Decolonizing Your Western Privilege

Books Recommended by Cambodian American Scholars

Jul 10, 2026

Recently there have been social media posts in the Cambodian American community that have been concerning.

First, when Cambodian Americans visit or move to Cambodia, what is our mission, our purpose, and how do we show care for our brothers and sisters in Cambodia? Does it portray genuine care, or is it reminiscent of white saviorism? (And what is the purpose of filming Cambodians when they are in their worst condition?) Actually this applies not only to Cambodian Americans but Americans in general. We need to pause and evaluate our own biases and consider its origins.

Second, there was a recent inflammatory post by a Khmer woman (she referred to herself as Khmer) who mocked 1) Khmer Americans with dark skin or “pure Khmer” and 2) she mocked Khmer Americans who came here after the genocide and sell vegetables.

Everything she said is atrocious and colorist. There should be ZERO tolerance for hatred for Khmer people with a darker skin color. This extends to any ethnicity or background, no tolerance for hatred for people with a darker skin color, or any shade, period. Colorism has been steeped in Cambodia for generations (and East Asia as well), and frankly, people need to stop perpetuating harmful colorist rhetoric.

In addition, her mocking of Khmer Americans shows ignorance of the history of America: its origins of genocide against the Indigenous communities, how the U.S. operates as an empire, the horror of chattel slavery, segregation and the fight for equality that was made possible due to Black leaders during the Civil Rights era, systemic racism, the exploitation of immigrants and refugee labor- this is the historical context in which Khmer refugees were resettled in America.

For example, for Khmer Americans whom arrived on the West coast in late 1970’s- 1980s and were only given farming jobs- how horribly offensive and ignorant to attack our Khmer American elders on the darkness of their skin.

Thus, in collaboration with fellow Cambodian American scholars, we share our recommended books to Decolonize your Western Privilege.

Centering Indigenous Communities:

1. WHEN MY BROTHER WAS AN AZTEC by Natalie Diaz

2. BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer

3. AS LONG AS GRASS GROWS by Dina Gilio-Whitaker

How the U.S. Empire Destroys:

3. HARVEST OF EMPIRE by Juan Gonzalez

4. HOW THE WORD IS PASSED by Clint Smith

5. TO SAVE AND DESTROY by Viet Thanh Nguyen

6. ORIGINAL SINS by Eve L. Ewing

7. THE MAKING OF ASIAN AMERICA by Erika Lee

8. HOW TO HIDE AN EMPIRE by Daniel Immerwahr

Expertise and Wisdom of Black Authors

9. BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME by Ta-Nehisi Coates

10. BLACK SKIN, WHITE MASKS by Frantz Fanon

11. THE 1619 PROJECT by Nikole Hannah-Jones & The New York Times Magazine

12. ORIGINAL SINS by Eve L. Ewing

13. TO BE IN & OF by Joshua Aiken

14. HOW THE WORD IS PASSED by Clint Smith

Resisting Colonialism & Imperialist Views

15. ច្បាប់ក្រមង៉ុយ “Chbab Krom Ngoy” (1865-1936) - this book is entirely in Khmer and can be found here. I encourage everyone to learn to read Khmer, but if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to learn, then please see the next book:

16. “From A Garland of New Advice” - K.Ngoy, translated by T. Walker. One of Krom Ngoy’s poems is translated and featured in OUT OF THE SHADOWS OF ANGKOR , published by Manoa (I was really excited to read this translation in a book I already owned!)

17. COLONIAL CAMBODIA’S ‘BAD FRENCHMAN’ by Gregor Muller

18. ORIENTALISM by Edward Said

19. DECOLONISING HERITAGE IN SOUTH ASIA, edited by Himanshu Prabha Ray