On Wednesday, May 8th at 7pm, the AHS will co-host a screening of the film Rebuilding the Temple in collaboration with our community partners at Amherst Cinema. This one -hour documentary examines the refugees‘ efforts to adjust to Western life, and the significant role played by the Buddhist culture in this difficult process. The film was produced locally by Florentine Films, and the producers, Larry Hott and Claudia Levin, will be on hand to discuss their work following the screening.
The Amherst Historical Society will hold an opening ceremony for its major exhibit for the 2024 season, Cambodians in Amherst: A History of the Khmer Community on Saturday May 11th at 12:00pm at the Amherst Historical Museum. Following the opening ceremony the exhibit will be open to the public for the first time and tours will be available.
In the early 1980’s, members of the Amherst community organized to give refuge to survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia. Faith communities and their partners helped many Cambodian families escape the desperate circumstances they faced in refugee camps in Southeast Asia and resettle in Amherst. As the Cambodian community grew, residents of the town of Amherst worked with local and state government agencies to provide services to make the resettlement successful. The Khmer community members worked hard in their new home to revive their cultural practices and rebuild the social structures that would sustain them in their journey from refugees to residents and citizens of their new homeland. This exhibit tells the story of the courage and compassion of both communities, and the journeys they took rebuild lives destroyed by war and genocide.
The Opening Ceremony, film screening and exhibit are all made possible in part by an Expanding Massachusetts Stories grant from MassHummanities, a program that allows community members to tell the stories of the lived experiences of those who make our community history. Follow @masshumanities to learn more about the work they’re doing across the Commonwealth!
The Amherst Historical Society would also like to thank the following partners for supporting this exhibit: the AAPI Commission of Western Mass, the Amherst Cultural Commission, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst Media and Amherst Cinema.
Amherst Historical Society
67 Amity Street
Amherst, MA
