A Cham Muslim Immigrant’s Perspective on the Black Lives Matter Movement Cham-American youth join the struggle for social justice BY SEAN-HABIB TU
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uring May 2020, with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in full swing, the world woke up stunned at the brutality unleashed on Black Americans. Across American, African and European cities, people rose up to support the movement and protest against police brutality and racism. Amidst the social upheaval engendered by youth and others who are eager to change the social order, Cham — the nomenclature for Muslims in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam — immigrants and their families in the U.S. are caught in the crossfire. Historically, the vast majority of Cham in this country have been unconcerned with social equality or justice issues due to their economic uncertainty and adjusting to their new lives here. Arriving in the 1980s, the first generation remains largely unattached to their new land or its mainstream “American” culture. Even today, they often speak with great nostalgia about their homelands and express feelings of belonging and genuine care for one another. However, life in the U.S. is vastly different. Everyone is working to make ends meet, and all the while family members are drifting apart due to work-related responsibilities and schedules. The communal feelings they once had are faint memories, and feelings of alienation pervade their present lives. In essence, BLM does not really resonate with the first generation, who feel out of place for various reasons. The younger Cham generations view life very differently. They speak this land’s language and live its culture, dress like the kids around the block, communicate in slang with their peers and dream the same dreams as any other second-generation Asian American kid. Their childhood was part of the American culture fabric, and so they are more aware of the significance of slavery, the Civil Rights movement and the daily oppression faced by Black Americans. The younger generations,
Asma Men conducts a workshop
THE YOUNGER CHAM GENERATIONS VIEW LIFE VERY DIFFERENTLY. THEY SPEAK THIS LAND’S LANGUAGE AND LIVE ITS CULTURE, DRESS LIKE THE KIDS AROUND THE BLOCK, COMMUNICATE IN SLANG WITH THEIR PEERS AND DREAM THE SAME DREAMS AS ANY OTHER SECOND-GENERATION ASIAN AMERICAN KID. all of which have grown up as a minority within a minority, have experienced “being different” because of their ethnicity and faith. In a twist of fate, they shared the feeling of alienation with the minorities and Black communities who came before them. Thus, BLM resonates with their line of thought as the movement takes on the mainstream. Those who are socially conscious join it, knowing that their stand is linked with that of the BLM movement and all people of color. Yet some of the negative actions during the BLM protests have reignited a generational
split. When civil unrest erupted in Los Angeles in 1992 because the mostly White, middle-class jury acquitted the policemen who beat Rodney King, many communities witnessed the ensuing destruction. In Long Beach, local Cambodian businesses were also looted. Many hearts were broken, and the Black community was stereotyped. Having witnessed similar events during recent BLM protests, a flood of negativity has surfaced. Yet these moments have also inspired attempts by youth to level with their parents about what’s been going on. Even as these generations share a common understanding of police brutality against Blacks, Indigenous populations and people of color, communities and the older generation cannot vent their anger outward due to the language barrier and cultural differences. On the other hand, the younger generations have actively supported the movement on social media and on the streets. They took on the challenge of providing an intergenerational workshop at the Islamic Center of Santa Ana about Black American history and the struggle for equal rights. Those who attended were amazed about the wealth of information provided. We came to learn that Blacks advocated the admission of Southeast Asian refugees during the late 1970s. Our connection to the Black community is much deeper than we knew. This event provided knowledge to bridge generational gaps and overcome cultural barriers with other races. The BLM movement has opened a window in the Cham community. It’s like looking into a community through a prism of time and history hidden from plain sight, one on top of the other through layers of their history and experiences. Just like any other community, those who refuse to live under injustice joined the movement to shatter systemic racism, and those who are content with their lives continue on, never making a sound. The Cham immigrant communities that face injustice and oppression may not vocally join in the protests on the street, but they are participating through donations and prayers, each in their own way, depending on their own historical context and upbringing. The oppression of Blacks in the U.S. has a deep history and is full of righteous struggles. The BLM movement continues to give people of all races an opportunity to rethink this nation’s justice system as well as racism not only here but all over the world. ih Sean-Habib Tu is president of the Islamic Center of Santa Ana, Calif.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 35
