Destiny Blooms 2025
“The Bloom is Coming”
Before the bloom, there’s the burying. The quiet work, the unseen hours, the effort that unfolds far from applause. This is for the late nights, the early mornings, the hands in the dirt while the world looks elsewhere. A love letter to the behind-the-scenes—the magic that happens when no one’s watching. To our city, our neighbors, and anyone who’s ever felt unseen: this is a reminder that the roots matter just as much as the flowers. Keep going. The bloom is coming.
I got community on my back, and I'm gonna carry it,
til my shoulder blade cracks, and my knee caps collapse
perhaps the weight is too great for one soul to bare,
but then again my friends, I been doin it for years,
You see -
I'm a little bit different,
because i'm trying to make a difference in the way that we living right,
I'm here to walk the same path my parents paved,
take it back to '75 where citizens became slaves,
overnight our whole countryside turned into graves,
it was hell on earth, and no one dared to be brave,
but with the strength of my mom,
and the courage of my pops,
I'm the soul of all survivors left not to be forgotten,
so i continue on, this same path for freedom,
because 50 years after and my people still bleedin'
So what's the reason we fight?
the same reason you might,
Passion for revolution, like a phoenix that looms,
And we rise through the mud, as destiny blooms.
destiny blooms 2025
By Silong Chhun
What inspired you for this piece?
The piece is inspired from the intersection of historical weight of my community and my personal experience. Marking the 50th anniversary of both the Khmer Rouge's seizure of Phnom Penh and Washington state's reception of the first Southeast Asian refugees displaced by the American war in Vietnam, my intention is to serve as a living bridge between generations. The imagery of carrying community "til my shoulder blade cracks, and my knee caps collapse" speaks to my physical embodiment of historical trauma transformed into determined resilience.
My parents' journey—displaced from a homeland where "overnight our whole countryside turned into graves"—became the foundation upon which I've built my own path of advocacy and remembrance. The phoenix metaphor captures how our communities can transform suffering into renewal, showing how displaced people can indeed "bloom" even when transplanted into soil that wasn't initially prepared to nurture us. My inspiration flows from that alchemy of turning generational trauma into strength.
“I honor how survival itself becomes an act of resistance.”
What message would you like to send to anyone watching this video?
I want to convey a message about resilience and the healing power of community bonds forged in shared suffering and trauma. When I write "I'm here to walk the same path my parents paved," I honor how survival itself becomes an act of resistance. My description of 1975 in Phnom Penh, when "citizens became slaves" and landscapes "turned into graves"—reminds us that war doesn't merely damage nations and territories but fractures the human spirit in ways that echo across generations.
I also wanted to illuminate how communities can create sanctuaries for one another, building networks of care and mutual understanding that defy the logic of violence. The image of rising "through the mud, as destiny blooms" suggests that healing isn't simply about overcoming trauma but transforming it into something life-affirming. I want to encourage us to recognize both the devastating consequences of conflict and the extraordinary capacity of human beings to nurture each other back toward wholeness, even in the most inhospitable conditions.
How do you want to be remembered?
“Communities can transform suffering into renewal”
I want to be remembered as someone who carried forward the unfinished journey of those who survived unimaginable darkness. My piece reflects my desire to stand as both witness and warrior—someone who understands that "the soul of all survivors left not to be forgotten" requires conscious tending. I value being remembered as a voice that amplifies the collective experience of my community, particularly those whose stories might otherwise fade from public memory. My lines about having "community on my back" and continuing "this same path for freedom" reflect my wish to be remembered as someone who transformed inherited trauma into purposeful action.
I hope my legacy will be that of a bridge-builder who helped others recognize that true healing happens collectively—a person who embodied the phoenix-like quality of rising from historical ashes to create beauty and meaning that transcends the very forces that once threatened to extinguish my community’s light.
destiny blooms | spring | 2025
Dance Group: Khmer Language Arts & Culture Academy (KLACA) | @klacacademy
Dancer: Sokphany Yim | @soph2stinky
Find Silong Chhunn online | @thefakesilong & @red_scarf_revolution
