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So, hello, today is Tuesday, September 7, 2021. My name is Emily Ma, and I'm here with Sarah Kong interviewing Ms. Sambo Phon for the Houston Asian American Archive at Rice.

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Thank you for sharing your story with us. Thank you. So to start from the very beginning, could you tell us where and when you were born? Born on Jan-January 25, 1966.

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And which country were you born in? Cambodia. Okay. And so are there any like, favorite memories from your childhood that you want to share? When I'm young?

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Mhm, yeah. My favorite? Yeah, just like any memories that you have. I remember... when I'm younger, I remember—because the country

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after Khmer Rouge, we only walking to school. That I remember. And –and my dad he the teacher, but he have bicycle, but

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only the kid only walked to school, everybody. Yeah. And do you have any memories of like traditions or holidays that your family participated in? I never had holiday. Oh, I see, okay.

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But only five days a week at school. But today happier . And so what were your parents' occupations? So I understood your dad was a teacher?

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And how about your mom? My mom, she–she served food at school for the student. Because my—her sister, she teacher too. My sister—my–my mom's sister, she was a teacher too.

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And when the school teacher, they let the family go to—you open small business, breakfast—cooked breakfast, and for school, yeah. I see. And what kind of teacher was your dad?

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Did he teach like younger students, or...? No, he–he the top teacher, my dad. So he taught like older students? Yeah. No—yeah, he teach,

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you know, like college students. Yeah, he the top teacher, not small teacher. And so, I know you mentioned that you're Buddhist. Did your family like observe any Buddhist

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traditions when you were growing up? Or did you go to church or anything? When I grow up, only I know my parent only the Buddhists. Mm. So it was more like they taught you?

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Okay. And could you describe the education system where you grew up? Like could you describe the schools that you went to? The school? Mhm, like how was the schools that you went

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to? Oh, the school is not far from the house, around the neighborhood. Like two mile from the house, you can walk there. Did you like going to school?

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I like go to school, yes. Only one half day of school, not full day like here, like only the school the morning–the morning. But sometime we still do afternoon school.

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Not all the time like every Monday go to school, only the morning, like that this week. Some Monday you go the afternoon, some Monday you go the morning. Yes.

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And did you have any like favorite subjects in school, or favorite classes? I like to write and read, my favorite when I'm young. But the math, I don't like math .

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. Because I–I–I didn't know how, I don't like that one. But, you know, like you read and write, I like it. I like a lot, and my writing good. I see. And did they teach you Cambodian and English, or just Cambodian in

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school? Only Cambodian. After Khmer Rouge, it's not much teachers in the Cambodian. Only the teach you write, read, a little bit, not like a lot.

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The teachers, not much teachers. Yeah. And so could you tell us a bit of–about like what you remember about the time, like right before the Khmer Rouge took over? I remember.

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Before I live in town, like not too big town, like small town, but they say because my dad, he teacher, he moved a lot, because some—he don't like stay in one place, my dad. So he moved—sometime, you know, the

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last sometime––something far away a little bit, but he still a teacher, my dad. He didn't know how to do business, my dad, and I never saw—you know the farm in the

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rice? And my dad, he say one day gonna bring the kid to see the farm, how–how make the rice, how you make, you know, how rice—start do it. He–he did it, but after that Khmer Rouge, yeah.

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And would you feel comfortable like sharing your experiences of how you escaped Cambodia with your family? I—when Khmer Rouge, the Khmer Rouge don't like you together, family.

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Only guy-guy, girl-girl no live together , separate. Like the kid, my sister like two years old, they keep like at daycare, is simple like daycare.

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But in the morning, my mom put her in—but not daycare like daycare, you know, put there and go to work, and come pick up after work, and sometime maybe far away, my dad go far away, so we did not stay together family.

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So I'm separate too, and I’m––the age, they live like, okay, like 10 years old, 10 years old, 15 years old, separate. Boy-girl not together.

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The Khmer Rouge wanted same, it's very hard. So they separated you a lot. Yeah, separate. Sometime I ran away, I meet my mom, my dad. I ran away to see, I go back to work.

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But had to be run fast because a lot of mile to walk, you know? Yeah, but they didn't know you. If you—Khmer Rouge, if they saw you stole something, they kill you. They're not leave you alive. Because no stole and no–no food and

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people die a lot, because no food. How old were you when you got separated? I'm like 10 something years old, the age. So you were still pretty young, were you confused about the situation or did you

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understand what was going on? I understand, I remember a lot. I remember everything, really, because I think around 11 or 12, I forgot, not exactly, but around there.

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So I remember, because not easy, like they die a lot, and it's not easy, very hard. Did you–did you know anyone who died, or did you, like— Neighbor die a lot.

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Sometime, my neighbor, she Chinese, right? Chinese and Cambodia, and–and the parent die and don't know how to do, no food, and sleep and die. And so skinny,

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like very skinny, and eat what you eat, you know? Because my family is still alive and because we don't know how to eat like a lot

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of vegetable, we don't like the fresh vegetable, don't know how to eat, only steam–steam it know how to eat. No steam, no eat it. Can't eat at all. And then no—like

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small amount to give you every day. They give small amount, and you work seven days a week: the morning until night come back home, everyday. Small kid, big kid, the same.

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Where did you work? I work like, the—they crazy you know, like in the–in the farm, they make the rice, make something or whatever. No—nonstop. In the morning, they give you small food,

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small, very small. And after eat, ready, go to work again. And dinner, they gave you small amount, that's it.

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So every day, you felt, like, hungry. Yeah I'm hungry and my dad is still alive. Because I—my dad he-he's—I think he from, like, four miles from me. And from my job and his job, right?

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And he's so hungry, very hungry. He couldn't stole something, zero. And me, I know my dad that—my food, you know?

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One day, like the morning, right, afternoon, or like lunchtime, my food, I'm–I'm not eat, I give to my dad. But you know like the—did you throw away scraps, everything, in the–the dirt, and I go check

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there, I eat it. But one–one–one—I eat one a day, my–my lunch—or dinner, and I gave my dad lunch, and I–I ran away, give to him.

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And he saw me stuck under–under tree with my sister, and–and my dad saw me, he–he bring the pail with him, and he come eat un-under the tree, and eat finish, I run away to work again. They give you, like, they give you,

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like, two hour, go back to work, right? That's how I had time to run, to run, bring the food to my dad. My dad say, "Why you give to me? What you–what you eat?" I say, "Don't worry, you know me.

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I'm fast." I can, you know, like, skip like line, you know, like line, get the food, right? Maybe I fast, they didn't see me. So I have one more food for me.

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But nothing. I lied to my dad. Because I had to give—you give it to him, if you not lying, he can't eat, right? Sounds like you're a very caring daughter.

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You were just trying your best to help him. Yeah. What kind of teacher was your dad? Like the–the principal, like the big one, my dad.

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Yeah. But then he had to do work? He—yeah. Was it like manual work? Like was it farming too? Or— He in a office, in office.

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When—before Khmer Rouge, he had a—back—he, when he young, he—before Khmer Rouge, he–he worked in office, he no work in teach—he skip—no take school student anymore, yeah.

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And during Khmer Rouge? Where did he work? The Khmer Rouge? No–no student, no nothing, no learning, nothing. Everybody go work every day,

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and separate, the family not together. Yeah. And once a year, sometimes, you know, if you're not running away too far to see the parent, you can.

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You can see her—him, see her. And my mom, she miss me too. And she work on the street like this, like the car , and I walk like this. But I want to see–to see her,

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right? I can't talk to her because she working. I had to wait her, she–she off from work, I talk to her, I run away back to work. Because I'm young, I do fast. I run fast. And, you know, because you miss your mom,

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your family, and one sister, she stayed with me, the third one, she stayed with me, yeah. Work together, sleep together, yeah. And how about your other siblings, like your other brothers

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and sisters? My brother, only after Khmer Rouge, my mom save one brother. But I have one young girl, yeah. She in the–in the town. Sister in town by herself.

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Stay like daycare––not daycare, but they put—you know, group? You had group, you see, you put the kid there, they take care, they'll give her the food. So were you allowed to go see her?

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Yeah, they allow it's okay, but you—quickly, you can't spend talk that, they look at you too. They ru––you have to run very fast . So–– Were you allowed to bring any of your belongings to the camp

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or? No . What happened to your old house before Khmer Rouge? What happened? They kicked you out, everybody not in town, only in the farm. Everybody—in town, like ghost town.

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Nobody live in town. Only stay in the farm. They no make you live like downtown like that, no more, you have to get out of the house. If you not get out, they kill you, they shoot you right—in front of you.

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They–they–they––okay like this: okay, like they–they pop gun like this, right? And they say, "Okay this car not can go there, and this car can go there." When they stop you on the way like this, if you want to go, they shoot you right away.

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And you separate family, that's why a lot of people can't find family. We are very, like, faster, so "get out, get out, get out from the house," you have to get out from the house. Nobodies pick a lot of

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the clothes, nothing. And Khmer Rouge only one color: black. No color. When you have white, you had to put a color. You had to make—you know some Cambodians, they actually

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make—can make black color. So they made it themselves? Ah, make by yourself. You had to make it. Color, you had to make the color black, so they–they do

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like, you know, fruit, some fruit make the color clothes make black. No–no color. Did you—when you were working, were you allowed to talk with other people, or just keep

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working? No. They watch on you. When you work, they look at you like this. Like my dad, somebody like made a rut like this, right?

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The town , and he do dig, made the dirt like this, and we hang him, he say, and he works slow, and you know the long stick? Spank him. My dad say that. And he–he had to do a

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good job. He do like, not good job, they spank him on a stick. How did you find the power to keep going? No power, no energy, everybody. That's why a lot of people died. And now you, like you teacher,

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or you police, or you a doctor, they take you to kill—they kill you. You'll be hanged. Yeah. So, did your father feel very scared because he's a teacher? Yeah, he's scared. We–we don't say. Before, "What your dad doing?" Because my dad, he

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white skin, right? He white like you. And they say, "What are you doing?" say be-before you doing, no nothing to do. And they–they–they lie. You–you not lie, you're gonna

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die. I–I do something, you know, small. Do something like that, you know, no, nothing to do. So–so that's hard, you know. It's hard , and it's okay.

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And could you talk a bit about how your family escaped to Thailand—or Thailand? Yeah, my—and after Khmer Rouge, still Communist too, you know? The Vietnamese, Vietnam, go to

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Cambodia but still Communist. And when you go somewhere else, you have to write the letter in–in–in paper, and say, okay, you want to go to city, you had to write. You know, write, you can—when you go

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there, they–they looking the paper. If you don't have paper, they don't let you go. You want to go another city to city, you have to write the letter, where you go and what you're doing.

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Yeah. So is that how your family escaped? Our escape, we help—my–my sister's husband, he ran away before Khmer Rouge to Thailand, but he come my city.

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He had, you know, like the guide, like, guide, to bring you to Unites States, because—and they were secret, you know? And my dad, he didn't want to teach—work at school

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anymore. And he ran away to the—another city first because you can go far, right? You stop another city, another city, city. And you can move, you know, move far.

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And one day. I moved the morning. And did not see my dad go to work. And they asked my–my grandma, say, "Where

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are your son? Where's he going?" So yeah, my grandma said, "I don't know." You know? But they know, but they say, "I don't know. If you know, let me

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know." They won't get you, then say, "If you know, let me know," my grandma say. "I don't know where he going." She say, "Sorry, I don't know." She was just trying to keep him safe. Yeah, keep my dad–my dad safe, because they know my

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dad moved another city already. One day, one city. You hire, you know, a lot of car, they know one–one car, like another city, you go, you write the

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letter already, they–they know how to do it. So they do it, it's experienced, right? They move you a little bit, little bit, little bit, and—until we left

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from Cambodia. Nighttime, we walk around, walk through the, like, mountain, you know?. Nighttime only no—they no walk daytime. Only nighttime walking.

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But the guide–guide they to do it, they're experienced. So everything okay, smooth. But quiet. So scary, you know. How long did you have to work, or how long did the

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Khmer Rouge last? Khmer Rouge, three years. Yeah, it's long . Three year, a lot of people died, and they killed, so many killed, and there's no food, they die right away.

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You know, people dying like this, fast. Because they can't hold anymore. They'll give you small amount of food. That's why people die a lot.

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Did you–did you work all three years—or did you go through that for all three years? Yes . Every day. Yeah, you don't want to stay home. You–you can't stay home.

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Even you sick, they–they look at you. Okay, you sick, stay in the–in the you know, like, group? You know, like, group? Like group, like 20 group, 30 group, 50 group. Yeah, you sleep on the, you know, dirt or floor or

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whatever, not in the house. They don't have house. Make like, you know, camping, you know, sleep like that, and me—cold,

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you know, when some time in the winter, a little bit cold, you need like a—something to cover you in a body, a little bit. Like chilly—something, not a blanket, they didn't have blanket.

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Crazy, it's true. And, you know, animal, any animal, small everybody can cut it and eat it. They hide cooking. When we—they want you break, night time, sometimes you—something get it,

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hide cooking. Sometimes they take the tree, eat the tree, so hungry. Pull the tree some fruit, right? Vege-vegetable? Yeah.

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Even salt, you know, salt? To make food ? They didn't have, too. So that's why they died a lot. Because salt–salt, when you didn't have salt,

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plant—you're eating every day plant, no salt, you're gonna starve, right ? Yeah, that's so hard. Very hard. Is there–is there a memory that you still think

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about sometimes? I still remember, never forgot. My life, it's so hard. And the movies? Not true. But the real, more than

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that–that. I watched the movie, "Killing Field." They are not–not–not really true, but the–the real, I know more than that. If I know English, I explain a lot to you. You would be scared, never—you never see

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around the world like that. I never say, too. And my dad, he's still alive because my food, only lunch, they give you small, right? And dinner, right?

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I skipped one, give it to my mom, my dad. So it's half for—half for my dad, half for my mom. I want one–one more food for me, I–I tried to,

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like, sugarcane, because I'm so sick, I can't eat food, I can't eat food. I only—I eat sugarcane and help me, you know, like you trade the sugarcane to people?

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Yeah, they give you one tree. One tree sugarcane, and that good for me. I wait until my turn, I eat one sugarcane, like the tree, one tree, be long like you tall, like five, five,

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four feet, so five feet, yeah, five feet like me, and–and one foot, that's sugarcane. I trade that to my aunt. My auntie had a

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sugarcane a lot, you know? But they don't give you, but you trade your food, you know, like from rice, something, they give you small amount, I gave it to–to my

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aunt and I–I take the sugarcane. So one–one food I give to my mom and my dad, so yeah, that's why still alive. You eat small amount, but you still alive, because you eat—only eating—some people die a lot because they hungry, eat,

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eat, eat, they don't care, you know? But after you eat, nothing. No energy. Eat for nothing. So, me, my family, not eat like

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that. If they give you amount, eat that amount. They not looking, nothing. But me, I pick up from the–the lunchtime, I'm hungry too, but I go pick up the trash. They throw away the trash.

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Sometimes I can eat, I eat it. So—because I–I love my dad and my mom, so I had to cut down one—but that time, even husband,

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nobody do that. Yeah, nobody do that, that time. You take care of your own, nobody take care of you. They–they–they want to give you, but they can't, because they hungry, too.

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How would they give to you? You know? But I didn't want my dad die. That's why I skip, I pick up from the trash, one–one time. It sounds like you sacrificed a lot to help your

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family. I—yeah, me, I helped a lot my family, because I'm fast. Yeah, I'm fast. So I tell my dad, I stole somebody's food, I lied to him .

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I say, you know me, like, you know, you make a line, you can stole one more line––time. I say, "I can stole one more time for the food for myself, don't worry. You know I'm far already." He–he–he trust me.

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And he eat, you know, he feel good, right? He's tell that, "Oh, I'm not eat, I give it you." How—so you can't eat nothing, because you full, right? When I lied to him like that, he eat it.

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So that's why I have my dad still alive. So I'm happy, I'm so proud. But now, he passed away already. My mom, too.

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Did you ever tell him? Did you ever tell him what actually happened? I never—then, after that, I tell him, when no more Khmer Rouge, I say, "No, I'm lied to you." I have––I picked up the trash with—nobody, you can't–you can't make a line one more time food, no!

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They count you already, like 20 people 20 bowl. How they give you more than that? You know? Yeah. I–I pick up from trees, sometimes I'm hungry, I pulled a tree to eat.

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It's not one day I do that. Every day I did that to my dad. I–I skip one food myself.

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Yeah. So that's all I can do for him. The Khmer Rouge, I saw the next door parent die because he's so hungry.

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The boy, he eat more than the girl right? Mostly? He can hold the food a small amount, so he the guy, so he need eat more, right? So that's how he passed away.

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And I said, "Oh, I'm so sad, my neighbor, he died. After that, mom died, only children." One—she had one girl, one–one boy, my neighbor: two. Like so skinny, both.

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After that, I don't know if they moved. Yeah. So when the guy guided you to escape––so you could only move at nighttime, so what did you do

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during the daytime? Did you hide? The Khmer Rouge? So when you were escaping and the guy guided you––so you could only move during the nighttime, right? So during the daytime, you just had to hide somewhere?

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They–they give you break, like break, you know? Like two hour break at lunchtime . Only lunchtime, two hour break. Whatever you do, they don't look at you.

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But you had to run, right? Like two miles. The kids run too fast. Like—and talked a little bit, "Oh, okay," hug, and come back. That's it. Can't do nothing.

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Like if I'm away from—I bring the food to my dad, my food, I had to run from the, you know, the lake, small lake? Like, with my sister, I hold her and run with me, and my dad saw me in the tree like this.

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I can't go to my–my dad job, they look. Can't do that, somebody tell, you know? But I stay on the—I just tell my dad one time, when that time you get off from work, you look at me, the tree, I tell

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him, "The tree, this one." I stayed in the tree, that autumn tree, with my sister. And he looked at them, saw me, and he said, oh—and he–he bring the cow, right? He had two cow, he take care of own, good job, you know? Two cow, and he bring the cow to eat the food,

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right? But no, but he want to see me and my–my sister. And that's why he eat the–the food he–he—I give to him, and after he eat, ready, I run away to work. So time I go to work, ready.

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So I–I–I didn't break nothing. You said–you said your dad first moved to a different city. Right? Yeah—no, the–the same city, but different, like, you know, like one hour behind , you know?

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Not too far, like three mile, two mile, four mile, depend on the job. Did he–did he move because he wanted a different job? Or he wanted to— No, they let–they let you move.

00:32:44.020 - 00:32:58.860

They—you can't say you move, you move, no. You can't pick the job. They say, "Okay, guy—50 guy do this area." You understand? Yeah, after work, work the morning like this, afternoon break like this, they gave you food

00:32:58.860 - 00:33:15.730

like this. You're the—less than a big guy. They have gun and everything. You can’t do nothing. They watch you 24 hour straight, you know? So you can't even work, they look at you too.

00:33:16.670 - 00:33:26.080

They walk around, they had gun and that, you can’t do nothing. You had to do a good job. You not do a good job, they have a stick, spank

00:33:26.510 - 00:33:39.780

you. You know the stick? You spank–spank the cow like this. The old style, you know, like this, and–and ram . And the cow, ram spank to the–the–the people

00:33:41.460 - 00:34:05.250

and spank to the cow. They do both. Sometime people no energy, they say, "He bad," but, you know, bad because no energy. You had to push it–push it, and very skinny. My mom,

00:34:05.250 - 00:34:17.220

nighttime she can see. Because no meat, they not–they not let you eat meat, too. No meat, only vegetable a little bit, with fish something, never cooked meat you eat.

00:34:19.430 - 00:34:34.710

So they make a–a– big pot, and a lot the people skip one—okay, one, one, like that. That's it. They can't give you

00:34:34.710 - 00:34:49.000

more. You make a line, get the food. And my dad, he can’t do nothing. He scared somebody's going to kill him, so he need to do a very good job and not talk.

00:34:51.050 - 00:35:06.720

Nobody talked. Nobody sing. Work quiet, everybody quiet. You had to looking like straight do your job, right? Okay like–like five line, you get a new line in

00:35:06.900 - 00:35:25.240

my line, right? I have to take care of my line. Either check behind you, you line look good, or it's bad, they say you–they say you bad people, like America. He say, "You America?" You know America go to

00:35:25.240 - 00:35:42.690

Cambodia, right? That time, the Khmer Rouge? Say, "You America? She–she America?" Say, "No sir." And they spank you. That's why everybody quiet.

00:35:45.510 - 00:36:01.270

No talk. Girl-girl, boy-boy, it is very lonely. What were you thinking every day? Do you remember? I think every day,

00:36:04.240 - 00:36:22.560

I–I say, I don't know how long I can see family together, eat together. I say, I don't know. Never see like that.

00:36:24.910 - 00:36:44.380

Only live separate. So sad. I think I want to stay with my family, and stay, you know, see me every day, go work is fine, but you have to see

00:36:44.380 - 00:36:58.820

every day, you know? It's not. Have you ever been back to visit Cambodia, or— Yeah, I go back to Cambodia, yeah. But I never go the place I live.

00:36:59.900 - 00:37:16.750

But my daddy go many time. The Khmer Rouge, I leave it, he go visit, my dad. But this time might be—you can see that they—now they

00:37:16.750 - 00:37:30.130

changed a lot, right? A lot of house, a lot of everybody, property, already. You–you lose everything. You can't find like before, anymore. You said that your sister's

00:37:30.220 - 00:37:47.390

husband first escaped before Khmer Rouge, right? My sister? Your sister's husband? So did he–did he have someone help you leave? Oh, no. My aunt, my aunt,

00:37:49.180 - 00:38:05.310

my sister—or my mom's sister, she has one, right? And he–he the–the pilot, so he–he fly the Thai—fly to the Thailand.

00:38:05.740 - 00:38:19.000

Yeah, he fly, he ran away, yeah. He ran away there. Two–two–two guys ran away, but my sister—my–my mom's sister's husband,

00:38:19.530 - 00:38:35.130

two guys ran away to–to border Thailand. Yeah, they–they let you in there. He fly, so he can run away, somebody don't fly, you can't run away, they'd say, oh,

00:38:36.340 - 00:38:45.430

they right away, right away like that. But people fly, yeah. And after that, they come United States. So I didn't know how many stop he come

00:38:45.880 - 00:39:01.360

there, but yeah. And after that, Khmer Rouge already, my–my aunt husband find a wife, and wife tell—find my—they know my–my mom lived there, and

00:39:02.150 - 00:39:14.780

they say, "Okay, every family take one girl—one family to the United States," because no money to pay a lot, right? When you pay–pay the guy take you to the United States, a lot of money.

00:39:15.480 - 00:39:33.120

So only one family come to United States. They had money to pay. But my–my mom let my sis—my old sister come. Yeah. And other people can't make it,

00:39:33.470 - 00:39:48.340

you know? Like that. And so decided can come United States. How did Khmer Rouge end? Or how did you leave? The Khmer Rouge end like 1983—oh,

00:39:49.880 - 00:40:03.760

seventy–seventy three. I think like that. That ended when the Vietnamese took over, right? Yeah, after three year, Vietnamese take over. Is that when you stopped working?

00:40:05.230 - 00:40:25.300

Yeah, that's why my dad, he–he didn't want to stay with me, because Communist the same. He Khmer Rouge for three years, and after Khmer Rouge, Communist the same. Go everywhere, you have to write the letter to another state, city,

00:40:27.090 - 00:40:44.990

you can't go e-e-e-everything easy that time, yeah, 1981. Yeah, so and my–my mom say—my mom, she didn't want to leave Cambodia anymore

00:40:44.990 - 00:40:57.150

because her sister say you—because my–my sister come, I say, "Really? She have money?" So my–my–my sister sent money to get my mom

00:40:57.710 - 00:41:11.120

to the border again. So that's why. But my mom, she can run away because we hire the–the guy to bring my mom

00:41:11.160 - 00:41:30.670

to France, Paris, you know France? Yeah. First—but it's not only the guy, Thai–Thai guy, he–he ma-want make the money that time, he do what he do, passport, fake or not fake, they come to France.

00:41:31.560 - 00:41:47.180

So they hire is not correct, you know, only visit . No paperwork live–live, nothing. So in the Thailand, you have behind you, you know, show up

00:41:47.180 - 00:41:59.430

somebody. You stay in the house. You can't get out of the house . You get scared. If they–if they get you, they take you back to Cambodia.

00:42:00.780 - 00:42:16.350

You know Thai? Yeah, they take you back to Cambodia. So we don't want to do that, we only guides take you inside the house, stay in the house. Before the flight out whatever, tell you get a picture like this, dress like this, look like this, do like

00:42:16.350 - 00:42:29.930

this, everything. But my dad no speak English yet, only speak French. He's a teacher, the old teacher, he speak French long time. So—but he not speak English at all.

00:42:30.830 - 00:42:49.080

Only speak French. So did you all go to France or was it just your mom who went? My mom and one brother, three sister. My—they go there first.

00:42:49.910 - 00:43:04.570

They live there like—my dad, he's–he's in France already, so—and–and—but France is not make much money. It's a—you know you do

00:43:04.570 - 00:43:17.170

the clothes, right? You do the clothes, and—but a lot of people work clothes, but a lot from China, they do a good job than Cambodia. Cambodia, they no make a style, right?

00:43:17.280 - 00:43:29.500

Only straight–straight, okay, but make the style, not–not experience like China. The China, a lot of experience, repairing , and they–they do fast and make a lot of money.

00:43:30.140 - 00:43:47.020

So decide you can make that, so that's why the job slow. That's true, yeah, because they know how to make the style a lot right? If you do same step, how they want to hire you, you

00:43:47.020 - 00:43:59.110

know? That's the problem, and the China, they smart. And they do good, and faster. So you do too slow and make, but not a lot,

00:44:02.120 - 00:44:17.450

not enough to live. So that's why I come United States. I come—they have paper, everything. I'm not—you know? And after that, I tell my mom, "You come visit United States, and go

00:44:17.450 - 00:44:36.180

back. Stay here, they have a lot of job and a lot of food, I tell her no problem." And my mom, single parent, first time they–they not speak for nothing. Only my dad, no money, and buy the

00:44:36.180 - 00:44:47.080

long bread, you know the French long bread? And break a little bit, one little bit the kid, and cry on the street, when they go, "Oh, no job," and cry.

00:44:48.640 - 00:45:02.340

So sad. Because you need job, right? And he lives with her–her brother. The small house, very small. You know, France, small house. Not big house, yeah, and–and

00:45:06.480 - 00:45:23.780

four Thai people, no job. First time, no speak French, and you don't know how to sew, nothing, you don't know how to sew. It's hard, not easy, so you're fast , machine is fast like that, and never do that, so—and that's

00:45:25.440 - 00:45:40.700

why my mom say remember when I go to Pari-Paris, buy one bread, French bread, and break a little bit piece, and cry, go back home, no job. And I say, "Oh, so sad."

00:45:41.810 - 00:45:53.950

So, “Here, come here,” I say. Because me, I married, so I married, and that's why my mom keep me—I have one baby, you know? Like, I had baby ready, but we can't take me because

00:45:55.860 - 00:46:07.230

no, like, no correct to live, you know, only visit. And you have a baby, not good. When I have baby, you not good, easy to get

00:46:07.230 - 00:46:23.680

you–you know, so I didn't want to lose money, we spent a lot of money to hire people. So we had to be careful. So I say, "Okay, stay that's right." I stay in the border Thailand with my husband and with one

00:46:23.720 - 00:46:43.430

kid. So after that, they–they say, "Oh, you had never been here to United States, like that, blah blah blah." And you–you know you—that you happy, you know, and you get a from border to the

00:46:43.580 - 00:46:57.260

border inside Thailand, and get you know, take care, check you sick, not sick, thing like that, you know, before you come in. Yeah, that's right. And they come here, say, "Mom, come to United States, it's better

00:46:57.260 - 00:47:12.760

for you." And all the family moved to—from France to the United States, all. Yeah. And my sister, she speaks French, her husband speak French, but they can't visit first time. They don't have paperwork. No

00:47:12.760 - 00:47:28.910

paperwork, because only move right away, and you–you hire lawyer, use a system like my mom, my sister sponsor her. If you wait sponsor, it too long. Not easy to stay, but you—after that, you do the

00:47:28.990 - 00:47:43.660

paperwork in here. And my mom stayed, my mom—my dad take–take care of the kid. I have paperwork, all. And all people America, and take the test, you know?

00:47:45.270 - 00:47:59.200

Yeah. So–so nice day , and—but I come first time, work for my–my aunt. They give me $200. But I'm not say nothing. Because I–I lived there, they

00:48:00.200 - 00:48:19.270

charged me like $400 to cook, my husband made $1500, take out four away, $400, 1100. And me, $200 and like 1300, but we pay the car, pay insurance. No money, even hamburger, I can't go out to eat.

00:48:21.760 - 00:48:36.610

Because no money. You had to pay bill, right? And we send money to my–my mother in law, father in law, and they have no money, so poor. No food, right? So let's send to the Cambodia.

00:48:37.650 - 00:48:52.260

My family not there, but mother in law, father in law. I had to support, you know? Can't find job, can't find nothing, right? So that's why no money, 1300, zero.

00:48:53.080 - 00:49:03.800

Pay the car 500, insurance like $200, right? Right? No food. Only eat food at house. My aunt gave me food, I eat only that food.

00:49:06.370 - 00:49:22.880

Did you get married in Cambodia? I'm married in border, yeah, in Cambodia. But paper—there, they–they––they're okay, they agreed. But after that, and

00:49:23.740 - 00:49:37.260

my–my husband don't like my–my family, they don't like my family, because they do bad to me. You know, you work seven days a week, they pay you $200.

00:49:38.030 - 00:49:50.600

It's not fair. It's fair? Not fair. I work every day, and home, cooked food, I do all. I shop food, everything.

00:49:51.420 - 00:50:01.770

And they charged me $400 too, say I'm not eat food free, right? They charged me $400 for food. My aunt, they

00:50:01.800 - 00:50:15.340

charged me, yeah, I say, "Okay, okay, I agree." That was in the US? Yeah, in here, in Houston. That's why my husband don't like my family, because, you know,

00:50:18.820 - 00:50:27.560

at least give me food free. Because they gave me $200, right? Okay, I give you free food: you live with me, work for me, cook for me.

00:50:27.870 - 00:50:37.120

You know, you have to hire people to cook, how much? It's a lot of money. And clean the house, I do all. My husband cut the grass, clean the house, clean outside, I clean inside.

00:50:41.040 - 00:50:53.430

It's hard. But then, I'm young, I'm strong. You know, like that time I moved fast–fast. I cook good, everything happy–happy. But she happy, and she want me to stay with her

00:50:54.440 - 00:51:06.850

more, I say, "No, I'm sorry. Only two years. That's enough." I want to make family, me too. I can't collect $200 a month. You had your daughter too, right, with you?

00:51:07.020 - 00:51:20.020

I had my daughter, too. $200, I—sometimes, I buy food for my–my daughter, like hamburger. I can't spend more than that, say, "Girl, no money.

00:51:20.660 - 00:51:34.390

Mom makes small money, so eat food home." Food home is good too, it's not bad! You want to cook, she not say nothing. Yeah. But you can't go eat restaurant, no. She never called me go eat restaurant.

00:51:35.460 - 00:51:53.580

She eat, go eat––the family, her, not me. Sometime, yeah, it's bad. So I can't take my kid to eat. Sometimes I buy pizza for her, I can't buy a pizza,

00:51:54.390 - 00:52:11.840

a hamburger. No restaurant. But me, I'm not saying nothing, because I'm cook food already, go out the same, you spend money for what? For some tiny money, you know, United States spend like this, oh a

00:52:12.040 - 00:52:19.640

lot of money, lot of money. You saw like this, okay, you want ice cream? She buy ice cream for you in the cooler. Eat it, nice and new.

00:52:21.310 - 00:52:38.040

Go to park, you take her to park. That's all they do. And after that, I stayed with–with her two years, and I move some bread and buy the small business, donut shop, but the guy

00:52:38.080 - 00:52:50.000

almost shut down already because he work–he work by himself, he not do good job. That's why we–we looking the area we think they can make money. And my sister said, "Don't move it, don't move it!"

00:52:52.830 - 00:53:08.600

You not speak English, say “I don't know.” We try, you know? We want be your own place. That time, apartment not expensive. Cheap on Westheimer, the first time, business on Westheimer.

00:53:10.490 - 00:53:29.720

We pay two people, he bring me to–he bring me to business, the business—, Cambodia? Not the bank. But you know like the bank, right?

00:53:30.790 - 00:53:45.190

And he said here, you can hire this guy, they give you money to give me. You know? I say, "Okay, thank you." I can pay like $500 for right?

00:53:45.360 - 00:53:58.720

Because that–that shop is not expensive. But yeah, I do that. And my sister, she's scared, "Oh, don't do it, Sambo!" Stay with my aunt.

00:53:58.970 - 00:54:13.190

Say, "No. We had to go." We don't make $200 a month. You need to–to do own business. So, your first donut shop, did you run it with your husband?

00:54:13.190 - 00:54:27.360

Yeah, I–I ran with my husband and my daughter. We live in apartment on Westheimer. Yeah, Westheimer and bank, Chase , the first business, I remember. So how many different

00:54:29.750 - 00:54:43.330

donut shops did you have? The name the business? My husband, he–he made, own the name, he not a franchise. So, you know, pay nothing, right?

00:54:43.330 - 00:54:56.800

So–but we opened one in Rosenberg, one in North Eldridge. One in–in NASA, and Clear Lake, and one in here.

00:54:58.600 - 00:55:11.990

But the—on NASA, we lose business, so you pay a lot interest . You know, when you not make much money but you think "easy," not good. More

00:55:12.060 - 00:55:27.420

business no make money. You know, when you hire people it’s not good, they stole all of money . So he try with four people, only one business , asked

00:55:27.420 - 00:55:40.230

husband, "Why you can't make money?" And you open more business? They not work for you. They work, but they took all your money, so you not make: zero. So that's why we–we

00:55:41.510 - 00:55:59.270

opened in NASA, Clear Lake, only seven months, we shut down, because we sell cheap and walk away. So, better than nothing. But at least you find people to—because

00:56:00.000 - 00:56:13.020

you signed it for a year, right? And seven months, you walk away, if you walk away you bad credit ? So we–we can't find people, he had somebody to work, you know? Yeah. So you said the NASA

00:56:16.590 - 00:56:27.800

one is closed? Closed. And the Clear Lake one is closed? Yeah the NASA, Clear Lake, yeah. And are the other ones still open?

00:56:28.050 - 00:56:45.670

One, I–I give to my brother, but my dad pay me some. Yeah, I–I make money from that one, on a–on a North Eldridge , yeah. The shop inside, the owner Korean, he a good guy, he a

00:56:45.670 - 00:56:59.350

good owner. The Korean? Yeah, he say, "Oh, you very good," and like this, like this, and then my dad say, "Oh, your brother married lady , can you sell to him one?" You know?

00:57:00.430 - 00:57:13.040

And we know we can't make any more, that's why we give it to my brother. So my dad gave money and after that, we stayed here together, and–and after that I-I'm

00:57:13.930 - 00:57:30.820

first stroke. And my husband say, "I can't stay with you anymore because stay with you, no make money, and zero dollar." Because when you sick, you have to pay to the doctor, to the hospital, a lot of money, right?

00:57:32.790 - 00:57:51.870

So I say, "I don't know." And he think I'm, you know, I'm gonna die. He think I'm die, you know? Not good. So he walked away from me. But I'm not–I'm not angry to him because I say, "Yeah,

00:57:52.660 - 00:58:09.540

I–I–I know," so he can marry another girl, so I'm not so sad about that. I only—I walk away with my daughter and I take this store because I owe a lot of people my name,

00:58:11.390 - 00:58:25.540

interest. So somebody's not look-looking my husband, looking only me, and I tell my daughter, "Please skip school," he–he college two year, my daughter took college two year, I say, "Mom owe a lot of

00:58:25.700 - 00:58:42.280

people money, mom don't want to die owe people money." They say, "Oh, this lady bad, owe people money." When I–I die, make it not good. I say, "Please, can you do the job for me here?" After I

00:58:42.480 - 00:58:56.390

owe people, I give to you. I'm not take nothing. I tell her like that. So okay, she say, "Okay, mama." She a good girl. She helped me, and after I paid no more interest people, no

00:58:56.780 - 00:59:14.760

more auditor people, so I'm free. But when I free 2009––2017, you know when the–the storm? The rain? I flood all my apartment.

00:59:15.430 - 00:59:31.180

Yeah, Harvey. But Nice Oak here. I live Nice Oak here. You know Nice Oak? Close here. The apartment Nice Oak, Nice Oak Apartment. Flood, yeah, you know.

00:59:31.840 - 00:59:42.720

And because I know my–my grandson daughter, he run a lot. I didn't want to go upstairs, I–I didn't want somebody to run upstairs, angry.

00:59:42.720 - 01:00:00.090

You know, the kid, how you control the kid, stop run, you know? So okay, I pick—this time, I pick downstair, not upstair. But other time, I pick upstair. So we lose everything. Only one clothes.

01:00:01.910 - 01:00:17.040

This was nighttime, like Sunday, last time. I said, "Wake up, wake up! The water already flood here already." I say, "Get up, get up!" I say, and my granddaughter say, "Grandma, too

01:00:18.030 - 01:00:32.160

I want to sleep more." I say, "What you sleep? Water here, under your body now. You want to sleep more?" I tell her. No, no, no. We run to upstair, and I think five feet,

01:00:32.530 - 01:00:49.000

my apartment. Everything gone. And the FBI, not police, but FBI come to help the car, and they call, everybody called, have–have explain , you know?

01:00:49.000 - 01:01:07.810

And you say, "Hurry, hurry," and, you know, a lot of people wait, you know? And I can't walk because I'm stroke. The water five—four feet, five feet on the parking lot, like this. Like––and–and my daughter hold me, and two

01:01:08.720 - 01:01:18.780

young boy help my granddaughter, my grandson, on the leg, and to the car. Because the car so high, they put the stair up. I can't—because I'm ,

01:01:18.890 - 01:01:33.340

I can't walk up, right? And the stairs put me, walk. And do like this, and my granddaughter take it. I–I have a lot of more I know, I'm okay.

01:01:33.890 - 01:01:46.300

But the grandkid, my daughter didn't know anything. So sad, you know, so sad, no water, no food. So, where did you

01:01:48.080 - 01:02:03.150

stay before you found a new–new place to live? I stayed—they–they bring me to the hotel, on—the tall one, on the Freeway 610. Yeah, I sleep there. About a week, and the car, all flood, all. Can do nothing.

01:02:03.850 - 01:02:17.600

Did this place flood? This donut shop? This no flood, this place. But no car to drive. But there, one guy, he helped drive my daughter

01:02:21.410 - 01:02:31.760

to work. And everybody see me–see me in the news . They say, "Oh, Sambo in the news!" I said , "Oh, I in the news? I don't know nothing." And Channel 2 say, "Really?"

01:02:33.400 - 01:02:50.630

And says my brother saw me: "Sambo in the news!" Flood already, no place to live. When you go to stay upstairs, you know the—they get a picture of you. Yeah, and a customer say, "Oh, I saw you in the news,"

01:02:51.640 - 01:03:05.840

and they give you money, customer. They sorry say ––and give my daughter, say, "Okay here, for you, here. Sorry you flood, everything gone." And they open when I go

01:03:05.840 - 01:03:21.150

off one week, and my daughter say, "You so sick, you can take off." Because my bed, my—everything gone. So you start buy again, buy furniture, like only bed only.

01:03:21.410 - 01:03:39.190

We don't need nothing more than that, because you move a lot of place, right? So we move a lot of place, and buying only small thing. So that's all. And after flood ready, 2019,

01:03:39.400 - 01:03:54.430

COVID. Now I collect zero, no make money. Lose money. Only she pay one lady work together with her. You see, this store, they shut down.

01:03:56.380 - 01:04:10.030

The burger, look, it long times ago, more than 50 years ago open. A lot of people leave the–the store, because the guy's already—he no money pay employee.

01:04:13.230 - 01:04:30.850

So, right now—but we happy, because we no pay, we owe people money. So I tell my daughter. She–she helped me so I'm not owe somebody money. She–she work here to pay people.

01:04:32.940 - 01:04:51.010

Your daughter works here? Yeah. She work here. But I'm free—she free, for clear my–my name. I said, "I don't want to die owe people money. Please help me, please." And she single mom, too.

01:04:52.120 - 01:05:08.200

Two kid, single mom. So I take care of the baby in the house. I––I mean I'm stroke, and sometimes I–I can't open the door take the food, because

01:05:08.200 - 01:05:24.000

I'm no energy. The right side completely, second stroke. And I say, it's hard. My granddaughter two and a

01:05:24.000 - 01:05:38.070

half years old, I'm second stroke. And I can't open the door for her, take the food. You said that was your second stroke? Second stroke. Oh, the first time was when your husband—

01:05:38.070 - 01:05:51.250

First time, with my husband, 2006. Yeah, 2006 I'm first stroke. And second stroke like five year later. I forgot, I don't know. I lost memory a lot.

01:05:51.250 - 01:06:06.930

So I think five years or six years later, I stroke, second stroke. But I never claim money, zero, because I don't know any of that, I don't know nothing. So–so I work as

01:06:06.990 - 01:06:18.430

a—I never take money, zero. So–so okay, I will–I will, I work to pay, full pay, made the same pay, everything. It's a lot of money to pay that.

01:06:19.680 - 01:06:34.980

For a doctor, pay everything. So after second stroke, no more. The first stroke I–I still work, and I lost money, but I still work, you know? And after second stroke, no.

01:06:35.860 - 01:06:49.750

The right side completely paralyzed already. But I exercised a lot and take care my granddaughter, my grandkid. And she go to work, she single mom, too. It's not easy, to—in here.

01:06:51.290 - 01:07:01.990

And only her drive the car. I don't know how to drive, yeah. I know, right? Nothing. So, because I–I–I–I think I'm never divorce

01:07:02.640 - 01:07:17.060

my–my husband. I think we stayed together. Because we live together a long time already, right? From Cambodia until now, to my aunt–aunt, they think like sister brother already, I'm

01:07:17.100 - 01:07:30.210

not thinking, "I'm divorced," nothing. But you never know. Never say belonging too long, right? You say, "This time good," next time no good, you never know.

01:07:32.530 - 01:07:48.970

So sharp, right? Because I think I'm not believe I'm div—believe like that. But he say that, I'm so shocked, too. When I–I first stroke, he talked about money when the hospital,

01:07:49.770 - 01:08:07.620

July 10, I say that first, and I fall outside on floor of somebody's house, my neighbor, I bring food to my neighbor, and cold, and no jacket, and I stroke.

01:08:08.150 - 01:08:21.810

But I know–I know I'm fall, on the, like, driveway, so–so soft , I had to lay my body. I don't want like–like this like driveway no good. So I–I think I'm—I—my

01:08:21.870 - 01:08:35.690

body no good, I had to slowly, slowly myself to the floor. But it cut off my voice. No talk, because the blood go in the brain already.

01:08:35.830 - 01:08:53.600

Cut off voice, everything, you can't talk, you can't call, nothing. Zero. So, that—I'm cold like a lot, but–but I almost die, and too cold, right? Nobody see me on lunchtime .

01:08:53.860 - 01:09:07.970

This much –this much if and somebody went on me, but I–I outside, my husband go take a shower. They want go together, party, right? Inside the family. Because tomorrow closed, right?

01:09:09.080 - 01:09:21.860

Everybody happy, but they didn't know I'm outside. Yeah, I'm cold, no jacket, nothing. I think a little bit, I'm okay, right? I like cold, but after that, oh my god.

01:09:23.710 - 01:09:41.630

No boy, nothing. So—but lucky, one girl, she saw me from the window. And she know , the girl. She said, "What you're doing here?" I do like this , I say,

01:09:42.650 - 01:09:57.110

"Can you call my husband and your dad? Come here!" I do like Nobody talked, asked on the hand. And–and dad, mom come out. They know me. They know me, I'm so happy say my–my mind is so happy.

01:09:57.170 - 01:10:10.040

But I–I hear a little bit, like now. I not hear too much, you know? I—only action after that, they call 911, I don't know, somebody hang up me, put like that, I don't know.

01:10:12.720 - 01:10:28.940

I no hear, nothing. I hear, like, small amount, but before they come, everybody see me, I think I'm die, I say, "Oh," my–my mind say, "Oh, my daughter no sister, brother, she by herself.

01:10:29.980 - 01:10:40.820

So sad. I think only my daughter when I'm—I–I will go, I say—only what you think–you think only people. Maybe you still alive, yeah. I think like that.

01:10:40.860 - 01:10:51.070

I think only my daughter, only. I'm not thinking everybody, zero. Only I think my daughter. Think she lonely when she without me.

01:10:52.160 - 01:11:11.240

My mind, right? And I saw the–the picture, they–they check people like this, I said "Oh, what I do?" You know, my mind? I'm–I'm so cold, I–I–I don't breathe too much, right?

01:11:12.040 - 01:11:27.090

I do it myself like this. I do my hand, do like this my–my–my chest. And so, maybe I can open, you know, wake up, right? So I can't do that by myself, that's it.

01:11:27.090 - 01:11:41.160

Everything, I can do nothing. Like, so–so soft, the body on the floor already. But when I fall, I'm not like , like this, right away. I lay down my body like slowly, slowly, so I on the floor.

01:11:42.460 - 01:11:54.450

That, it—they helped me. The doctor say that, they said I'm smart, I think I don't wanna fall like this right away, that's the problem. That more–more difficult, more problem.

01:11:55.090 - 01:12:11.100

But I slowly myself to the floor. So, problem, but easy to help. And they say, "No, you can't take her inside the house. Leave there, leave there, leave there." And the car come over, you know?

01:12:12.580 - 01:12:24.870

Only hold me, so in–in the–in the floor. Don't touch me. Leave there, leave there. Yeah, when somebody fall, don't take that, no good. You have to leave them, 911

01:12:24.870 - 01:12:37.510

to help. You can't pick up. I let you know. It's not easy. But if you something, you know, yourself, you can't do, you have to lower your body in the–in the floor.

01:12:38.280 - 01:12:57.190

Don't flat right away, no good. So done first stroke. Second stroke, it's like the same. My sister asked me, "Sambo, are you okay?" I can't talk, I say—I–I do like, "Not okay." I say, can—I do hand

01:12:57.360 - 01:13:11.240

like this , "Can you help me?" And she hold me, and my sis—my sis—my daughter came—come in, try hold me to the sofa. Finished. I'm stroke already. But right away a second, they can do right away.

01:13:12.460 - 01:13:25.800

But I'm not talk. I say, "I'm not good. Can help me to the sofa?" I do the hand, you know? They understand, "Okay. Okay, okay, okay." That, I'm finished.

01:13:26.540 - 01:13:44.830

I'm stroke already. And they checked me, "Oh!" Finished. That two strokes. So—and stay one month in hospital, and after that, go back home.

01:13:45.390 - 01:14:00.290

Nobody help you. I can't–can't open the cooler. I wait until my daughter get out of work, one o'clock. Me, it's okay, but my granddaughter, she doesn't have

01:14:00.290 - 01:14:13.360

food. But she nice kid. She no cry, nothing. She say, "Grandma, you okay, you okay?" I can't pull the–the–the–the door. Too heavy. I

01:14:13.440 - 01:14:31.230

tried in a wheelchair, but no, nothing. No–no working. I tell my granddaughter, I said, "No working, sorry, girl. Grandma can do nothing." And she wake me up, because to me, I—I'm not,

01:14:34.130 - 01:14:48.080

like, strong to come back still alive, anymore. But my granddaughter say, "Grandma, please, I need you. Can you come back home with me, please? I need you, I need you." That's why I had energy to work, exercise.

01:14:49.780 - 01:15:03.530

But me, I–I want to quit my exercise. She wake me up, say, "Oh no," I—my mind said I had to go home. I didn't want to stay in the house already, because she need me. She say, "I need you grandma, I need you.

01:15:03.530 - 01:15:18.490

You can't go home." And me, I say, "You can go first, grandma go behind you . I go back home, don't worry, I go back home. I promise." She say, "No, I need you, grandma." She cry,

01:15:19.160 - 01:15:34.160

and my daughter pulled her out, it's not easy. It sounds like you have a really strong bond with your granddaughter. Yeah I––before first stroke, I think about my daughter. Second stroke, I think about only my

01:15:34.160 - 01:15:48.670

granddaughter. I wake and say—she say, "I need you, I need you." That one word is so hard for me. If you don't like to wake up, you have to wake up, too. Right? So, I had to—in my mind, I had to go, I had to go.

01:15:49.390 - 01:16:06.320

So they tell me, "Okay 10 time." Whatever they do, 10 times, right? Everything go to the bed again. They–they take you therapist. But I do more than that, extra, because I think to my granddaughter back

01:16:06.360 - 01:16:19.730

home. I had to–I had to stand up, stand up. So if you want to do, you–you can do. I try already. Two time, I know now how I feel here.

01:16:20.920 - 01:16:40.260

So after that, COVID like now, nothing to do. But everything you free. Your life is good. Even, you know, even you break up ready, everything gone.

01:16:42.200 - 01:16:55.360

The first, I stayed with my husband, I had one house, too. Because I made everybody—like to—I had one house, too.

01:16:56.990 - 01:17:12.750

It's not expensive, but to me, good for me, right? One house, but good to me–to me. And everybody look at me,

01:17:12.810 - 01:17:31.720

laugh on me, because you divorced, right? Even it's simple, like you divorced, you throw away border together, he throw away, I throw away, simple. Zero. Right?

01:17:33.770 - 01:17:46.300

So—but we happy life, right now. Its okay, my daughter too. How old is your granddaughter right now? The girl? 12 years old.

01:17:46.910 - 01:18:05.700

Something, maybe she is—she 12. 12 a little bit right now. And the boy, October, November, right? Yeah he–he–he 10 years old.

01:18:07.760 - 01:18:19.920

But the girl, she–she bloom right ? She 12 years old, but she bloom. She more gain weight, more than mom.

01:18:20.620 - 01:18:38.050

Because she like sweets. She not eat a lot, but she drink more Starbuck coffee. You know, Starbuck green–green Yeah, yeah. Oh, she crazy about that.

01:18:38.380 - 01:18:50.900

Yeah she crazy—but you skinny, but she no. But because she not skinny, she isn't like her mom, because she—her dad, they bloom. And parent—grandma bloom.

01:18:53.230 - 01:19:07.140

So that's why she like–like daddy. So—but the boy like mom. But the girl like daddy. So my–my daughter, she's skinny like you.

01:19:08.360 - 01:19:25.380

But my granddaughter, she so sad by herself. I say, "Because your mom never drink like you. You like–like a green tea Frappuccino." So Yeah, Supreme–Supreme, I don't know.

01:19:25.380 - 01:19:42.640

But she like everything like that. So that's how you gain weight a lot, because you eat a lot of sweets. But she–she like skinny. So if your granddaughter were to watch this interview later, what–what would you want

01:19:42.830 - 01:19:54.150

to say to her? I talk to her every day. Yeah, so if she watches this video later, is there something that you want to say to her in the video? So send to my granddaughter?

01:19:55.720 - 01:20:07.690

You can? Or–or any advice? Oh, yeah. No problem. Yeah, do you have like any advice for your granddaughter? If she watches this interview?

01:20:07.690 - 01:20:20.490

I want you–you can do that? Yeah, this–this will be posted online later, so she'll be able to go on her computer and see it online. It may–it may be in a few months.

01:20:21.420 - 01:20:31.710

So is there anything you'd want to say to her, so she can always, like, replay? What–what would you want to say? I say it to her, right?

01:20:33.460 - 01:20:53.530

I say: I love her, she s-saved my life. And because she picked up my life back, the–the—to stay alive because from–from her. She say, "Grandma, wake up and

01:20:53.980 - 01:21:04.480

go back home. I need you." That "I need you," that hard for me. So she gi-give me back a life. So I–I wake up.

01:21:05.440 - 01:21:16.150

To me, I didn't want to take medicine. Like, the doctor said, "No, Sambo, you have to take it, please." You know the medicine you forgot everything? When you drink it, you happy.

01:21:16.610 - 01:21:29.000

You don't angry, and you forgot. Right? And when my granddaughter say that, I say, "Doctor," tomorrow I tell my doctor, say, "Can you give me that medicine? I take it.

01:21:30.140 - 01:21:47.690

I take it." If you not take that one, you can't exercise, you don't have energy to exercise, because it's not–not easy. So you take that, you forgot about the past, so you talk, you angry that

01:21:47.740 - 01:22:00.140

guy, it's–it’s simple. And when you think, no more think. Amazing, amazing, amazing, the medicine . So I forgot a lot.

01:22:01.640 - 01:22:11.920

I'm happy all the time. So the medicine make me happy. So I'm—everything, I want to think something, no. The second? No more think.

01:22:12.440 - 01:22:24.730

I'm happy. So that's why everything easy, right? And my daughter—my granddaughter say that, I say, "Oh, she need me. I have to

01:22:24.780 - 01:22:41.170

wake up. I had to do exercise, more exercise." So, they–they say me, the therapist say, "Do 10 times," I do more than that. Three time! Three time more.

01:22:41.560 - 01:22:50.060

I want to go home. My mind, I want to go home. At nighttime. I'd want someb—no, too much for me. You know?

01:22:50.570 - 01:23:05.450

Restroom, restroom. I'm not happy that, but one day, I–I—you know, I lay my body to the wheelchair. The wheelchair, I leave my bed like this, and I go to restroom by myself.

01:23:07.340 - 01:23:21.880

And then they said, "Sambo! Why you do that? You want–you want me—give me a job? Or you want me like that—" She so scared. Yeah, it's 24-hour take care, if you not take

01:23:22.130 - 01:23:34.910

care of the people sick, and I fell on the floor, big trouble to her. I said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not do that again. Because, to me, I don't want to bother her. To me, I'm not think about that.

01:23:36.790 - 01:23:49.960

I made her a trouble, she scared, say, "Oh, no, no, no, please don't do that again." I say, "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know that. I–I don't want to bother you. I'm sorry, I don't want to bother you." But I

01:23:53.140 - 01:24:09.630

didn't do again, anymore. She don't want a big trouble for her. And my daughter, she buy flower for me, to be happy, you know, in the room, right? When they–when they come in my room.

01:24:10.270 - 01:24:28.360

they saw my flower good, yes, she buy very good flower, dec-decoration very good, very nice. And then the nurse say, "Oh, I like the flower so much, the color." I say, "Go home, take it!" And when my daughter come back

01:24:28.690 - 01:24:40.620

to see, visit me, afternoon, nighttime, yeah, some of it gone. I gave to nurse already. She said, "Mom, I buy for you.

01:24:40.790 - 01:24:50.900

If you want to give to somebody, I can buy for her. Don't do that again." But I never listen. I always give to someone. I say, "I saw already,

01:24:50.950 - 01:25:07.400

that's enough." So I give to her. She take care of me. So it's okay, not mad to me. So all the nurse, I give all of my flowers. But I saw only one time, that's all.

01:25:08.230 - 01:25:21.940

Because if I give to somebody, I'm happy. My heart, I'm happy. I'm not sad. Don't matter how much you buy, I don't care, because you give to me already, so

01:25:22.270 - 01:25:36.780

whatever, I give somebody, she may help. But I see you already. But I'm happy in my life too, because I give to somebody. They take care of me good, they good job.

01:25:37.710 - 01:25:53.670

I say, "It's okay, don't take care of me. I let my daughter take me, shower." Say, "No, I want to shower you. You have to be sleep good tonight." Nurse , she say that, she say—because I don't want to bother, because she had a lot of

01:25:53.710 - 01:26:05.900

people. You know, like one nurse? They take care a lot of people like me. And she don't have time to eat–eat food. Nighttime, she eat dinner, right?

01:26:05.900 - 01:26:22.360

She eat, "Beep beep," and she had to go. She had to put the food down. They had five people, they had to take care five people. Customers. These nurse work hard,

01:26:23.490 - 01:26:41.570

and the doctor, too. Work very hard, doctor and nurse, work very hard to me. So, in the United States, very good, the doctor and the nurse, yeah.

01:26:44.180 - 01:27:02.000

And yeah. And me, my—I had one more problem, two stroke, my mast cell attack my body. My mast cell attack my body, they're very dangerous. They give me steroids so I—make me big, make me bloom too

01:27:02.090 - 01:27:14.960

big. So I cut down the steroid, because my food, I'm diabetic long time, and the—I had the—they pop—they made the, you know,

01:27:15.860 - 01:27:31.210

the— they open hole, they pop, and after that, and you know, without close—if you not—if you take steroids, it not close.

01:27:32.350 - 01:27:46.080

The–the face not close, still open. So they had to clean everything, no good. It's a lot of—very hard to me, but—so that doctor cut down that , they closed the .

01:27:46.240 - 01:28:02.580

I have to wear the sock until die. It's no good. To me, no good, but no choice. So I tried to open my sock, I want the freedom, you know, I–I do that, they come back again.

01:28:04.530 - 01:28:20.640

You have to wear the tiny sock, they make your skin like this, no more open. So–so one day I'm free, now again. This year again. So now

01:28:20.970 - 01:28:38.480

I'm–I’m be careful, I have to wear every day. So you can sleep no sock, only nighttime, yeah. Nighttime, yeah. So right now, are you still taking care of your grandkids? And what else do you do in your free time?

01:28:38.590 - 01:28:52.670

My daughter, they never married but she had a—got together. One big daddy, one big mommy. So I—not live together, too.

01:28:53.550 - 01:29:12.210

One week, I see my grandkids, and one week, no. So, sometimes I walk from the house to sit down, talk to customer, and help her some, she .

01:29:12.910 - 01:29:25.670

That's why I'm go back home. So, because, you know, the grandkid big already. So no–no baby anymore, so you don't have to take care of them anymore.

01:29:25.670 - 01:29:41.110

And now—and your body is saying, oh, maybe dead . Yeah, you exercising, walk here, stay home very boring. You can't stay home.

01:29:41.110 - 01:29:58.980

Just you sit down, drink coffee, talk to people, so they stay here, you see Shipley's across the street? Shipley's. Because they saw

01:29:59.630 - 01:30:22.660

my daughter a little bit busy, they put it now, they share customer. Share customer. Because big company. So after COVID, storm, 2017, 2019, COVID,

01:30:23.940 - 01:30:40.930

my daughter, she no make no money. They put long time, but–but before they took it, we clear—you know, Yeah,

01:30:42.710 - 01:31:02.130

I'm—lot of people, and we happy life. You don't owe somebody zero, that'd be happy. The main thing is you still—I–I tell my daughter, said, "Please help me." So, she quit school.

01:31:03.280 - 01:31:21.870

She only took two–two years college. So, that's all. But so sad, you know? When you drop and husband ran away, so that's

01:31:22.330 - 01:31:36.940

a lot of–a lot of–a lot of work. I don't want to tell you that it's not good, but everything I tell is true. Somebody different, but only me the separate.

01:31:38.340 - 01:31:52.780

My family, nobody, and have good husband. But I don't mad to him too, because I'm sick a lot, right? You don't want to hold somebody living you the whole life. That's not good, too.

01:31:54.770 - 01:32:06.390

He is still young, right? He need family. He don't need to live with sick people. I understand. I'm okay. So that's why I'm happy.

01:32:07.380 - 01:32:24.440

Do your—does your daughter and your grandchildren, do they speak Cambodian? Speak Cambodian? My–my daughter speak Cambodian, but if you ask her, she's—I talk with her, she

01:32:24.530 - 01:32:38.110

talk. But somebody else, sometimes she not talk. Some people–some people, sometimes don't know, they think she not speak Cambodian, but she speak. When–when come back home the first time United States,

01:32:38.110 - 01:32:51.060

I say, "No. No English. If you not speak English—or you not speak Cambodian, don't eat food." Because I cook food. Because I want her to speak in Cambodian. If you not say that, the kid no speak Cambodian

01:32:51.560 - 01:33:04.940

. Like my sister, speak—kid no speak Cambodian. Me, I say that, I say I want her speak more lang-language. You easy for you already, you go to school. But the Cambodian, if you no talk, you no

01:33:04.940 - 01:33:15.790

speak it. Yeah, so she speak Cambodian, she listen music, she understand now. She happy, you see? If I'm not say that, you not speak any or listen Cambodian.

01:33:18.070 - 01:33:34.210

But, you know, you not been less than the guy in Cambodia, guy and the girls speak—sing good a long time. They sing good. Nobody beat her and him.

01:33:35.650 - 01:33:53.210

When you listen the song for him, you like fresh, like they crazy. I say, "If you don't understand Cambodian, you-you're not listen the music, the guy is very good." Now, nobody sing like

01:33:53.210 - 01:34:10.300

her and him. So and now, she understands it, "Oh I'm so—I'm happy, my life. I understand what he talk, sing about." Before she didn't understand, she didn't understand what the guy's

01:34:10.350 - 01:34:21.780

talking, singing. I say, "See, now you speak Cambodian." And my granddaughter, she speak Cambodian, but—she understand I talking, but she learn, she speak, but she shy.

01:34:24.060 - 01:34:38.240

She shy. She doesn't want somebody know she speak Cambodian. Because she say, "How I don't know speak Cambodian, grandma? Because you speak Cambodian every day at the house." I speak every day, she don't understand, answer

01:34:38.240 - 01:34:47.810

when I speak. I don't want her not speak English—or Cambodian. When I speak Cambodian, Cambodian, Cambodian, she can understand, like her mom.

01:34:49.530 - 01:35:07.710

But because we can't stay together every day like my daughter, because one week daddy, one week mom. So that's why I not understand my—too, but the boy not understand too much. Okay, so we were also curious—why

01:35:09.440 - 01:35:28.080

did you and your ex-husband choose to open a donut shop? Why my—why opened a donut shop? Because the donut shop and easy to take care of the kid. You had kid, you need to pick that job, because the

01:35:28.190 - 01:35:46.180

job, all Cambodia love donut shop in United States. The United States, all Cambodian, yeah, mostly all Cambodian. And because easy, drop the kid, and when the kid off from school, they go home

01:35:46.440 - 01:35:56.980

already. So everything easy. So that's why they pick up the–the donut shop for the job. So—because easy to take care of the kid, yes.

01:36:00.550 - 01:36:17.120

And also, what is your proudest accomplishment in life? What I so proud conversation ? Because when I'm Khmer Rouge three year, I'm so proud of myself, because I can do my job,

01:36:18.780 - 01:36:34.010

because I love my dad and my mom, so Khmer Rouge you––everybody know. Because nobody share the food. Only me, I share food to my mom my dad.

01:36:35.190 - 01:36:50.810

You know? Lunchtime food or dinner, I skip one, I give—I take only one a day, my–my food. So one–one lunch, I gave to my mom and dad, share together.

01:36:51.280 - 01:37:07.860

Share half, half. Yeah, my mom half, my dad half. And dinner, I take all, and I—when I–I get the food, dinner, I–I go share food with somebody.

01:37:08.720 - 01:37:24.560

Because I can't eat food. I'm so sick. I need a sugarcane to share the food. So I gave her my food, they–they give me one tree sugarcane. So I like that one, so that's why I still alive.

01:37:27.650 - 01:37:41.260

And I—when I give my–my mom, my dad food, and I lied to my dad, my mom. I say, "You know, I'm get faster to skip another line.

01:37:41.260 - 01:37:49.310

I get one more food." But no, never happened. I pick up the food from the trash. They throw away, I eat that.

01:37:50.470 - 01:38:02.330

Lunchtime. Yeah. Because I don't want my mom, my dad pass away. Because so many people die. I'm scared, very scared.

01:38:04.140 - 01:38:22.650

That's why I can't do it to my mom, my dad, to the Khmer Rouge. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. And so those are all the questions that we have prepared, but is there anything

01:38:22.650 - 01:38:38.890

else you want to talk about? No. And I'm thank you so much for the—ask me about my story. But everything I tell is true, I'm not lie. So—but I–I speak not too good, don't be —yeah, I speak not too good

01:38:38.970 - 01:38:50.470

language, but it's—I can, yeah, I can help you, that's what I can do. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Thank you.