Reflective Praxis and Program-Building for Khmer American Women’s Leadership

Abstract

In this article, we offer a grounded, interdisciplinary profile of Khmer American women and girls within diasporic, historical, intergenerational, family and community contexts. Our synthesis begins with a critical historical framing and demographic analysis. Through brief case studies of two local Khmer womencentered commitments during the past two decades—one focused on street-based girls‘ development and one dedicated to documentation of grandmother knowledge—we then foreground the importance of recognizing transnational, traumatic legacies and the power of intergenerational storytelling over time. We conclude with reflections based on our collaborative efforts to develop and document Khmer diasporic women-centered leadership within the structure, culture, and long-term educational praxis of an Asian American Studies academic program at one urban, public, minority-serving university in the United States.