From Cambodia to Utah

Creating a New Home and Finding Community

Mary and Sopheap Nehm at the Cambodian New Year celebration

The Wat Buddhikaram - Utah Cambodian Community Buddhist Temple was founded in West Valley City after Utah's Cambodian community purchased a 1.3-acre property in 1991.

According to the Temple's website, the site was "founded with reverence for the ancient Buddhist traditions" and "stands as a testament to the perseverance and shared dedication of monks, laypeople, and generations of families."

This effort coincided with a substantial rise in Utah's ethnic communities. A Deseret News article from 1991 reported that the state's overall ethnic population had grown by 37% over the previous decade. Specifically, the Asian and Pacific Islander population doubled, reaching nearly 34,000 residents in Utah.

Building Community

For more than twenty years, the community practiced their religion and celebrated their culture in a converted garage, which became a sala chan–a gathering hall used for religious and cultural activities.

In 2015, a larger building with a full kitchen and finished basement was built in the back of the property to accommodate more people and larger festivities. 

The community, including Dr. Raymond Hour pictured to the left, worked to prepare the property’s land for the large temple. In 2013, irrigation pipes were installed.   

Dr. Raymond Hour sitting on a black irrigation pipe wearing hat

Monk Sarith So standing outside and in front of the Cambodian Temple for its grand opening

Celebrating a Larger Community Space

Chief Abbot Sarith So, pictured here, arrived in Salt Lake City in 2012 and officially became the temple's monk in 2013, a role he continues to hold today.

The role of Buddhist monks like Chief Abbot So is central to the community. They serve as the primary moral and spiritual guides, teaching the Dhamma (Buddhist teachings) to the lay community, offering spiritual advice, and occasionally leading meditation sessions. Monks also preside over crucial religious ceremonies, including funerals, home or business blessings, and major festivals.  

Resettlement in the United States

According to the 2020 Census, Utah is home to more than 10,000 Cambodians, with the majority residing in West Valley City and Logan.

Many of Utah's Cambodians initially arrived as refugees in the early 1980s. Their displacement resulted from the Cambodian Civil War (1970–1975) and the subsequent Cambodian-Vietnamese War (1978–1989). Many of these refugees spent several years in Thai refugee camps before being resettled.

For instance, Toni Mam, pictured to the left with her mother and siblings , stayed in a Thai refugee camp for several years before relocating to Utah in 1981.

Toni Mam and her family in 1979 living in a Thailand refugee camp (writing on the back of image)

War in Cambodia caused immense hardship for Chanda Leung (née Chhoeung) and her family starting in 1975. As refugees, the Chhoeung family endured time in two Thai camps before finally being resettled in Indiana in 1985. Chanda later relocated to Utah and has since been a dedicated member of the Cambodian Buddhist Temple community.

Color photograph of the Chhoeung family at a refugee camp in Khao I Dang, Thailand. This is the only family photograph the donor has of her time in the refugee camp.

Newspaper article from an Indiana newspaper about the Chhoeung family's immigration from Cambodia to the United States. Nappanee, Indiana was the first place they lived when they arrived in the U.S. From Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 110, Number 7,Nappanee, Elkhart County, 9 July 1986, page 2 written by Julia Mast.

Starting in the mid-1970s, many Cambodians fled their home country, seeking refuge and a safe place to raise their families. A significant number resettled in Utah, primarily finding homes in the Salt Lake area, including Midvale and West Valley City. These new residents faced the challenge of adjusting to a new life, learning a new language, and establishing a new home. Today, Cambodians in Utah actively incorporate their cultural customs into their everyday lives while also embracing new activities and celebrating American traditions.

Color photograph of Seang Family on jet ski at Jordanelle State Park, UT.

Color photograph of Chanda Chuon and his parents Chin and Chanthoun for Cambodian New Year

Color photograph portrait of Toni and Larry Mam with daughter Kristine and sister Charana at Christmas time. This is their first baby and they are very happy.

Color photograph of Jenny Hor and her gradmother Mith Seng at Peace Gardens Park in SLC. Even though she was a Budhist Nun she had time for family and her grandchildren.

Color photograph of Landy and Chhor with 2 daughters, Sokly Lach and Sokleng Lach, outside thier apartment building in Midvale, UT.

Color photograph of Mary and Sopheap wearing orange color satin pants, traditional clothing for a Cambodian wedding. Photograph taken in taken in front of image of Angor Wat in Norwalk, CA.

Color photograph of Mary and Sopheap wearing orange color satin pants, traditional clothing for a Cambodian wedding. Photograph taken in taken in front of image of Angor Wat in Norwalk, CA.

Color photograph of Khemera Dance Troupe with Sinouen and her cousins Sokleng Nawaz, Sokly Lech, Chanda Chuon at Wat Buddhikaram-Utah Cambodian Buddhist Temple.

Future Generations

Cambodian refugees, who now call Utah home, raised their children here. Many grew up within their community, learning their culture and practicing Buddhist traditions. Yet all grew up outside of their community’s homeland and there was some disconnect with their Cambodian culture.

In 2000, the Khemera Dance Troupe was formed by Chanda Choun, Sinoeun Poeut, and six other members of the Cambodian youth to preserve cultural practices and performing traditional dances. 

At the dance troupe’s first performance, Chanda remembers “Watching the audience’s reactions—and seeing elders moved to tears—motivated members of the Troupe to carry on their efforts. For many of our grandparents, this was the first time they had witnessed their grandchildren preserving traditions that were nearly lost in the 1970s. ”

To this day, the group continues to practice almost every Sunday and perform at public events, including the temple’s yearly New Year Celebration. 

Color photograph of Chand Achuon and Sammy Leung performing Robam Khen for the Wat Buddhikaram-Utah Cambodian Buddhist Temple monk celebration. . Robam translates to dance and Khen translated to flute.

Color photograph of Cambodian wedding group walking down a Taylorsville neighborhood

Finding Community

Even though many Utah Cambodians were abruptly forced to leave their home country, they continue to celebrate their culture and traditions through holidays, weddings, and other social gatherings.  

Weddings are big events that happen in the Cambodian community. They are celebrated at the Temple and are usually joined by many members of the community. 

Khmer (Cambodian) New Year is the largest holiday for Cambodians. This holiday celebrates a new beginning for the community and calls for a large gathering. This three day holiday is celebrated during mid-April. It’s a fun time filled with historical teachings, special offerings from the monks, and traditional ceremonies.  

Color photograph of a group of women at Buddhist Temple for Cambodian New Years. Photograph includes; Keana Net.

Color photograph of Monk Chief Abbot Sarith So (middle) with monks surronding him, performing blessing ceremony to recognized Monk Sarith So as the official monk of Wat Buddhikaram-Utah Cambodian Buddhist Temple.

In 2023 and 2024, the Utah Historical Society partnered with the Cambodian Buddhist Temple to host two Scan-and-Share events. Community members brought their photos to digitize and shared their stories to preserve their history within the state’s special collections.

Please visit the online collection to view over 200 photos from Utah’s Cambodian community.

Citations

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