Putsata Reang, seasoned journalist and author, is releasing an honest and beautifully written memoir “Ma & Me” on May 17th, 2022 that explores her family’s journey of escaping Cambodia by boat from the Khmer Rouge Genocide in the 1970's to adjusting to their new lives in the U.S. Putsata grapples with her identities and relationships growing up as Khmer American, gay, a woman and a child of refugees. In our conversation, Putsata touches upon topics such as what she uncovered about herself and her family, advice for those who are caught in-between who they are and what others want them to be, and her thoughts around how we can maintain our culture and language away from our family's country of origin. We felt a deep connection with her experiences, as our Khmer family also faced unimaginable trauma, loss, and financial troubles which permeated into intergenerational trauma, shaping the way we were raised and how we view the world.
What’s the emotional toll of frequent moves during childhood & teenhood? For us, moving to a different school meant that we needed to embrace the unknown and adapt to our new situation fairly quickly. In leaving our established lives behind, we sometimes lost connections with our old friends whom we had seen regularly before. In order to survive as a new kid in town, we had to figure out how to fit in, make new friends, and integrate into the new school culture and system. It wasn’t easy to embrace change, but it gave us the ability to have a growth mindset and to persevere through tough and uncomfortable situations.
As Millennials, we grew up during the explosion of the internet aka the DotCom Bubble and, in a way, we were able to experience the best of both worlds. We recalled our childhood memories of playing outside and coming up with creative games to experimenting with xanga and myspace during our teen years. Our lives have changed drastically as technology continues to advance.
As 2nd generation Khmer-Americans, we deal with intense pressures and expectations to do well academically and professionally to honor our family's sacrifices and make them proud. We were taught to put others before ourselves, follow the status quo, work hard to survive, and internalize our behaviors and emotions. Tough love, tiger parenting, whatever you may call it… has impacted us in a number of different ways. In this episode, we share more about our learnings and how we would approach parenting if we were to start a family one day.
Traveling internationally has a multitude of benefits like improving your mental health, communication and social skills and deepening your knowledge and understanding about the world around you. We will share our personal experiences on what it was like to study abroad during our college years at the University of Washington of Seattle. For Jasmine, she'll share about studying Communications in Italy for 3 months, while Mellissa will share about her social work experience in Cambodia for 1 month. Once it’s safe to travel more, we hope this episode encourages you, including our youth, to plan your next adventure in a country where you might not have set foot before. Take a risk and travel on the unbeaten path!
Going through a breakup is one of the most difficult transitions to navigate in life. Today, we will share lessons from our past relationships, signs we believe that are associated with unhealthy relationships, values that we want or desire in a long-term partner, and tips and advice on how to move forward from a breakup to begin healing your heart.
Season 2 is a wrap! Before saying our goodbyes this year, we wanted to reflect on our podcast / community project and how it has impacted us personally and professionally, as well as our sisterly bond. Jasmine is currently preparing for another COVID-19 impacted school year and Mellissa is on a spiritual journey to finding herself again. Thanks to all of our listeners and special guest speakers for being on this 1+ year journey with us! A brand new season will kick off in January of 2022.
Behind every delicious food recipe is a talented home cook & recipe developer! Get to know Charles Calvino, a 2nd Generation Cambodian / Khmer American, who became interested in the artsy field when he was 19. Charles loves having fun while being creative and making people feel good about themselves through his quality content. His love is around food & food is life!
Learn more about Charles by reading his full feature story: https://www.2khmericansisters.com/asian-pacific-islander-api/charles-calvino-hang
Follow his instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/charlescalvino/
In a heart-to-heart discussion with PichMony "Mony" Thay, we discuss the value of prioritizing Self-Love & Self-Care. When Mony was in high school, he got severely bullied and did not have anyone to talk to regarding his sexuality. This led him to depression and having suicidal thoughts. Today, he is deeply motivated to help those who are struggling with their own sexuality and mental health. Mony is now proudly out of the closet, has a supportive family who understands him and his passions. He gives back to his communities through podcasting and social media, focusing on topics related to mental health which are often shunned by our Khmer/Asian culture.
Learn more about Mony by following him on Instagram @zac.avocado @monuspeople @noggincambodia.
Reaching adulthood status is a huge milestone! As a young adult, it can feel both exciting and daunting as you transition into the real world and start discovering a newfound freedom & a world of endless possibilities while navigating a unique set of obstacles and experiences. Coming from an immigrant background, you may find yourself lost and alone on this journey with little to no support from your parents, relatives, and friends. As your 2 Khmerican Sisters, we’ve got your back! We offer some insights into what our early adulthood years were like and guidance into “adulting” although we still feel like we’re always learning. One of our loyal listeners, Tanaka Nhong, helps kick off this much needed dialogue and asks us a few burning questions, like our experiences of transitioning from high school to college, college into the workforce, graduating without debt, being a first time homebuyer, basic financial tips & other life lessons.
Maryann is a trauma writer, mental health advocate, podcast host of Mental Breakthrough, and Founder of Sincerely Miss Mary. We invite you to listen in and learn about Maryann’s upbringing of being born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago as a 2nd generation Cambodian-American, her pivotal career transition from the high fashion industry to writing, and her tips on how to live life more unapologetically. Maryann speaks to the value of therapy and sharing our stories, and the process of battling with and through trauma.
Learn more about Maryann by following her instagrams @mentalbreakthroughpodcast @sincerelymissmary
