In the summer/fall of 2025, the SEA Us Write & Design Fellowship launched its first Khmer youth circle from the ages 15-18. It was a safe and supportive space to build relationship and develop creative writing and artistic skills through a series of twelve creative workshops. With this space, the youths also learned to navigate and express their personal experiences and voices as creative Khmer individuals.
These workshops strived to strengthen youth as a SEA and creative individual through creative methods by providing a safe and supportive space, such as:
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Building positive relationships 
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Exploring intersecting identities 
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Empowering voices 
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Fostering individual growth and success 
Through this program, the youths grew as artists, writers, and entrepreneurs. At the end of the program, they:
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Curated an exhibition space at XIA's gallery to showcase all of their creative work 
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Developed their own creative products to sell at XIA's gift shop 
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Together, designed a cover for the magazine 
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Wrote beautiful pieces to showcase their creative writing skills in the magazine 
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កូន Koun: A Khmer Youth Archive
PRE-ORDER
កូន Koun: A Khmer Youth Archive
Pre-order a copy of កូន Koun: A Khmer Youth Archive today and support our youth program.
SEA Us Write & Design creates inclusive, culturally rooted spaces for Southeast Asian youth to grow as writers, artists, and leaders. Its first group, the Khmer Youth Circle, offers a supportive community where Khmer youth can explore identity, build relationships, and develop creative skills while honoring their heritage.
From the mentor Sara Gregor: "This magazine is organized into two parts: Inheritance and Legacy.
Together, Inheritance and Legacy uphold the idea of heritage, which is what we explored this summer: our cultural heritage. While I’m still on my own journey of reconnecting with that heritage, I’ve learned there’s room for each and every one of us to be here. We have a right to learn about our past — about the traditions, stories, and histories that brought us to this moment. We are cultural bearers, and we can invite others into our culture, whether or not we speak the same language.
At its heart, this work — being a mentor — is about accessibility. No matter their background, I wanted every student to have an experience that felt full of possibility: a chance to engage with culture through art, expression, and reflection. What I didn’t expect was how much I would need this space, too. This became a reminder that we all deserve to belong — to feel seen, to feel whole, to exist as we are.
Even when our stories are whispered, hidden, or carried in silence, inheritance lives within us. It’s not only what we receive from our families — it’s what we absorb from the world around us. It lingers in our bodies, our dreams, and our imagination."
Proceeds will go back to cover the cost of printing the book. After the cost is covered, all extra proceeds will go back to the youths and they can decide whether to donate the funds or use it to support their artistic career.
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Opening Reception
Join us for the opening of កូន Koun: A Khmer Youth Archive on Saturday, November 1st, 5-7pm to celebrate our Khmer youths in their artistic and creative career.
Light food is provided. Drinks can be purchase at cafe.
Saturday, November 1st
5-7pm
XIA Books, Cafe & Gallery

About the Khmer Youths
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Mentors
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Sara Gregor is a Cambodian-American artist, writer, and educator whose interdisciplinary practice explores memory, ritual, and cultural identity. Grounded in Buddhist philosophy and Southeast Asian visual traditions, her work engages themes of healing and the sacred through painting, writing, and community storytelling.
Sara holds a B.A. in Religious Studies and Asian Studies from Macalester College, where she also managed the campus radio station and directed student arts magazines—platforms she used to uplift emerging voices and build creative communities. A longtime student of meditation, she has trained with the Namchak Foundation and Shambhala International, deepening a contemplative path that informs both her art and teaching.
In recent years, Sara has begun volunteering more actively at Watt Munisotaram, the Cambodian Buddhist temple in Minnesota, as part of her effort to reconnect with her heritage. Through participating in New Year’s ceremonies and building relationships with fellow Cambodian-Americans, she is deepening her commitment to cultural expression, community care, and intergenerational connection.
Her creative work seeks to hold space for reflection, resilience, and reverence—where ancestral wisdom meets contemporary voice.
Ngân Elic Huỳnh (she/they) is a Vietnamese illustrator based in Minneapolis. They graduates from MCAD with a BFA degree in Illustration and Advertising minor.
With particular skills in narrative illustration, concept design, creative ideation, and a passion for whimsical and colorful drawings with hidden narratives. The world is enriched with beautiful messages and stories and Ngân enjoys decoding them through her own unique lens of hues and symbols.
When not working away on their tablet or sketchbook, you can find Ngân walking around discovering a new favorite coffee shop or vintage store.
Ngọc Đoàn (she/they) is a Minnesota based comic artist. She currently works at Smart Set, Inc. as a digital print technician helping folks with their printing needs in South Minneapolis.
Ngọc has a passion for telling compelling stories and creating interesting page layouts, from slice of life coming of age stories, to fantasy action adventures. She also enjoys late night snacks.
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More infor to come soon.
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