In this deeply moving and thought-provoking episode, host Chad sits down with Kalean Ung Breen, a gifted Cambodian-American artist, performer, and educator based in Los Angeles. Known for her emotionally resonant work that blends storytelling, memory, and performance, Kalean shares the powerful journey that has shaped her as an artist—one rooted in her family’s history, the enduring legacy of the Khmer Rouge, and the complexities of growing up in the Cambodian-American diaspora.
Kalean opens up about how the silence around trauma in her family pushed her toward creative expression as a form of healing and discovery. Drawing from her lived experience as the daughter of Cambodian refugees, her artistic work explores the deep emotional layers of intergenerational trauma, identity, and cultural loss. She reflects on her early struggles to find belonging, and how embracing her heritage through art became a personal and political act of reclamation.
The episode delves into her acclaimed project, “Letters from Home,” a multimedia and performance-based collaboration with her father, composer Chinary Ung. The work beautifully weaves music, personal letters, and historical narrative to explore her family’s survival during the Cambodian genocide and their efforts to rebuild a life in America. Kalean speaks about the vulnerability and healing that emerged through working with her father—bridging emotional distances and uncovering unspoken truths.
Beyond her personal story, Kalean passionately discusses the need for greater visibility, investment, and representation of Cambodian voices in the arts. She emphasizes how storytelling—especially through theater, music, and performance—serves not only as a powerful outlet for individual healing, but as a means of cultural preservation and communal resilience.
Throughout the conversation, key themes emerge: the transformative power of art, the urgent need to support Cambodian-American narratives, and the hope for a future where Khmer artists have the space and resources to thrive. Kalean reminds us that art is not only about expression—it’s about survival, remembrance, and creating space for others to feel seen.
This episode is a heartfelt tribute to the strength of the Cambodian community, the importance of intergenerational dialogue, and the healing that can emerge when we dare to tell our stories.
