One of the least-known periods of recent Cambodian history for Khmer Americans now in their 20s and 30s who came to live in the US as young children is the 1980s. The US and Cambodia were particularly polarized at this time; there was a trade embargo against Cambodia, travel to and from for citizens of either country was difficult, and if your parents came to the US as refugees in the early-mid 1980s, chances are they taught you that everyone who didn't flee the country was a communist and not worthy of the time of day.
In reality, of course, people chose to stay in Cambodia (as opposed to becoming refugees) for a number of reasons, very often not political ones. And the people who stayed needed to do their best to survive in an extremely bleak economic climate and under a fairly repressive political regime. This video presents a glimpse into one woman's--and her mother's--strategies to ensure that she remained safe and was able to earn a decent living. Like many Cambodians who emerged from the Khmer Rouge years with at least a high school education (obtained prior to 1975, of course), she took advantage of the opportunity to go study in the Soviet Union. She also chose her career based on what was in demand (by the government) at the time, as opposed to her own dreams and goals.
Difficult vocabulary in the video is presented in this list, which will open in a separate window. Holding the mouse over a word will give you its English gloss. Listen to the interview, consulting the list, as many times as necessary to clearly understand the woman's story. The more important words appear in purple in the vocabulary window. These are the terms you'll use way beyond this lesson. You'll need most of the terms on the list to be able to intelligently discuss this video in class if you're a SEASSI student, of course. If you can't clearly understand everything in the video on your own, seek help from a classmate or come to office hours for help from your instructors. At any rate, be prepared to discuss the following questions from the video, in Khmer, at the next class meeting after you're assigned this lesson: