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Beauty
& Darkness
Cambodia
is a country in Southeast Asia of incredible beauty, with
famous breathtaking temples, fertile plains dotted with rice
fields, and a history unlike any other. The dominant
religion is Buddhism, which places value on hospitality and
kindness. Each year, Cambodia draws millions of
tourists who come to enjoy the country's breathtaking sights
and enter the walls of Cambodia's Angkor Wat
- one of the seven wonders of the world.
But sadly, with all the beauty that Cambodia has captured
throughout time, at one point in its history, darkness devoured this fragile
nation. Once ruled by the French as part of French Indochina,
Cambodian gained independence from European colonization at a
price. Years of civil war, turmoil, and political
corruption followed as Cambodia began governing itself.
With bordering Vietnam at war with the United States,
Cambodia was also slowly dragged into darkness when the Nixon
administration conducted secret bombings of Cambodia during
the early 1970s. This led to the rise of communist
leader Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge entourage, who brought the
country into the darkest days of its history. From
1975-1979, Cambodia turned into the infamous "Killing Fields"
where nearly two million of Cambodia's six million population
were killed.
Today,
Cambodia still struggles to overcome its dark history.
Landmines still scatter the nation, serving as dangerous
remnants of war and resulting in an alarmingly high number of disabled
people. In addition, due to its weak and sometimes
ineffective government, several illegal activities such as
children
sex trade continue to operate within Cambodia's borders.
According to the latest US Census Report, there are approximately
200,000 Cambodian- Americans living in the United States today.
The largest concentrations are located in Long Beach, California and
Lowell, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, for many, the darkness of
Cambodia's past has followed them to this "land of
freedom." Cambodian-Americans still face a plethora
of problems, such as high gang
violence, teen pregnancy, social anxiety, poverty, and
the highest illiterate rate among any group in the United
States.
Learn
More!
BBCC
recommends the following
books for those who want to learn more:
Also, look
at the pictures page to see photos
from Sana's trip to Cambodia during the summer of 2004. |
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