose that language.
>> Right.
>> And you want to help your elderly.
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>> So, that's a good point.
>> And I see, so I see a lot of like mental illness among my family. They may not be diagnosed but whatever they have
gone through, it's still there. They're still like suppressing, post traumatic syndrome.
>> They're common among Southeast Asians in general but particularly the elderly. It's a lot. It's a big thing. So, when I
did my graduate study I did it on [inaudible] of mental health among [inaudible] Americans.
[ Multiple Speakers ]
>> Yeah tell me.
>> So, I interviewed like [inaudible] Long Beach.
>> Okay, oh okay.
>> Yeah, I interviewed like four, four in Fresno.
>> Okay.
>> And two in San Jose.
>> First generation?
>> First generation.
>> How did you find them?
>> It was just through family, friends, through social media too.
>> Oh my goodness, okay.
>> Yeah.
>> So, you asked them, were they shy about.
>> No, and they feel like mental health has put an impact on the culture and we need, we need some type of services for
our, for the community and sometimes a lot people shy away from it. And maybe, I interviewed someone from Fresno
[inaudible] holistic, well he works at Holistic View.
>> What's that?
>> Holistic View, I think it's, they work with different minority groups that are immigration or.
>> They're in Fresno?
>> Is it spelled h - o - l or w?
>> H - o - l- i - s - t, Holistic View.
>> Holistic Culture View. I forget the name of it.
>> Okay.
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>> But it's on Kings Canyon and Winery.
>> Okay.
>> But he says, he has a small [inaudible] which means happy, happy.
>> Mm-hm.
>> So, he tries to reach out to the elderly on mental health.
>> That's got to be so hard.
>> And he says it's real hard to maintain the number. And most of the time the elderly like to go to the temple, so he
meets them at the temple. They feel more comfortable you know, the traditional. And we have to kind of educate the
community about mental illness.
[ Phone Ringing ]
>> Oh sorry. It's my son's friends like texting.
>> Actually I have my studies archive in the library.
>> So, what was your conclusion? I don't want to know, so you interviewed these first generation. What was your
conclusion and your findings?
>> That.
>> So, I will look for Christina. And what's your Master's called.
>> Social work.
>> I mean what's the title of your thesis?
>> Perception of mental among first generation Cambodian Americans.
>> What is the perception?
>> You know what? They feel like, if you know what if you are strong then you can overcome mental illness. If you are
weak then you have mental illness.
>> You're kidding?
>> Yeah.
>> Even though the genocide just demolishes you?
>> Yeah and some of them come here, they try, you know you don't know my parents. You really witness the genocide,
they normalize their experience.
>> Mm-hm.
>> They normalize their experience and they have like. It was a lot. If you read you'll figure it. Yeah.
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>> Okay, I'll look it up.
>> It's a major page of writing.
>> So, then okay, so that's interesting thank you. So, you sort of have an inside or outsider kind of perspective to your
community because your academic you know, but also a social worker but also embedded so.
>> I do have a family member, she's diagnosed as bipolar. Obviously like whatever she was going through I helped my
family, so that kind of has a personal meaning to it.
>> Wow, okay. So, that's kind of like pushed you to that area. And being a social worker you're ongoing. Great, so I
already asked you what warm environment, you said it was warm. Did you get your four years or?
>> Four years, wow.
>> In my undergraduate?
>> How did you do it because that itself, the number is even smaller. How?
>> In 2004 and 2008. I just made sure I mean I went in. I majored in history and I actually wanted to be an Asian
America professor. I wanted to because there's so much history.
>> Like a Gina.
>> When I was, I love history so, you know, I guess in high school or even in college, they didn't have a lot of like, they
have a little sentence about Khmer Rouge and that's it. it's not really much. I think I have educated the community what
the Cambodian people have gone through. And I think now so many people are breaking out from being silent. I think
they're getting recognized in the city to make April 14, 15 as the date of the [inaudible] event.
>> Okay. Hold on one second. Sorry.
[ Silence ]
>> Sorry my son is on a field trip right now and his friend is saying get on the bus. So, I'm like oh my god I hope
they're.
[ Inaudible ]
>> I think.
>> Hold on one second, I'm sorry.
[ Silence ]
>> All right, so sorry about that, continue on again.
>> So, I went straight to college and like when I graduated from high school before I went to college in 2004. I
graduated in 2008 came and we had a recession.
>> Right.
>> It was really hard to find a county job. I worked for nonprofit. I just kept working.
>> Okay, wow, okay. But how did you do four years, that's. You just did all the classes?
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>> I did all the classes but I wanted to major in history and I think I changed it in like somewhere throughout one of the
semesters.
>> Okay.
>> And I changed it to the, to become a social worker.
>> Why social work?
>> I figured out you know, I can still connect with our people and learn about them, who they are, so that kind of gave
me a since of like the history itself, like literally talking to people.
>> Okay. Oh important. Okay, so this is the last part. What do you want at Fresno State to change it, to get more
Southeast Asians to be successful like yourself to graduate? And did you mention the gender issue. We do have a
gendered issue. It is more Southeast Asian women, not the men for whatever reason.
>> Like for BA and higher?
>> Yes, down the line. Double A, it's mostly Southeast Asian women. So like yourself there's, it's rare, it's small but still
it is women that are making it through. What do you want at Fresno State? Do you want smaller classes or it makes no
difference?
>> It probably makes no difference. I mean you want to be open to diversity.
>> What about, go ahead and say.
>> But you want to feel connected to your, someone's that you know, has similar face.
>> Okay, okay.
>> So, I would say to you know, yeah there's a Cambodian club that would reach out to like, reach out to people with
online university to join the club. And to reach out back to outside the community, especially targeting Cambodian
teenagers and really in middle school.
>> Targeting teenagers.
>> Or middle school.
>> To go to college.
>> Yes.
>> So, we'll have to have guest speakers like yourself because it's got to be. Okay.
>> I think my younger siblings, they're more exposed to like help than like myself because I'm the first one. But I think
they were into, they were exposed to like.
>> Bridge.
>> Bridge and they also went to like, in middle school they went to visit university which I've never done.
>> Were they Avid?
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>> I don't know, they're Avid I think they're Avid.
>> Did you do Avid?
>> No.
>> Ah, okay.
>> I don't know what's avid, what's avid like?
>> It's a college preparatory program in this area. Very successful.
>> Maybe it barely started and they didn't have it for myself.
>> Wow, okay.
>> I was the guinea pig.
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> Without any kind of help, but my siblings they were more exposed to the bridge, Avid. They went through all that. I
didn't do that.
>> Wow. Okay. So, it would be helpful if you had it. What about, would it make a difference if you had like, you said it
would make a diff, like co-ethnic professor or how about co-ethnic classmates?
>> Yes.
>> More Asian or more Cambodian specific.
>> More Cambodian.
>> Okay.
>> I would say because I'm like used to like Hmong, Lao but there's not many Lao students like a lot of Hmong
students.
[ Inaudible ]
>> Okay, excellent. What about ethnic clubs?
>> Yes, I strongly encourage more ethnic clubs.
>> Okay.
>> And I don't mind going back and giving.
>> Talks.
>> Talks, giving talks and finding someone that has succeeded and to bring them back.
>> So that they see, it's like a psychological, particularly a male. Yes, I think you would be extremely like very
powerful if you talked to the kind of, the students right now. Because you know, they kind of want to quit even though
they're second, third so.
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>> Hopefully, there's a lot, I met, I think his name was Vaughn
>> Vana.
>> Vana.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah, he's very dedicated and hungry for school.
>> So, now the last part is kind of the fun part and also I'll ask you for the third generation but what workshops do you
want for college [inaudible].
>> College?
>> Yes, college to graduate in four years like yourself?
>> Like in college, for college only?
>> College and grad school, like what do we need, what do we need down the line at Fresno State?
>> I mean there's always like, there's a writing center that's already there already.
>> Okay.
>> Maybe peer support, some mentoring.
>> Peer mentoring. Anything else?
>> Gosh, you're putting me on the spot right here.
>> Well, I mean do, is there any workshop like a writing workshop, do you want a financial aid workshop? Do you want
a dance program I don't know?
>> Well, I think we have a dance program in the community already.
>> Oh really?!
>> Yeah.
>> Okay, so there's a Cambodian dance program.
>> United Preserving in something.
>> Dance program. Okay. Go on.
>> Oh God, so we have that but there's a club, when he has his little culture night, Cambodian night, they, the
community will perform.
>> Ooh, that's a huge cultural thing, okay.
>> It's actually ran by a law enforcement. Well, he I think he might be interviewed because he's pretty.
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>> I think someone emailed me about that.
>> He's a police officer.
>> He's a police officer yeah.
>> It's a small world. This is small, it's like him and a lot of other people.
>> I'm pretty sure all of you will be hit up to be guest speakers on a panel to help the next generation. Anything else?
>> I think it's more important in high school and middle school. It hit early on because I didn't know how to like, I didn't
know about financial aid, I struggled.
>> How did you do it then?
>> I think I, I kind of heard some stuff. I went, I went to like, I heard it from somewhere and I went to apply for
financial aid.
>> So, how did you learn because that, people ask about that? We don't have a financial aid workshop.
>> I tell my siblings hey don't forget to apply for financial aid, this is the password, this is how you do it. I mentor them.
>> I know. I don't know how you did it because no one mentored you, you know. The first, that wow.
>> Maybe the last counselor helped me kind of a little bit.
>> Okay.
>> And from there I kind of digged for more information.
>> Okay, so the last one is advice for third, fourth generation. As you know it's still very low graduation rate 12%.
What, if someone [inaudible]. What advice can you give to the third and fourth generation who will be coming up in
like 10 years, right who will also struggle, who are Southeast Asian but also a specific Cambodian American. What can
you tell them to kind of keep going and graduate because they want to quit.
>> I guess my advice to the ongoing generation is to never give up and whatever you have gone through, you can still
change your story and become successful, just don't give up. And again, myself, I, it's very common for the elderly to
gamble, to be on SSI and you want to change that for yourself. The communities, you're here to better yourself and just
reach out and talk to people, don't be afraid, don't be afraid to.
>> Ask questions.
>> Ask questions, reach out to community, do some research, lock arms with someone that are successful to give you
guidance. And don't be afraid because I want to see the Cambodian people to succeed in the community, you know,
across the United States.
>> Right.
>> And we need to come together because I know, you know we've been separated since the killings. So there's a lot of
mistrust among the community but we need to change that, we need to change whatever the elderly have gone through,
that's their own view and we can change that our view or perception that hey we stick together, let's be cohesive. You
know, let's be united and help each other.
>> Okay, great thank you. Is there anything else you want to add?
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>> No, I mean I hope I said.
>> You did, yeah so I'm going to turn off the phone, the recorder so thank you so much. [DJ1]
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