Jun 15, 2026
Welcome to Season 6, Episode 24! Our guest today is Lian Cheun, the Executive Director of the impactful group Khmer Girls in Action. A 1.5 generation refugee from Cambodia, Lian grew up in the Bay Area and has spent more than two decades organizing Cambodian and Southeast Asian youth in Long Beach. Lian along with Khmer Girls in Action turn grassroots activism into real policy change, where youth leaders became part of Long Beach’s participatory budgeting process, even helping decide how public funds are spent.
Lian has worked with a variety of groups like the Migrant Forum in Asia, the Movement Activist Apprenticeship Program (MAAP) at the Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO), and President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Khmer Girls in Action has been and continues to be a political home as well as a safe and brave space to build youth and community power in order to win racial, gender and economic justice… and, they’re led by Southeast Asian women and youth! From refugee camp to prestigious award winner Lian has had a remarkable journey. To learn more about their work, volunteer, or support them, you can visit their website kgalb.org, donate by clicking on the donate link, or follow them on instagram @investinyouthlb.
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