Coming to Terms with Historical Trauma: The Cambodian Genocide

Fascinating People Fascinating Places

Daniel Mainwaring

Documentary, Society & Culture:documentary, History, Society & Culture

5 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 16 August 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Imagine one day waking up and being told to forget everything you had learned in school. Discovering that key industries in the economy had been eliminated. Learning that culture and history had been reset to year zero. And, worst of all learning that you and your friends and family were to be killed or sent to concentration camps. This is the horrific reality Dr. Sara Pol-Lim was faced with as a young girl in 1970s Cambodia. The regime of the time -- a Marxist inspired junta named the Khmer Rouge created what they viewed as a utopia but the civilized world recognized as a dystopia. What followed was the Cambodian genocide which cost the lives of millions. But what happens to those who survive such horrors? How do they move forward? How can they carry on and rebuild their loves in the shadow of unimaginable horror? In her powerful new book ”Coming to Terms with Historical Trauma: A Memoir,”Sara bravely shares her story. It is a book that is both tragic and inspiring. In this episode, I speak with Sara about her story, her trauma, and what lessons we as a society can learn from such terrible events. Sara Pol-Lim’s book is available from all major retailers including: Barnes & Noble Amazon Dr. Pol-Lim honors include: • “Woman of Distinction” Award from Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell in 2015. • Trail Blazer for Outstanding Leadership by 6th District Councilmember Dee Andrew 2014. • Outstanding Leadership Award by the United States House of Representatives Congressman Alan Lowenthal 2014. • 4th District Woman of the Year 2013 by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe. • Woman of Distinction 2012 by the Honorable Roderick Wright of the 25th Senatorial District. • Hands Across the District Medal from the Assembly Member Warren Furutani 2012 • Outstanding Cambodian Leader given by Cambodian Town 2012. • Selected as “Grand Marshall of the Cambodian New Year Parade 2011. • The Gene Lentzner’s “Human Relations” Award 2010 given by the California Conference for Equality and Justice, Long Beach. • Selected as “Grand Marshall” of the Long Beach Martin Luther King Parade 2010. • Woman Who Makes a Difference by the Long Beach NAACP 2009. • Community Leader Award by Mentoring A Touch from Above in 2009. • Extraordinary Woman Award by Voter Education & Research Action and presenting by Assemblyman Mervyn M. Dymally in 2008.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The new book, Coming to Terms with Historical Trauma, is the tragic yet inspiring true story of survivor Sarah Poit Lim.
0:11.0	When she was just a young child, she suddenly found that the whole world as she knew it was gone.
0:17.0	Friends and family were murdered or sent to prison camps.
0:21.6	Whole industries were eliminated from the economy.
0:25.0	Culture and history were erased and everything was reset to year zero.
0:31.1	It was presented as an attempt by the Marxist Khmer Rouge regime to create a utopia.
0:40.3	But it was quickly identified as what it was, a dystopia, and it's now remembered as the Cambodian genocide.
0:46.3	As in other 20th century genocides in Europe, Armenia and Rwanda, the death toll ran into the millions.
0:56.1	But what of the survivors?
1:04.2	How do these individuals pick up, start new lives, and try to move forward in the shadow of this horror?
1:10.9	These are the questions Sarah Poilin candidly and honestly answers in her new book.
1:15.0	Sarah, thank you so much for returning to the show.
1:18.5	You were working on this book when you last talked,
1:20.8	and I know it was a huge project for you.
1:23.5	Given the trauma you've been through and putting all of that into written form to share your experiences.
1:28.2	So congratulations on getting the book published.
1:32.0	Oh, thank you.
1:33.3	It's been five years.
1:34.9	I wanted to be both educational and personal,
1:38.8	and it's completely deeply personal in terms of firsthand experience. The book is titled Coming to Terms
1:47.7	with Historical Trauma. Obviously, the trauma referenced is the Cambodian genocide. There are a lot of
1:55.4	ways you could approach a topic like this, which as as you said, is both personal and educational or
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