Regina H

2024 WISLI Khmer Student

Why did you choose to study at WISLI? What motivated you to choose our program?

I chose to study at SEASSI because Khmer is not a commonly taught language and wanted to learn my native language in an academic setting.

How has learning a less commonly taught language enriched your personal and professional life?

Since this is my culture, relearning my native language has helped in reconnecting with my cultural heritage as well as prepare me for my upcoming Fulbright program.

What about WISLI/UW-Madison stands out to you?

UW Madison stands out to me by having all the southeast Asian languages taught together during the same time during the summer. SEASSI should do more to build solidarity between Southeast Asian communities especially because there is often tension between them.

How do you plan to apply proficiency of your target language and cultural skills to your personal/professional journey?

I plan to apply proficiency and cultural skills to my personal and professional journey by helping to preserve the Khmer language and culture in Cambodia and the United States. I would like to make language resources more accessible for second and third generation Cambodian Americans.

What have been some of the highlights of your program? What events have you particularly enjoyed?

I enjoy sharing some of my experiences as a Cambodian American on topics that we discussed in class or cultural events. Sometimes I helped students with pronunciation since a lot of the sounds in Khmer are not common in English.

What role did the WISLI Tuition Scholarship play when you were making decisions? How would you encourage other students who might be interested in the scholarship to apply?

The WISLI Tuition Scholarship impacted my ability to attend SEASSI, because financial resources are a huge barrier for myself and my community when it comes to access to higher education. I would not have been able to attend without this scholarship unfortunately. I would encourage other Cambodian Americans to apply for this scholarship so they can also relearn their mother tongue before it becomes lost in the States. I am passionate about having second and third generations Cambodian Americans learning the mother language because it is our culture that would be on the brink of extinction. However, because Khmer is not commonly taught and is not easily accessible I would them to apply for this scholarship.

What advice would you give to students who want to study the same language as you?

I would encourage students to not be hard on themselves. Learning a language is challenging especially one as difficult as Khmer. Also, learning takes time to process and digest. Cambodian Americans have a lot of stigma from elders about our ability to speak Khmer. This traumatic experience often triggered me in class which stunted my learning.

What is your favorite expression in the language you studied this summer?

My favorite expression is ស្អីក៏ស្អីទៅ which means whatever/it is what it is.