Seachampa

History

Growing up Asian in American, and Asian American has its challenges. Many Asian American youth struggle with archetypical questions about self and identity: Who am I? Why am I here? After the Fall of Saigon in April 1975, many Vietnamese, Sino-Vietnamese, Laotian, Hmong, and Cambodian refugees were pushed to the U.S. Seen--if they are seen at all--as perpetual victims, and as refugees, their social and economic struggles with gang activities and welfare dependency dominate the discourse about them, pointing out and blaming their recent history as the origins of their 'plight.' But they have survived, and even with scars, they thrive, and in so doing, have brought to America their wealth of culture, their wealth of community, and their tremendous strengths that was gained through their struggle to survive. SEACHAMPA's primary goal is to promote Southeast Asian culture and art as a solution to educational underachievement, and other perennial social problems.

Specialties

South East Asian Cultural Heritage & Musical Performing Arts (SEACHAMPA) a voluntary community cooperative of Southeast Asian American artists. SEACHAMPA's mission is to create a space where youth and individuals can respectfully share, learn and to be proud of their Southeast Asian heritages. Courses: Intro Traditional Asian Art, CPR & 1st Aid training. Cooking: Lao, Khmer, Thai. Music: Traditional SEA instruments. Dance: Hip Hop, Khmer/Cambodian social dance movements. Languages: Burmese, Lao, Khmer, Tagalog, Thai. *Please visit our website for more classes and schedules. The SEACHAMPA project is a collaboration of volunteers and supporters of a South East Asian American lifestyle, uniting artists, musicians and performers to fuse our history as a South East Asian refugee. This grassroots effort is supported by volunteers and will organically change with the population it serves.