63 | A Conversation with Author Putsata Reang

Putsata Reang, seasoned journalist and author, is releasing an honest and beautifully written memoir “Ma & Me” on May 17th, 2022 that explores her family’s journey of escaping Cambodia by boat from the Khmer Rouge Genocide in the 1970's to adjusting to their new lives in the U.S. Putsata grapples with her identities and relationships growing up as Khmer American, gay, a woman and a child of refugees. In our conversation, Putsata touches upon topics such as what she uncovered about herself and her family, advice for those who are caught in-between who they are and what others want them to be, and her thoughts around how we can maintain our culture and language away from our family's country of origin. We felt a deep connection with her experiences, as our Khmer family also faced unimaginable trauma, loss, and financial troubles which permeated into intergenerational trauma, shaping the way we were raised and how we view the world.