In this episode, host Donna Truong speaks with Cambodian Culture Expert Dr. George Chigas to answer the question "What even is the Khmer Rouge?" where they speak about the Cambodian Genocide, the Khmer Rouge history, the Khmer Rouge meaning, how the Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot came into power, why did the Khmer Rouge kill intellectuals and more.
Dr. George Chigas grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, which currently holds the second-largest Cambodian population in the United States, during a time many Southeast Asians - particularly Cambodians - were seeking refuge from the war and turmoil that was occurring in their countries. It was then his interest in Cambodian culture was sparked.
After receiving his Bachelor's Degree in Classical Studies at Tufts University, Dr. Chigas spent some time in refugee camps along the Thai/Cambodian border, received his Master's degree in Asian Studies at Cornell University, and his Ph.D. in Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
In addition, Dr. Chigas was a former Associate Director of the Cambodian Genocide Program at Yale University and is currently an Associate Teaching Professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Clearly, this man is a big deal. He even has his own Wikipedia page!
A huge thank you to Joseph McDade for letting us use his song Elevation as his theme song and Amanda Pech and Veronica Uk for giving us this topic idea for this episode.
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