May 25, 2023 Read Time:
Resilience
On Sunday, we celebrated our daughter Chenda’s graduation from college. From the beginning of the ceremony and throughout the weekend, I reflected on her extraordinary journey – from an orphanage just outside of Phnom Penh, Cambodia to an inner ring Boston suburb. My own interest in teaching, leading, and learning across differences stems, in large part, from my own journey as the mother of an Asian-born, American and Jewish-reared daughter. It is humbling to parent across difference, and I am often awestruck by my daughter’s resilience as she navigates the complexity of her multiple identities.
As we mark Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I am reflecting on the beauty and richness of my daughter’s Cambodian heritage, which we had the opportunity to visit together on a family “homeland” trip after her junior year in high school. She reveled in being greeted so warmly by the people we met. “We are so proud of you,” was the common refrain. These words came back to me on Sunday as I watched her graduate, realizing that in her family and culture of origin, she is a first-generation college graduate. Their greeting was both an affirmation and an aspiration.
When we adopted Chenda, we promised the Cambodian government that we would provide her with the highest level of education she wished to pursue. We’ve come to think of it as a form of reparation—a way of countering the brutality of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, who murdered 2 million Cambodian people in the 1970s. Many of those who perished were the country’s journalists, doctors, students, teachers, artists, and other professionals. As Chenda moves out into the world, we pray she draws on her Cambodian, American, and Jewish identities to weave a life filled with love and meaningful work.
In this graduation season, we would love to hear your graduation stories and/or those of your family members. Send them to us at info@powerofplacelc.org and we will share them in the next newsletter!
Warmest wishes,
Jane
