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Loung Ung

ルオン・ウン

Loung Ung

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1970-11-19 （Phnom Penh, Khmer Republic）
Nationality
Cambodian, United States
Languages
English
Religion
Buddhism
Residence History
Phnom Penh (early childhood) → Essex Junction, Vermont (resettled as refugee) → Washington, D.C. (professional) → Suburban Cleveland (residence) → Cambodia (property and frequent visits)

Career

Occupations
Author, Lecturer, Human-rights activist
Active Years
1993-
Affiliations
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), International Campaign to Ban Landmines (affiliated)

Education

Saint Michael's College
Political Science
Degree: B.A.
Period: 1989–1993
Year of Graduation: 1993
Country: United States
Received Turrell Scholarship; included study at Cannes International College as part of curriculum.
Cannes International College (study abroad program)
Period: 1992（短期プログラム）
Year of Graduation: 1992
Country: France
Participated as part of Saint Michael's College curriculum.

Awards

Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship
1997
Organization: Scoville Fellowship (program)
Result: 受賞
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (Excellence in Adult Non-fiction Literature)
2001
Work: First They Killed My Father
Category: 成人ノンフィクション
Organization: Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers

2000 Memoir / Human Rights 240 pages

A firsthand memoir recounting Ung's experiences in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 under the Khmer Rouge: family loss, starvation, forced labor, and being trained as a child soldier. It is a story of survival and memory.

survivalgenocidefamily lossmemory and testimony
Adaptations
  • [Film] First They Killed My Father (film) / Angelina Jolie (2017)

Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind

2005 Memoir / Human Rights 288 pages

A follow-up memoir chronicling Ung's adjustment to life in the U.S. and the experiences of her surviving family members in Cambodia from 1980 to 2003.

immigrant experiencefamily reunionadaptation and trauma

Bibliography

  • First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (2000)
  • Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind (2005)

Adaptations

  • First They Killed My Father (2017 film directed by Angelina Jolie)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
First-person memoir styleFrequent use of present tense to create immediacyPlain, direct narrative voice
Recurring Motifs
family bonds and losschildhood perspectivewar and survival

Health

  • Depression (adolescence/young adulthood)
    1980年代（移民初期）
    Prompted her to begin writing; journaling served a therapeutic role and contributed to her memoirs.

Legacy

Through her memoirs Ung raised international awareness of the Cambodian tragedy and human-rights issues such as landmines. Her books have been translated and internationally published and adapted into film, generating broad influence; controversies over aspects of accuracy have also emerged.

Academic Societies

  • Saint Michael's College Alumni Academic Hall of Fame (inductee)

In Popular Culture

  • Film adaptation of 'First They Killed My Father' (2017, directed by Angelina Jolie)

Quotes

  • “This is a story of survival: my own and my family's. Though these events constitute my own experience, my story mirrors that of millions of Cambodians.”
    Source: First They Killed My Father (author's note/preface) (2000)

Trivia

  • First They Killed My Father was published in 2000 and has been translated into multiple languages.
  • There has been controversy within parts of the Cambodian community over the accuracy of some memories in her memoir.
  • The memoir was adapted into a film directed by Angelina Jolie in 2017.