Timeline: Cambodian Refugee in the U.S.

After the Cambodian civil war from 1970 to 1975, and a genocide led by the communist government from 1975 until 1979, hundreds and thousands of people was forced to flee the country to the Thailand border, and eventually settled in the United States and different countries in Europe. Approximately more than 150,000 people arrived in the U.S. from 1975 to 1990.

According to the book Survivor by Sucheng Chan, Cambodian Refugees came to the U.S. in three waves. The first wave of refugees escaped Cambodia and came to the U.S. after the fall of Phnom Penh to Khmer Rouge government in April 1975. These group of people were mainly government officials, commanders and diplomats of the Lon Nol government. The second wave of refugees escaped Cambodia during Khmer Rouge Regime. The third wave and the largest wave of refugee escaped Cambodian to Thailand border from 1979 to 1990, after the fall of Khmer Rouge government in January 1979 .

In the fear of losing the civil war to Khmer Rouge, many Lon Nol government officials, commanders, diplomats… fled Cambodia through the help from Khmer Republic Air Force pilots who would fly to Thailand along with their friend and family, and Khmer Republic Navy personnel who would sail to the international water territory. The U.S. also offer to airlift many Lon Nol government officials, military commanders directly from Phnom Penh to the U.S. A total of around 4,600 people arrived in the U.S. during the first wave.

“The first wave of refugees entered the United States under the parole power of the U.S. attorney general—that is, by executive rather than congressional legislative authority because at that time the U. S. Congress had not yet passed a refugee law.”  Sucheng Cha n

The second wave of Cambodian refugees made up of people who escaped Cambodia during the Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge) to Thailand. According to the book  Survivor , some people survived and would make it to Thailand, while some were shot dead by the Khmer Rouge or died by landmine along the way. During this period, U.S. admitted around 3,000 people, those of whom have formerly had relation with the U.S., and around 6,000 of another group of rural Cambodian who fled to Cambodia – Thai border.

“Like the first wave refugees, they entered the United States under the parole authority of the U.S. attorney general.”  Sucheng Chan 

The Third wave of Cambodian refugees came after the fall of Khmer Rouge regime. During the People’s Republic of Cambodia’s time, guerrilla warfare was still happening in Cambodia. Violence and feminine drove half a million of Cambodian to escape the country and seek refugees in Thailand. Thai Government did not welcome Cambodian refugees. Thousands of the refugees would later find resettlement in the U.S. and other western countries.