Frame Worthy:
A Daughter’s Dedication to Her Refugee Father
Joan Chun
This picture of my father is
Frame worthy
He stands tall and proud with his red cap, tan jacket, and blue jeans
He looks on agreeably at the others as they scream “Freedom!” and “Justice!” with all their might
The sign that he is holding up high is in Khmer
I can’t read Khmer but I know my father is waving the poster up high to speak against corruption
“Are you afraid of retaliation?” I asked him
He shakes his head no.
The actions of my father are
Frame worthy
As a child I could always depend on him
He always made me laugh and always protected the family
He is a strong man
Year of the tiger
He has coming of age tattoos that protect him from evil plastered on his torso, back, and arms
“Can I get the same tattoos some day?” I asked him
He shakes his head no.
The lessons from my father are
Frame worthy
He never gave me the fish
But taught me how to fish instead
In Cambodia he taught me how to survive in the Jungle
“When you see holes in the ground…you dig and look for crabs to feed your family”
My father typically does not say too much
He looks onto the world with his big eyes and observes and listens
“Go away Cambodian Hitler!”
“Stop jailing and killing your own people!”
My father observed freedom of speech in action as he watched his youngest daughter and others in the community speak out against all the injustices
The hope reawakening in his spirit is
Frame worthy
Maybe Cambodia can be peaceful again one day
In his red cap, tan jacket, and blue jeans my father held a sign in Khmer speaking out against corruption
“Are you ready to go home now?” I asked him
He nods his head yes…
Father and daughter side by side declared this moment in history
Frameworthy