Preserving Traditions, Building Connections: The Traditional Arts Network Partnership

Preserving Traditions, Building Connections: The Traditional Arts Network Partnership

How can arts and cultural partnerships help preserve traditions and strengthen communities? In this episode of Keeping Up with Khmer Maine, host SreyArt Rathbut is joined by Ian Bannon, Executive Director of Mayo Street Arts, and Kathleen Mundell, Director of Cultural Resources, to discuss the collaboration behind the Traditional Arts Network (TAN) and its impact on traditional artists across Maine. Ian and Kathleen share the inspiration behind TAN and reflect on how programs such as the TAN Gathering TAN Fund, and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program create opportunities for artists and culture bearers to preserve their heritage, build relationships, and pass cultural knowledge on to future generations. They also discuss the importance of supporting immigrant, refugee, and multicultural communities through the arts. The conversation highlights stories of artist growth, community connection, and cultural preservation while exploring the challenges and successes of building inclusive arts programs. This episode invites listeners to learn how partnerships like TAN help keep traditions alive, strengthen cultural identity, and create a sense of belonging for diverse communities throughout Maine. This episode invites listeners to reflect on how arts and cultural partnerships can preserve traditions, strengthen cultural identity, and foster connection and belonging across diverse communities. Through stories of collaboration, mentorship, and cultural preservation, the conversation highlights the vital role traditional artists and culture bearers play in keeping heritage alive for future generations.

Caring For Our Elders With Southern Maine Agency on Aging

Caring for our elders is one of the most deeply held values in Cambodian culture — and in this episode of Keeping Up with Khmer Maine, we explore what that looks like in practice here in Maine. Host SreyArt Rathbut sits down with Bunly Uy, Food & Farm Program Manager at Khmer Maine, and Meredith Anderson, Community Outreach Director at Southern Maine Agency on Aging, to talk about the Elder Health & Wellness Series — a collaborative program bringing monthly health education, hands-on activities, culturally meaningful meals, and genuine community to Cambodian elders across the Portland area. From herbal tea making and yoga to Medicare navigation and fraud prevention, this program meets elders where they are, in their language and on their terms. Bunly and Meredith share what they've learned from three years of working together, the real challenges elders face around transportation, language, and isolation, and the small moments that have made a lasting difference. Whether you're a community member, a caregiver, or simply someone who believes our elders deserve to be seen and supported, this episode is for you. Keeping Up with Khmer Maine airs on WMPG and is produced by Khmer Maine, Maine's only Cambodian community organization.

Rooted in Maine: Food, Farming, and the Next Generation

Food is memory. Food is belonging. And for Maine's Cambodian community, it can also be a pathway to connection across generations, cultures, and seasons. In this episode of Keeping Up with Khmer Maine, host SreyArt Rathbut sits down with Bunly Uy, Food & Farm Program Manager at Khmer Maine, and Sander Sam, a 4-H volunteer and University of Southern Maine freshman, to explore how growing food, learning together, and getting your hands in the soil can transform a community. Bunly shares the journey that led her from a paddy rice field in Cambodia to the farms and community gardens of Maine, and why she believes access to culturally familiar food is inseparable from community health. Sander reflects on what 4-H taught him about leadership, learning, and his own untapped potential — including a trip to Washington D.C. where he spoke on stage to more than 90 people. Together, they paint a picture of what food systems work looks like when it's rooted in culture, driven by youth, and built for the long haul. Whether you're a parent, a young person figuring out your next step, or someone who has ever missed the taste of home, this episode is for you. Keeping Up with Khmer Maine airs on WMPG and is produced by Khmer Maine, Maine's only Cambodian community organization.

Presente! Maine and Community Response to ICE

In this January episode of Keeping Up With Khmer Maine, host Marpheen Chann is joined by Tophe Torne from Presente! Maine to discuss the recent surge in ICE activity across Maine and its impact on immigrant communities. Together, they explore how increased enforcement—and the fear it creates—affects families, workers, students, and elders, even when no direct action is visible. The conversation highlights how community organizations are responding by sharing accurate information, supporting families, and organizing across cultures to push back against fear and isolation. This episode centers immigrant voices, community resilience, and solidarity, while offering listeners practical insight into what’s happening on the ground and how people can help. It’s a timely conversation about safety, dignity, and what it means to move beyond survival toward collective power in Maine.

A Cambodian Christmas

In this special holiday episode of Keeping Up With Khmer Maine, host Marpheen Chann reflects on how many Cambodian American families have come to celebrate Christmas since resettling in the United States. Blending personal storytelling with cultural reflection, Marpheen shares an extended excerpt from his memoir, Moon in Full, recalling his first American Christmas growing up in Maine and the complicated journey of identity, belonging, and becoming. This episode explores how Cambodian American families honor tradition while embracing something new—gathering around tables filled with lobster, hot pot, and rice; centering elders and family; and finding warmth without forgetting history. It’s a story about perseverance, community, and how America grows not through assimilation, but through countless small acts of expansion. A reflection on joy, struggle, and what it means to make room for one another—especially during the holidays.