Roots of Renewal: Celebrating Songkran as Cambodian-Americans

Dressed in traditional Cambodian attire, hosts Sophaline Mao and Mony Nop invite listeners into their cultural heritage during this special Khmer New Year episode of Love, Listings and Legacy. Their conversation weaves through festive traditions of angel altars, ancestral offerings, and family gatherings that mark the April celebrations across Southeast Asia. The mood shifts as they reveal April's dual nature in Cambodian history: a time of renewal followed immediately by the somber 50th commemoration of the Khmer Rouge takeover that began a genocide. Sophaline describes this contrast as "bittersweet," celebrating cultural survival while honoring millions lost when Cambodia was thrust into "year zero." Against today's backdrop of global uncertainty, the couple shares their vision for finding peace through simplicity, gratitude, and connection—values passed down through generations despite unimaginable hardship.