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New World Jobs
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I came [to Greensboro] ready to work to support my kids so
that they can go to school and get an education.
– Nas Kai
Almost all of the Cambodians who survived the Khmer Rouge and became refugees were rice farmers or fishermen. In the United States, they needed a different set of skills. They were prepared to work hard and to learn how to use new tools and technologies.
With the help of Lutheran Family Services, they found jobs in furniture factories and textile mills that did not require them to speak
English fluently. After fifteen years, recent downturns in the textile industry have left many Cambodians unemployed or forced to change jobs.
Some Cambodians are starting their own businesses. Others, younger and more educated, are beginning to obtain higher-paying professional positions.
> Learn about Passing on Cultural Traditions
> Learn about A Cambodian Rite of Passage
> Return to Tradition & Change
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| © © Greensboro Historical Museum |
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It’s like you are riding on a boat, two different boats. One leg is on the Cambodian one, one leg is on the American boat. One is going east, one’s going west, you going to fall in the middle. That’s when you’re trapped, because you don’t know what to decide. Why don’t you buy a third boat, which you could blend it all in together, and you’ll be safe.
