Peter Sey, 22, a resident of North Philadelphia, is a graduate of Olney Charter High School, class of 2021.
He is part of a family of four, including his parents and younger sister. Sey’s mother immigrated to the United States at a young age during the Pol Pot era, a period marked by violence and persecution in Cambodia.
“My parents have always prioritized our culture and religion,” Sey said. “They made sure my sister and I
learned about our traditions.” This dedication to cultural heritage is reflected in the community’s events
and gatherings, which Sey actively takes part in.
Sey, who currently works at Estée Lauder in Willow Grove, PA, keeps connected to his roots while
overcoming the hurdles that Cambodian families experience in the city.
“There are a lot of positive aspects, like temples and community events, but there are also issues, especially concerning crime among our youth,” he said.
Despite the difficulties, Sey sees an opportunity for progress and unity among the Cambodian community. He highlights local projects and cultural events, such as those hosted in FDR Park, as opportunities for connection and cultural expression.
Peter Sey at his home in North Philadelphia PA, on Oct. 16, 2024
Can you describe your parents’ journey from Cambodia to the United States?
My parents moved from Cambodia during the Pol Pot era. At the time, they were young, so my
grandparents were the ones getting them out of there. It was a very corrupt time, and many people
were dying. They had to escape due to discrimination against the higher class, which led to a rebellion.
When Pol Pot took over, they made everyone wear the same clothes and enslaved their own people.
They were fighting against each other and killing innocent people. If you worked for the government, or
anyone in your family did, they would kill you. They didn’t want anybody to have an education; they just
wanted everyone to live in the countryside and live the same way as everybody else. There was no type
of class. My parents were rescued and migrated from Cambodia during the Pol Pot era.
They went to Thailand and lived there for a few years, before coming to America. Everybody migrated to Long Beach, California, because that’s where the biggest population of Cambodians is in America right now.
My mom moved to Philly either five or six years before I was born. So, she has been living in Philadelphia for a long time now. I still have family in Cambodia. I have an uncle down there and some cousins. My
grandparents passed away, but I still have relatives there. I haven’t seen them in a while, but we
maintain our connections.
How would you describe the Cambodian community in Philadelphia and your involvement?
I’d say I’m pretty involved. The Cambodian community in Philly is big. In certain areas, like South Philly,
there’s probably one of the largest populations of Cambodians. It makes it more diverse than it already
is. I’ve been around Cambodian people all my life. I feel like the community is big, but it’s also small.
Everybody knows everybody. I probably know somebody who knows someone else that I don’t know
yet.
We have temples, and we celebrate Cambodian New Year. We do things like praying with monks and celebrating with the community. Philly is one of the places where a lot of Cambodians migrate to;
it’s very welcoming. Cambodian people, in general, have a lot of hospitality towards people. If you go to
Cambodia, they’re still very welcoming.
Peter walked around North Philadelphia before going to work on Oct. 16, 2024.
What are some of your experiences and concerns you have regarding the Cambodian community in
Philadelphia?
I grew up here in Philly, and, I learned English fast too, so I was kind of bilingual, like I could understand
them and everything was the balance. I balanced well but even being born and raised in Philly safety can
be an issue that comes up in every community. I know that in Philly, it’s not really the best place to be at
times, just like any other place. It’s a big community, but there are concerns for our generation,
especially with the rise in crime.
I feel like a lot of people succumb to their environment and participate
in certain types of acts. Some of us are going in the wrong direction, getting involved with drugs and
crime. That’s probably one of my main concerns for our community.
In your opinion, what are some challenges that Cambodian families face when living in Philadelphia?
Some families find it hard to adapt because they come from a war-torn country. They are used to being
in a survival state. Some may also have mental health issues stemming from their experiences. It hasn’t
been long since the trauma occurred, and my grandparents, my mom, and my dad were all young during
that time. In the Asian culture, we don’t really use “therapy” like my grandparents, they just never talked
about it even though their lives changed forever.
As the firstborn in America, I see some challenges, especially with language barriers and adapting to Western culture. However, I see a lot of improvements nowadays, many families are adapting well to American culture.
Sey is heading to his work at Estée Lauder in Willow Grove, PA.
Can you share your thoughts about FDR Park and its significance for the Cambodian community?
FDR Park is significant for us. In the early 2000s, we used to sell different types of foods there, but the
cops would always shut it down. We finally got a permit to sell there legally, so it has become a little
cultural spot for us. I heard they’re planning to approve it as a new Reading Terminal. That’s a great
thing because my aunt sells food down there, and she makes probably the best stir-fry noodles. A lot of
people will love that, and it’s great for introducing everybody to our culture.
Also, I don’t think it’s a good idea to have the Sixers stadium in Chinatown. Chinatown is like this for the whole Asian community. Like, whether they, like, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, or any other Asian culture. I think it’s a really big cultural spot for us to go to. It’s going to put a lot of a lot of Asian businesses out. So, I don’t really agree with that. I think they could put it somewhere else because I feel like the businesses would go down because a lot of people depend on that business to live in Philly. After all, Philly’s an expensive place.
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