Born after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Phatry Derek Pan, decided to create an online blog to commemorate the Cambodian genocide and bring awareness to the Cambodian American community. Pan hopes that current and future generations will have an easily accessible online resource to inform them on past historical events that created their community.
In cooperation with his friend Sophath Oun, Pan launched the website Khmerican.com, which continues to grow with support from the community and contributors. Whether an individual is a Khmerican, a Cambodian American, or just an individual interested in learning about their historical movement, Khmerican is a online platform to discuss any of these issues or concerns.
In building this website, Pan, hopes to create new leaders and contributors by engaging the community into the discussion, similar to the concept of “knowing is not enough, we must apply our knowledge.”
In this technological age, the internet has become our primary source of information; as a result, Khmerican and other similar culturally-oriented websites will provide convenient forums for individuals to express their thoughts and to learn more about themselves historically and culturally.
By: Elaine Lieu
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