Feeling Cambodian: An Identity Quest for the Children of the Diaspora

PHNOM PENH — In November 2020, Linda Nguon, a French woman of Cambodian and Vietnamese origins, launched Banh Mi Media, an online platform celebrating Asian identities and cultures. "After eight years working in Asia, I felt the need to create a space that highlights the diversity of Asian identities, which are often overlooked in their uniqueness in France."

Caption: French Cambodians who recently took part in a talk in Phnom Penh on French and Canadians of Cambodian heritage. From left, Adana Mam Legros, Tifanny Doche, FONKi, Davy Chou, Linda Nguyon and Sok Visal. Photo: @Banh Mi media

She also wanted to enable a conversation on the importance of celebrating all identities equally, as well as create a space for the French-Asian community to share views. And she meant to give a voice to the children of Asians who grew up in Western countries but carrying their Asian or Southeast Asian heritage.

"Avoiding generalizations, breaking away from stereotypes, and celebrating diversity,” Nguon said, were her goals for launching Banh Mi Media. This, and enabling a dialogue on the importance of viewing all identities equally, she added. So, in addition to podcasts, the platform also involves blog articles and in-person events. She has interviewed French Cambodian film director Rithy Panh and entrepreneur Sok Visal.

And on Aug. 30, Nguon hosted Banh Mi Media’s first event in Phnom Penh. Held at the FT Gallery on the theme “Back to the Roots,” the event featured four Cambodian mixed-race people who spoke of the challenges they face especially in France, and why they have chosen to live in Cambodia.

As Nguon explained during the event, while people of Asian and Southeast Asian descent may share the feeling of being invisible in France and live through similar experiences, these often differ depending on the country of their roots. They cannot be reduced to a single group, she said.

Caption: Linda Nguon launched Banh Mi Media to speak of and give a voice to people of Asian and Southeast Asian parents who grew up in Western countries. Photo: Wendy Huynh

Their stories may tremendously vary. For example, Nguon who had long thought that she was Vietnamese, discovered one day that, while of Vietnamese origin, her parents had lived in Cambodia.

For FONKi, a Franco-Canadian graphic artist whose parents are Cambodian, one reason he relocated to Cambodia is the fact that, he said, “Phnom Penh aspires to be the Southeast Asian capital of the arts.”

Being connected to dual cultures can be both enriching and challenging, said painter Adana Mam Legros. But, she explained, “art is a tool for healing.” Legros addresses the complexities of having a hybrid identity in his paintings, she said.

As the speakers who also included film director Davy Chou and fashion designer Tiffanny Bophadavy Doche explained, they have grown up with a mosaic-type identity, composed of many pieces. All of them share a common goal: contributing to Cambodia's artistic revival. To achieve this, they innovate and artistically explore their questions, emotions, and past experiences.

For them, they said during the event, Cambodia today is more than just their country of origin. They view the country as a land of possibilities, and contributing as individuals of mixed heritage to the country of their parents is their heartfelt wish.