Born in a Refugee Camp, Now Telling Cambodian Stories | Vanny (Khmer Voices) | 122

In this episode of What Kind of Asian Are You?, Kyle sits down with Vanny, host of the podcast Khmer Voices, to explore what it means to grow up Cambodian in the diaspora beyond the narratives of genocide and survival that often define the community.

Born in a refugee camp in Thailand and raised in Canada, Vanny shares how silence, survival, and generational trauma shaped her upbringing and how storytelling became a path toward healing, identity, and cultural pride.

We talk about:

•  Growing up in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge genocide 
•  The silence around mental health in Cambodian families 
•  Why diaspora identity is more than history and trauma 
•  Reclaiming Cambodian culture through food, language, and storytelling 
•  Building community media spaces for the next generation 
•  And what it means to turn survival into creation 

Recorded during AAPI Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and Mother’s Day weekend, this conversation is a reflection on motherhood, memory, and the power of telling your own story.

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