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On Christmas 2008, under snow and freezing temperatures, I spent one week in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the Detroit area, home of the 3 wounded big American Car AutoMakers. Unlike California, Massachussets, Minnesota or the Washington DC area, that host big concentrations of Cambodian Americans, there are just a few families with Cambodian origins living in Michigan...
In Ann Arbor I have met Alexander Ju, 44 years old. He was born in Cambodia and left the country in 1979 for the United States. When he arrived, he first lived in Norwalk, California, not far from Long Beach, where the biggest Cambodian-American community lives, with 50 000 people. Alexander went to high-school and college, got his degree and started working as a business and transportation teacher...
In 1996, Alexander had to moved to Michigan where his wife Dorasy pursued her studies (PhD) at the University of Michigan. She now teaches Anthropolgy and Social Studies. Alexander started a business of Japanese food: "Makkara Sushi & Noodles". Today, in the turmoil of the economic slow-down, after 13 years of activity, Makkara's business's still there, catering and delivering to more than 14 shops and locations in Ann Arbor area, with the help of Sotharith, his brother in law...
