Introduction

The multigenerational and transnational Khmer community is built upon many connections. Among them heritage, genealogy, tradition, language, compassion, unity, and love. Over many years and generations, these connections have cultivated and thrived in Khmer homes, where stories are created and told, and tales of our experiences recollected. In our homes, our mothers and grandmothers gave birth to us, we learned how to read and write, we ate together, we grew, and became family. We lived and survived. In Cambodia, traditional Khmer households were, and continue to be, constructed on stilts. Built above the earth and protected from the elements, stilt homes are symbols of the survival of Khmer memory, history, and stories.

At CALAA, we’ve started The Stilt House Zine in order to preserve the power of storytelling in the traditional Khmer home. Our digital and print based publication is a source for Khmer stories to be told and shared through creative mediums such as short stories, poetry, photographs, visual art, music, audio recordings, recipes, and much more!