Visiting the National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial

The Wall of Remembrance in the Killing Fields Memorial

DHD 420 students and class partners visited the National Cambodian Museum earlier in January. The Cambodian Association of Illinois (CAI) supported the establishment of this museum in 2004. This museum is dedicated to foster awareness of the Cambodian genocide, provide supports for the genocide survivors and their families, and encourage leadership development towards pursuing social justice.

The Khmer Rouge regime took power in Cambodia in 1975. More than two million people (nearly a quarter of the population) died during the next four years due to starvation, hard labor, torture, disease, and injury. This museum aims to help us navigate the balanced journey of acknowledging past suffering and moving forward with renewed hope and strength. It creates space for the Cambodian community to grieve and reflect, while also building community in the present through services, programs, and dialogue.

An installation in the Remembering the Killing Fields exhibition. "Angkar has the many eyes of the pineapple" was one of the slogans used during the Khmer Rouge regime to maintain power.

The National Cambodian Museum provides programs in cultural and healing arts, including dance, music, creative writing, drawing, and sculpture. Youth leadership and mentorship is also made available, promoting education on Cambodian culture and fostering a professional network of support.

This museum demonstrates a strong intersection of Asian American mental health, arts, and community engagement. The exhibitions are curated with much care and tell a complex story of pain and trauma. The services tie in creative arts, language, and forms of expression that strengthen the community and allow new opportunities for relationships between generations. Instead of one component coming at the cost of another, each component strengthens the pursuit of the others.

This museum is not a static institution, but an ever-evolving cultural agent where community members actively take part in making its narratives.

-The National Cambodian Heritage Museum, 2022, para. 2.

Museum display, located close to the entrance of the museum.

Acknowledgement

Thank you Professor Rooshey Hasnain and community partner Kaoru Watanabe for allowing this opportunity to learn more about Cambodian history, community, and arts.

Resources

Genocide in Cambodia, hosted by Holocaust Museum Houston. https://hmh.org/library/research/genocide-in-cambodia-guide/

The Khmer Rouge murders, lesson by Timothy Williams at TED-ED. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_TYFfkc_1U&ab_channel=TED-Ed

National Cambodian Heritage Museum. https://www.cambodianmuseum.org/

References

National Cambodian Heritage Museum (2022). Living Museum Model. https://www.cambodianmuseum.org/living-model-museum