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Journal of Refugee Studies 2002 15(2):222-233; doi:10.1093/jrs/15.2.222
© 2002 by Oxford University Press
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Field Reports/Field Report

The Changing Religious Beliefs and Ritual Practices among Cambodians in Diaspora

Chean Rithy Men1

1 Anthropology Department, University of Hawaii

Buddhism plays a central role in Cambodian refugees' identity in the United States; ‘to be Khmer [Cambodian] is to be Buddhist.’ The religious life of Cambodian refugees in the United States is declining and being transformed due to the changing nature of community and social structure. Khmer traditional beliefs are being constructed and reconstructed to fit in new socio-cultural and environmental contexts. This research paper examines a particular Khmer healing ritual known as lieng arak, which is performed as a therapeutic technique, framed within the complex belief system made up of Buddhism and ancestral worship. This study suggests that lieng arak ritual is disappearing in the United States due to several factors: the lack of ritual specialists and musical ensembles, the changes in the conceptualization of spirit categories, and most importantly the loosening of the social network within the Khmer community.


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