Cambodian Invisibility in Education

Cambodian Invisibility in Education by Christina Nhek is the most recent in the What’s Your Normal series, a regular feature on the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association website. Nhek writes, “I came to understand that I fell into the stereotypes that are associated with mainstream Asian Americans. My family came to the U.S. to give their children better opportunities. I had an educational standard I adhered to because of the expectations of my parents. I needed to succeed. What I failed to recognize, however, is the fact that as Cambodian American, I am not part of mainstream Asian American communities.”

What’s Your Normal is a a series of personal essays, accompanied by resource lists, highlighting the different kinds and forms of identities within APA populations. Writers are encouraged to share stories that give insight into what is “normal” identy(ies). The APALA goal is to allow us to learn from each other and to showcase the diversity within the APA populations. The resource lists will be archived for use by librarians, information professionals, and the general public.