Who I Became

“Who I Became” is the story of Pounloeu Chea, a first-generation Cambodian American. He and his family escaped from Cambodia in the early 1980s and settled in San Francisco. Five years ago, his father returned to Cambodia, leaving behind his wife and three sons. A year ago, his mother joined his father. Since she left, Pounloeu was found guilty of driving stolen cars intended for export and placed on parole. About to become a father, he has to hold a job and stay out of trouble to avoid being sent to jail or shipped back to Cambodia. What will he make of his life when all he knows is displacement and the street life common among the children of many Southeast Asian immigrants in his community?