1.1A Senate resolution
1.2honoring the Cambodian Minnesotan Story from the Killing Fields of Cambodia to
1.3the Prairies of Minnesota.
1.4WHEREAS, survivors of the Cambodian Killing Fields can tell you of the horrors they have
1.5lived through under the Communist Khmer Rouge regime. Children who survived the Killing Fields
1.6can draw pictures of their experiences to make you cry a lifetime of tears. This is the Minnesotan
1.7of Cambodian (Khmer) descent story - a tapestry woven together from fragments of the countless
1.8lives shattered to pieces and scattered to the winds by the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror; and
1.9WHEREAS, the multinational conflicts during the Vietnam War spread to the neutral country
1.10of Cambodia. Because of the United States military supremacy in the Demilitarized Zone, south
1.11of the 17th parallel dividing line that separated North and South Vietnam from each other, the North
1.12used the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos and Cambodia to infiltrate supplies and soldiers into
1.13South Vietnam. During the course of the Vietnam War, more than 5,000,000 tons of bombs were
1.14dropped on Cambodia by the United States and allies to disrupt this movement by North Vietnam;
1.15and
1.16WHEREAS, by 1968, Cambodia itself fell into full-fledged Civil War resulting in the victory
1.17of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in 1975. The victory of the Khmer Rouge sparked the time
1.18period known as the "Killing Fields." During their reign from 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge
1.19killed millions of Cambodians for reasons ranging from their light skin, to their level of education,
1.20to their perceived "poor" work ethic. Killed and buried in mass graves on the Killing Fields lay an
1.21estimated 1,700,000 to 2,500,000 people, victims of genocide; and
1.22WHEREAS, the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1979 ended the Khmer Rouge regime's
1.23reign, but it forced thousands of Cambodians to flee the country as refugees. Most of the refugees
1.24headed toward the Thai border. Many eventually made their way to Minnesota; and
2.1WHEREAS, the majority of the Cambodian refugees arrived in Minnesota in the mid 1980's
2.2to early 1990's. These survivors of the Killing Fields, and the refugee camps of Thailand, experienced
2.3a high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as linguistic, cultural, and economic barriers.
2.4Post-traumatic stress disorder was a constant companion, particularly for the Cambodian elders;
2.5memories of their friends and families lost to the Killing Fields plagued their days and nights in
2.6America. The younger Cambodians had a slightly different set of challenges; they had to balance
2.7the expectations of their elders with those of life in America, which included learning a new language,
2.8attending school, holding a job, and renegotiating their identities. For both groups, facing countless
2.9barriers reminded them daily that they could not be the same Cambodians they were in their native
2.10country, but they were not "American" enough, yet; and
2.11WHEREAS, Cambodians resettled primarily in the Twin Cities and Rochester. In both places,
2.12these refugees struggled to overcome the horrors of yesterday, and rise up to the challenges of the
2.13opportunities they often heard about on television and in the schools. They sought to make Minnesota
2.14their home; and
2.15WHEREAS, over time, the horror, pain, trauma, and sorrow of the Killing Fields became
2.16more like memories, rather than silent and invisible companions. Generations of American children
2.17were born to and raised by the refugees. In time, both the refugees and their American-born children
2.18grew to feel that they had arrived "home" in a way only they could understand. With this realization
2.19came the American dream of building the largest Buddhist temple in the United States; they would
2.20name it "Watt Munisotaram," Khmer for "Temple Minnesota," in honor of their story as Minnesotans
2.21of Cambodian descent; and
2.22WHEREAS, in the summer, when the corn is at the height of its lushness and dancing to the
2.23humid heat, Temple Minnesota stands out like the dream that never dies, even during the darkest
2.24days of the Khmer Rouge - beautiful, calm, and a reminder of the spirit of a people determined to
2.25overcome and thrive. On the grounds of Temple Minnesota, in Hampton, Minnesotans of all
2.26backgrounds gather to celebrate the many holidays that make Minnesota's Cambodian community
2.27what it is today - a vibrant mix of yesterday, today, and tomorrow; and
2.28WHEREAS, today, Cambodian Minnesotans own businesses, lead nonprofits, and contribute
2.29their knowledge and skills to helping other refugees and immigrants adjust to life in Minnesota;
2.30practice as doctors, pharmacists, and nurses at the Mayo Clinic and other medical facilities; and
2.31serve as administrators, teachers, and counselors in the schools of Rochester, Faribault, St. Paul,
2.32and elsewhere in Minnesota; and
2.33WHEREAS, from the Killing Fields of Cambodia to the prairies of Minnesota, Americans
2.34of Cambodian descent recall, humbly and triumphantly, their individual and collective journeys to
2.35this land of immigrants, this home. The broader communities that they are members of have learned
2.36from and enjoyed Cambodian music, art, and stories. The refugees who arrived on Minnesota's
2.37doorsteps with memories of the Killing Fields, and fears of failure should the missing pieces of
3.1their stories remain unfound, have demonstrated that the human spirit is resilient. These missing
3.2pieces are opportunities for new and better pieces; and
3.3WHEREAS, from the prairies to the cities of this great state, a powerful story continues to
3.4unfold - that of Minnesota welcoming a community of refugees, and working with them to make
3.5it possible for their children to hold the pen that will write the next chapters to the story of an
3.6American people whose story begins with "From the Killing Fields of Cambodia to the prairies of
3.7Minnesota."
3.8BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota that it recognizes the challenges
3.9overcome by Cambodian Minnesotans and honors the spirit and contributions of these Minnesotans.
3.10BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is directed to prepare a copy
3.11of this resolution, to be authenticated by his signature and that of the Chair of the Senate Rules and
3.12Administration Committee.