Cambodian French (people)
Encyclopedia
Cambodians in France consist largely of ethnic Khmer
refugees who fled there during the Second Indochina War
, though some Cambodians came to France while Cambodia was a French protectorate
from 1863–1953. Further chain migration
occurred in the 1990s, as the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia came to an end and the country reopened its borders; people who had remained in Cambodia rejoined their family members
who had previously emigrated. Buddhism plays an important role in the community and is seen as a marker of ethnic identity; in contrast, the ability to speak the Khmer language
is less emphasised. Though immigrant parents set up language schools for their children soon after migration, many children discontinued their language studies due to the difficulty of learning Khmer grammar
and the Sanskrit-based Khmer alphabet. Cambodians in France on average are older, more educated, and have higher incomes than Cambodian American
s.
Numerically, the Khmer are the dominant group among Cambodians in France, but Cambodians of Chinese descent
can also be found among the population; though interethnic marriages between Chinese and Khmers were common in Cambodia and remain so in France, the Chinese they have tended to organise themselves around dialect groups
and remain somewhat separate from other Cambodians in France. A small number of Cambodians in France consist of the wives and mixed-race children of French colonisers who repatriated to France between 1955 and 1965; regardless of their ethnicity, many of those used Khmer rather than French as their home language
.
Khmer people
Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
refugees who fled there during the Second Indochina War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, though some Cambodians came to France while Cambodia was a French protectorate
Colonial Cambodia
In 1863, Cambodia under king Norodom became a protectorate of France. In October 1887, the French announced the formation of the Union Indochinoise , which at that time comprised Cambodia, already an autonomous French possession, and the three regions of Vietnam...
from 1863–1953. Further chain migration
Chain migration
Chain migration has multiple meanings. It refers to the social process by which immigrants from a particular town follow others from that town to a particular city or neighborhood, whether in an immigrant receiving country or in a new, usually urban, location in the home country...
occurred in the 1990s, as the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia came to an end and the country reopened its borders; people who had remained in Cambodia rejoined their family members
Family reunification
Family reunification is a recognized reason for immigration in many countries. The presence of one or more family members in a certain country, therefore, enables the rest of the family to immigrate to that country as well....
who had previously emigrated. Buddhism plays an important role in the community and is seen as a marker of ethnic identity; in contrast, the ability to speak the Khmer language
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
is less emphasised. Though immigrant parents set up language schools for their children soon after migration, many children discontinued their language studies due to the difficulty of learning Khmer grammar
Khmer grammar
This article discusses the grammar of the Khmer language, focusing on the standard dialect.-Word order:Khmer is generally a subject–verb–object language with prepositions. Since it is an isolating language, meaning is highly dependent on word order.-Nouns:The noun has no grammatical gender or...
and the Sanskrit-based Khmer alphabet. Cambodians in France on average are older, more educated, and have higher incomes than Cambodian American
Cambodian American
A Cambodian American is an American who is born, raised, or from Cambodia usually of Khmer descent but also including Chinese Cambodians, Vietnamese Cambodians, Cham people and other ethnicities of Cambodia...
s.
Numerically, the Khmer are the dominant group among Cambodians in France, but Cambodians of Chinese descent
Chinese Cambodian
Chinese Cambodians are Cambodian citizens of Chinese descent. "Khmer-Chen", is used for peoples of either mixed Cambodian & Chinese descent or people of whom are Cambodian born citizens with Chinese ancestry;...
can also be found among the population; though interethnic marriages between Chinese and Khmers were common in Cambodia and remain so in France, the Chinese they have tended to organise themselves around dialect groups
Spoken Chinese
Chinese comprises many regional language varieties sometimes grouped together as the Chinese dialects, the primary ones being Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese, and Min. These are not mutually intelligible, and even many of the regional varieties are themselves composed of a number of...
and remain somewhat separate from other Cambodians in France. A small number of Cambodians in France consist of the wives and mixed-race children of French colonisers who repatriated to France between 1955 and 1965; regardless of their ethnicity, many of those used Khmer rather than French as their home language
Home language
Following a widely accepted definition by Valdes , a heritage language is a language that is acquired by individuals raised in homes where the dominant language of the region, such as English in the United States, is not spoken or not exclusively spoken...
.