Stereotypes about Cambodia (Khmer)

Stereotypes about Cambodia (Khmer)

The below 16 stereotypes are just those I, a Cambodian born and raised, have compiled due to the fact that I have not seen any articles written about this area. It's just a bit more about how Cambodian are perceived among themselves and viewed by the other. I write this using my own experience. Some parts of it might not be accepted by all other Cambodian but it gives you idea what is Cambodian stereotypes. Before going any further, one term that you should know is KHMER. Khmer is just another term that Cambodian refer to  the language, Cambodian people, and the country itself.

1.      The bride’s price in Khmer literally means the price of milk (breast milk fed when you were young). When you ask for the hands of someone’s daughter in marriage, parents ask for high price to show off their status in society and the value that their daughter is worth. It looks like you are bargaining some good. It’s to some extend a bad image if looked at by other nations especially from developed countries but it’s a tradition practiced from the past and is still being done by Cambodian.

2.      Women is supposed to do all the house whole chores and look after children while men are supposed to be the head of the family and support the family completely. There are some sayings in Khmer that reflect women inferiority to men. If literally translated it would say something like this: Women cannot turn the stove around. The saying compares the stove to the house whole chores that women cannot barely struggle finish because there are so many. So as weak as women, they are supposed to just do all these simple tasks and let the husband worry about income. Now day, more women receive access to education and they are as capable as men in term of financial status. However, this is still true in places where women receive little education.

3.      Cambodian wear too much make up. To some extent, it is true but it depends on the occasions as well. If you go to formal events like party or wedding, you will see that almost all of women wear makeup or have their hair done. It’s a social event so it’s common but in daily life, I have to agree to disagree.

4.      Cambodian show off. People like to show off their wealth through materials and expensive jewelry just to scare each other especially in the big events or social gathering. This is a bit more obvious if you live at the provinces. You would see people wearing big gold chain necklaces. If you want to prove that you are economically capable, you would need to update your motorbikes or cars almost every year to the latest series.

5.      Your parents are so protective. Many children are complaining about their curfew. You would get a common response when calling your friends out. I cannot stay out later than 8 or 9pm. Cambodian parents are strict. And there is nothing you can do about it. You cannot choose your parents.

6.      Cambodian eat too much rice and fish sauce. Well, we eat rice every meal and we are not sick of it. Most of the food are cooked with fish sauce which is not a pleasant smell to some people. However, they tastes good.

7.      It is really hard to address people. So many statuses to memorize if you address relative in Chinese way ( kov, e, jek, sau, ….). Moreover, sometimes looks can be deceiving if you accidentally address someone older as younger or older as younger than you, it can be a big offence. Respect is taken seriously to some people. So you should be careful before addressing someone in Khmer.

8.      You are supposed to listen to whatever the elder are telling you and you cannot talk back. It’s a shitty rule but it’s true somehow. Cambodian children are supposed to take whatever good from the advice given and forget whatever none sense told. The elder are always right. It’s a bad system which should be turned around and I hope this article would play small part in it too.

Prahok

9.      Cambodian love stinky Prahok. The salted and fermented fish gives a foul smell to your nose if you are new to it. It is seen in many Cambodian cuisine and we Cambodian love it. It’s also part of our identity.

10.  Country of war: Going through decades of wars and a genocide, this country is still appear to the foreigner as a country of war and instability. There is no more war. The country is at peace despite occasional protests done in designated areas in Phnom Penh, I can assure that it’s a safe place to come and visit.

11.  Cambodian are black. Many people still have this fix idea that unless you have very dark skin, you are not 100% Cambodian or 100% khmer. On the other hand, people with lighter skin or bright skin are considered as Cambodian Chinese decedent who are perceived as more attractive and superior in intelligent. They are thought of as having natural talent with entrepreneurship or business. That is why skin whitening products are flooding Cambodian market. I would personally deny the fact of skin color. Being smart or poor depends on the environment and education provided to you and of course gene play a small role in that too.

12.  Cambodian are gentle, kind and helpful. Many people who visit this country fall in love with it for its kind and gentle people who love each other. If you live in the province, everybody knows each everybody in a community and they stick together.

13.  Women are the victim of domestic violence. Many traditional costume about Cambodia are rich but one particular tradition written down for women is particularly bad from my opinion. In Khmer it is called Chbab Srey literally translated as rules for women. This particular poem is written about how women should behave. It illustrates all the roles that women should play as a passive, house care taker and future mothers. And women are supposed to put up with their husbands even if there is violence. There are many more rules they cannot be used in this contemporary civilized world but it is part of national identity and are taught to daughters since they were little. Wanting it or not, many Cambodian women submit to this reality especially low educated women. It’s a pity.

14.  Cambodian hate Vietnamese and Thai people. The mainstream of Cambodian people do not like these two neighbor due to the historical fact of wars and invasions between the countries. Cambodian are taught from when they were a kid by teachers about sad history of how these two countries have taken our land and many teachers do not make it clear that history is a lesson rather than a pit of fire burning the kids’ soul to be racist. I would like to see people looking at each other from individual perspective rather than as a race because the people did not steal our land, their governments did.

Cambodian couple in their traditional wedding dress

15.  Cambodian parents always want to marry their daughters off no later than mid twenty. If their daughters are still single after 25, they are afraid that she will be a maiden for the rest of her life. Cambodian people marry their children off very early. In the province or some remote area, sometimes they are married as early as 14 to 15 years old depending on their physical maturity to bare children. Grandchildren is believed to be one of the reasons why parents marry their children off so soon. Another possible explanation is relief expenses due to many siblings.

The biggest NOM ON SORM

16.  Sticky rice or Nom on sorm is Cambodian most cake. It is made almost at every houses during Khmer New Year if you are living in provinces. It is also made especially in wedding ceremony and some people make it during Pchum Ben. Weighing 4.04 tonnes, was included in the Guinness World Records as the biggest sticky rice cake in the world. It tastes really good. If you have not tasted Nom on Sorm, you are not Cambodian.