This is a list of notable

Cambodian American Cambodian Americans,; also Khmer Americans, are Americans of Cambodian or Khmer ancestry. In addition, Cambodian Americans are also Americans with ancestry of other ethnic groups of Cambodia, such as the Chams and Chinese Cambodians. According ...

s, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants. To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Cambodian American or must have references showing they are Cambodian American and are notable.

List

Zach Charbonnet Zachariah Charbonnet (born January 8, 2001) is an American football running back. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines before transferring to UCLA Bruins in 2021. He was a two-time all-conference selection in the Pac-12 with ...

- football player; drafted to the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

in the

2023 NFL draft The 2023 NFL Draft will be the 88th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft is scheduled to be held in the plaza outside of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27–29, ...

* Francois Chau - actor; known for his role as Dr. Pierre Chang in ''

Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

'' *

Sokhary Chau Sokhary Chauy is a Cambodian American politician. In 2022, the City Council of Lowell, Massachusetts elected him to become the next mayor, becoming the first American mayor of Cambodian descent to hold the position as well as the first in the wh ...

- Mayor of Lowell. First mayor of Cambodian descent in the US. * Monirith Chhea - visual artist originally from Phnom Penh * Arn Chorn-Pond - musician and human rights activist * Bhante Dharmawara - Buddhist monk and teacher; helped resettle thousands of Cambodian refugees in the US; founded the first Cambodian Buddhist temple in the US * Maya Gilliss-Chapman - founder and CEO of Cambodians in Tech, Miss Cambodian American, 2nd Runner Up *Elizabeth Heng - politician, candidate for

California's 16th congressional district California's 16th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California, which as of the most recent general election was located in the central San Joaquin Valley. The district is currently represented by . On 20 ...

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

* Vanna Howard - politician, first Cambodian American woman elected to the Massachusetts state legislature (17th Middlesex District) *

Jessa Khan Jessamine Jada Khan (born 8 October 2001), often shortened as Jessa Khan ( km, ខាន់ ចេសា, Khăn Chésa ), is an American-born Cambodian jiu-jitsu athlete. She is the 2023 IBJJF World Champion. Career Khan represented Cambodi ...

- martial artist/sportsperson * SreyRam Kuy - first female Cambodian refugee to become a surgeon in the United States; former Chief Medical Officer for Medicaid for the state of Louisiana; former Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Community Care, United States Department of Veterans Affairs *

Phillip Lim Phillip Lim (born September 16, 1973, as Pheng Lim) is an American fashion designer of Chinese descent whose parents immigrated to America from Thailand during the Cambodian genocide. Lim co-founded and worked at the Los Angeles-based fashion labe ...

- fashion designer *

Yasmin Lee Yasmin Lee is an Cambodian American transgender pornographic film actress and Model (people), model. She appeared in the film ''The Hangover Part II'' as Kimmy. Early life and career Lee lived with her family in various refugee camps in Cambod ...

- LGBT pornographic actress *

Kalyanee Mam Kalyanee Mam (born in Battambang, Cambodia) is a filmmaker whose film, ''A River Changes Course'', which she directed and produced, has won several awards, including the Grand Jury Award for World Cinema Documentary at the 2013 Sundance Film Festiv ...

- filmmaker * Laura Mam - musician and music industry entrepreneur. *

Sam Meas Sam Meas (born ) is a Haverhill, Massachusetts-based political candidate who has run as both a Republican and later a Democrat. Meas is the first Cambodian-American in U.S. history to run for Congress. Personal life He was born Meas Sombo, and g ...

- first Cambodian-American congressional candidate *

Ros Mey Ros Mey (June 30, 1925 – December 12, 2010) was a Cambodian-born American Buddhist monk and survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime. Mey was the ''Chov Atika'', or head monk, of Wat Thormikaram, the first ethnic Khmer Buddhist temple in the United ...

- Buddhist monk and survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, head monk of Wat Thormikaram in Providence, Rhode Island *

Rady Mom Rady Mom (born 1970) is an American politician and a representative in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 18th Middlesex district. The district was formerly represented by Kevin Murphy, who vacated his seat in 2014 when ...

- politician, first Cambodian American elected to the Massachusetts state legislature (18th Middlesex District) * Sochua Mu - politician, democracy and women's rights activist *

Chhom Nimol Chhom Nimol ( km, ឆោម និមល; ) is a Cambodian-American singer and lead vocalist for the band Dengue Fever, which she joined in 2001. Career Chhom Nimol was born in Cambodia and for a time her family lived in a refugee camp in Tha ...

- lead vocalist for the band

Dengue Fever Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characterist ...

. *

Haing S. Ngor Haing Somnang Ngor ( Khmer: ហាំង សំណាង ង៉ោ; ; March 22, 1940 – February 25, 1996) was a Cambodian American gynecologist, obstetrician, actor and author. He is best remembered for winning the Academy Award for Best Suppor ...

(1940-1996) - Oscar-winning actor for his performance in the movie ''

The Killing Fields A killing field is a concept in military science. Killing field may also refer to: * Killing Fields, a number of sites in Cambodia where collectively more than a million people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of ...

''; author, physician *

Ted Ngoy Ted Ngoy (born Bun Tek Ngoy; 1942) is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of doughnut shops in California. He is nicknamed the "Donut King." Biography Ted Ngoy was born in the Cambodian village of Serei Saophoan, Si ...

- "Doughnut King," entrepreneur and politician *

Soma Norodom Soma Serei Norodom ( km, សោម៉ា សិរី នរោត្តម; born October 29, 1969) is a newspaper columnist, philanthropist and princess of the Cambodian royal House of Norodom. Raised in the United States, she returned to Cambod ...

- Princess of Cambodia, journalist and author * Chanthou Oeur - painter and sculptor *

Monty Oum Monyreak Oum ( ; June 22, 1981 – February 1, 2015) was an American web-based animator and writer. Oum attracted attention within the gaming community after releasing an animated video in 2007, titled ''Haloid'', where characters from the ''Halo ...

- visual artist, designer, and animator, of Cambodian and Vietnamese descent * Pisay Pao - actress *

Sopheap Pich Sopheap Pich ( km, ពេជ្យ សុភាព; born 1971) is a Cambodian American contemporary artist. His sculptures utilize traditional Cambodian materials, which reflect the history of the nation and the artist's relation to his identity. ...

- sculptor and visual artist *

Chath PierSath Chath Piersath, born in Kop Nymit, Svay Sisophon District, in Battambang Province, is a noted Cambodian American poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. ...

- poet, painter, and humanitarian *

Dith Pran Dith Pran ( km, ឌិត ប្រន; 23 September 1942 – 30 March 2008) was a Cambodian photojournalist. He was a refugee and survivor of the Cambodian genocide and the subject of the film ''The Killing Fields'' (1984). Early life ...

(1942-2008) - portrayed in the movie ''

'';

photojournalist Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...

for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''; human rights activist *

San Kim Sean San Kim Sean ( km, សាន គឹមស៊ាន; born March 24, 1945) is a martial artist from Cambodia. He often referred to as the father of modern Bokator and is largely credited with reviving the art. At age 13, he studied bokator un ...

- martial artist *

Theary Seng Theary Chan Seng (born 1971) is a Cambodian-American human-rights activist and lawyer, the former executive director of the Centre for Social Development, and president of the Center for Cambodian Civic Education (CIVICUS Cambodia). She is the au ...

- human rights activist *

Sophiline Cheam Shapiro Sophiline Cheam Shapiro ( km, ឝភីរោ ជាម សុភិលីន; born 1967) is a Cambodian dancer, choreographer, and educator. Early life At the age of eight, Shapiro was forced to live in the countryside of Cambodia after her fam ...

- choreographer and dance teacher *

Sichan Siv Sichan Siv was the United States ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council from 2001 to 2006. From 1989 to 1993, Ambassador Siv served at The White House as deputy assistant to President George H. W. Bush and at the State Depart ...

- former U.S. Ambassador to the

United Nations Economic and Social Council The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...

and the author of ''Golden Bones'' * Anthony Veasna So - writer * Pou Sohtireak - politician *

Loung Ung Loung Ung ( km, អ៊ឹង លួង; born 19 November 1970) is a Cambodian American human-rights activist, lecturer and national spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World, between 1997 and 2003. She has served in the same capaci ...

- author, speaker,

Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. ...

survivor and activist against

landmine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

sLoung Ung. '' First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers''. HarperCollins (2003). *

Jordan Windle Jordan Pisey Windle is a Cambodian-born American Olympic diver. He is the first diver of Cambodian descent to compete in the Olympics. Early life Jordan was born in Sihanoukville, Cambodia on November 13, 1998. At the age of one, his biological ...

- Olympic diver * Chhun Yasith - political activist, received life sentence for attempting a coup * Nite Yun - chef and restaurateur

Naturalized

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...

- American actress, maintains dual Cambodian and American citizenship, given Cambodian citizenship in 2005

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cambodian Americans

Cambodian Cambodian usually refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Cambodia ** Cambodian people (or Khmer people) ** Cambodian language (or Khmer language) ** For citizens and nationals of Cambodia, see Demographics of Cambodia ** Fo ...