Description
Cambodian Americans are one of the more recent groups to resettle in America in hopes of a more prosperous and secure future. While much has been written about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, there is another chapter in their refugee story. Cambodian and Vietnamese immigrants are often compared since they came to the U.S. during the same general time frame and under similar circumstances. They have the Vietnam War, the refugee experience and issues of resettlement in common, but there still exists great diversity within and across the ethnic groups of Southeast Asia. These include: degree of Westernization; education and literacy in the home country; migration history; social class and social backgrounds; English and other linguistic skills; social supports; age at immigration; and years in the United States. While focusing on Cambodian history, both before and after immigration, the aim of this thesis is to compare the resettlement experiences of Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees since coming to the U.S. and determine why Cambodians are consistently outperformed by Vietnamese Americans in socio-economic attainment.
