The Bánh Mì Chronicles

(S5, EP 4) In celebrating Pride Month, Khmer-American DJ and community leader, Hunny Hach (she / her) joined me for this episode.  Currently based in Long Beach, Hunny Hach is also the co-founder of Qhmer, an LGBTQ Khmer / Khmer American organization. In this episode, we talked about her recent struggles as a caregiver to her mother who is battling dementia, and making the difficult decision to begin her mom's transition to a nursing home. We talked about Hunny's own challenges of her queer identity in her Cambodian community, and when she was preparing her Cambodian-style wedding with her partner.  Through these experiences, it would lead her to create Qhmer which focuses on empowering the Khmer LGBTQ experiences and identity that she goes further on in this episode.  Hope you enjoy this episode and don't forget to share your review on Apple Podcast. For more on Qhmer, please visit their IG @Qhmer_Org, their website at www.qhmer.org or follow Hunny on IG @badxhunny. 

Bio:

Hunny is a second-generation Cambodian-American who was born in San Diego, California and raised in Long Beach. Known to many by her stage name, Dj Hunny, she is a local artist who is also an active member of the Cambodian community. Hunny has dj’d at many venues from Hollywood, LA, Orange County, and Cambodia. Through her civic engagement she has worked with many grassroots organizations both locally and internationally to bridge the generation gap and to preserve Cambodian arts, culture, and history.

Hunny got involved in community work in her early 20s when she participated in an all-Asian girl group named, Vice Versa & Dj Hunny. As she traveled to perform at various shows she met and worked alongside fellow artists who eventually became community leaders and introduced her to many local organizations. Throughout the years, she has been involved in Project Angkor, Cambodia Town Film Festival, Cambodian Youth Institute, Hearts Without Boundaries, Cambodian Music Festival, Khmer Alumni Association, and United Cambodian Community. 

Hunny created Qhmer as a platform to promote positive representation of LGBTQ+ Khmers in both the Cambodian and queer community. She is a strong believer in drawing from her experiences and applying all her knowledge and skills towards effecting positive social change and building her community.