List of Cambodian Americans

This is a list of notable Cambodian Americans , including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Cambodian American or must have references showing they are Cambodian American and are notable.

List

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

• Zach Charbonnet - football player; drafted to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2023 NFL draft
• Francois Chau - actor; known for his role as Dr. Pierre Chang in Lost
• Sokhary Chau - Mayor of Lowell. First mayor of Cambodian descent in the US.
• Monirith Chhea - visual artist originally from Phnom Penh
• Arn Chorn-Pond - musician and human rights activist ^[1]
• Kris Dim - body builder
• Bhante Dharmawara - Buddhist monk and teacher; helped resettle thousands of Cambodian refugees in the US; founded the first Cambodian Buddhist temple in the US
• Sophal Ear - professor at Arizona State University and refugee from Phnom Penh
• Maya Gilliss-Chapman - founder and CEO of Cambodians in Tech, Miss Cambodian American, 2nd Runner
• Elizabeth Heng - politician, candidate for California's 16th congressional district in 2018 ^[2]
• Tara Hong - Cambodian American elected to the Massachusetts state legislature (18th Middlesex District)
• Vanna Howard - politician, first Cambodian American woman elected to the Massachusetts state legislature (17th Middlesex District)
• Soben Huon - Miss Utah 2006
• Jessa Khan - martial artist/sportsperson
• SreyRam Kuy - first female Cambodian refugee to become a surgeon in the United States; former Chief Medical Officer for Medicaid for the state of Louisiana; former Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Community Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs ^{[3] [4] [5]}
• Phillip Lim - fashion designer
• Kalyanee Mam - filmmaker
• Laura Mam - musician and music industry entrepreneur. ^[6]
• Sam Meas - first Cambodian-American congressional candidate
• Ros Mey - Buddhist monk and survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, head monk of Wat Thormikaram in Providence, Rhode Island
• Rady Mom - politician, first Cambodian American elected to the Massachusetts state legislature (18th Middlesex District)
• Sochua Mu - politician, democracy and women's rights activist ^[7]
• Chhom Nimol - lead vocalist for the band Dengue Fever
• Haing S. Ngor (1940-1996) - Oscar-winning actor for his performance in the movie The Killing Fields ; author, physician ^[8]
• Ted Ngoy - "Doughnut King," entrepreneur and politician ^[9]
• Soma Norodom - Princess of Cambodia, journalist and author
• Chanthou Oeur - painter and sculptor
• Monty Oum - visual artist, designer, and animator, of Cambodian and Vietnamese descent
• Pisay Pao - actress
• Sopheap Pich - sculptor and visual artist
• Chath PierSath - poet, painter, and humanitarian
• Dith Pran (1942-2008) - portrayed in the movie The Killing Fields ; photojournalist for The New York Times ; human rights activist
• Apsara Sakbun - Olympic swimmer
• Brandon Sakbun - mayor
• San Kim Sean - martial artist
• Theary Seng - human rights activist
• Sophiline Cheam Shapiro - choreographer and dance teacher ^[10]
• Sichan Siv - former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the author of Golden Bones
• Anthony Veasna So - writer
• Pou Sohtireak - politician
• Khatharya Um - professor of Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley and Berkeley's first Cambodian-American faculty member
• Loung Ung - author, speaker, Khmer Rouge survivor and activist against landmines ^[11]
• Jordan Windle - Olympic diver
• Chhun Yasith - political activist, received life sentence for attempting a coup
• Nite Yun - chef and restaurateur

Naturalized

• Angelina Jolie - American actress, maintains dual Cambodian and American citizenship, given Cambodian citizenship in 2005

References

1. Sheehy, Gail, "A Home for Cambodia's Children," New York Times, Sept 23, 1984, p. 44.
2. Men, Kimseng (November 1, 2018). "Cambodian-American Newcomer Challenges Veteran California Representative". VOA. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
3. Curtis, John. "From the killing fields to the halls of power". Yale School of Medicine. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
4. "User Profile". AGLN - Aspen Global Leadership Network. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
5. "Houston Surgeon SreyRam Kuy, MD, MHS, FACS, Honored for Inspiring Women in Surgery". American College of Surgeons. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
6. "Singer Laura Mam wins culture award". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
7. Stone, Meighan (September 13, 2018). "Pushing for Political Parity: A Conversation With Mu Sochua". Council on Foreign Relations . Retrieved August 11, 2019.
8. Hyung-chan Kim; Stephen Fugita; Dorothy C. L. Cordova (1999). Distinguished Asian Americans: A Biographical Dictionary . Greenwood Publishing Group. pp.  264–5. ISBN   0-313-28902-6.
9. Naomi Hirahara (2003). Distinguished Asian Americans Business Leaders. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 150–152. ISBN   1-57356-344-7.
10. "FRONTLINE/WORLD . Cambodia - Pol Pot's Shadow. Interview with Sophiline Shapiro - The Dancer - PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
11. Loung Ung. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers . HarperCollins (2003).