Based on 1981 rates, there are whenever 20,000 Cambodian refugees in the united states and another 100,one hundred thousand to 187,000 waiting for resettlement from inside the camps of basic asylum (You. As much as cuatro,100 of one’s Cambodian refugees was in fact resettled from the San Francisco San francisco bay area (occupation notes, November 1982).

Historical/Cultural Background of Refugees

Present day Cambodia uses up a segmet of around 66,100 rectangular miles, bordered with the east by Vietnam, towards northern of the Laos, as well as on the fresh northwest of the Thailand. Inside 1967, it got a society of approximately 6.twenty five million. Ethnic Khmer made-up regarding the 85 per cent from the complete. The fresh root of Khmer try unfamiliar, but it is believed that it gone to your Mekong Delta in the Northwest some time in advance of dos,100000 B.C. (Munson 1968:step 1, 47-56).

Khmer background might be divided in to three fundamental symptoms. The first months, and this gets to the midst of new 15th 100 years, witnessed this new Khmer’s increase to political dominance in the region and you will new blooming off Cambodia’s vintage culture. During the Angkor Period (803-1432), there’s a rapid development in the latest arts and also the inclusion of Mahayana and Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism, taken to Cambodia by way of Ceylon sometime when you look at the center of your thirteenth 100 years, is actually afterwards followed just like the state religion (Zadrozny -20). That time off Changeover (1432-1864), and therefore bodian record, witnessed a decline throughout the Khmer’s financial and political energy and you will repeating battles that have neighboring nations to hold self-reliance and dominance. It bodia due to the fact a good French Protectorate in 1864, a status that it would be to keep for pretty much 100 years. It wasn’t up until 1953 one Cambodia in the long run restored the independence. (more…)