Refugee Narratives: Ten Stories of Cambodian Refugees

Introduction

Tucked away in a box within the Archives of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in Bertrand Hall on the campus of Saint Mary's College, there rests an unassuming book.  Inside this volume, in early 1980, a group of eight Cambodian refugees documented their experiences during the time when the Khmer Rouge was in power. 

These entries were written under the encouragement of Sister Paula Goettelmann, a sister who had traveled to the Thai/Cambodian border to work in the refugee camps and who sought to assist the many thousands of individuals who sought to escape the turmoil and political conflict in Cambodia during this time.  She provided healthcare to these refugees and taught them English to help in their efforts to relocate successfully to other, safer locations around the globe.

This journal is a testament to the strength of the refugees who survived during this turbulent, dark period and an acknowledgement of how essential the work of Sister Paula Goettelmann and others were in providing aid to those who were in need.  

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