Project

Cambodians Sentenced Home: An Examination Into the Lives of the Deported

Project Description

In the last decade, two events occurred which dramatically changed the life course for a number of Cambodian refugees and immigrants living in the United States. In 1996, legislation was passed eliminating case-by-case exceptions to deportation rulings. The second key event occurred in 2002, when the Cambodian government entered into an agreement with the U.S. to repatriate Cambodian nationals. As a result, approximately 1,600 Cambodians became eligible for deportation. To date, approximately 151 Cambodians have been deported, many of whom were born either in Cambodia or in a refugee camp and had arrived in the U.S. at an early age. Virtually no research has been conducted to examine the effects of deportation and the adjustment of returnees; nor to examine the adjustment and lives of the deportees prior to deportation. This pilot study will generate new information on these issues.