Cambodian American Shows that Southeast Asian Americans Can be Donors: Not Just Grantees Anymore

Mission
Activities of the Fund
Operational Information
Contact/Donate
Mr. Chea Uy's Biography

Virak Uy of Boston, Massachusetts, is, as far as SEARAC knows, the first Cambodian American to have founded a charitable donor advised fund: the Chea Uy Trust Fund. Mr. Uy founded the fund in partnership with James William, Barbra Kipperman, and Susan Galbrieth. SEARAC salutes Mr. Uy's philanthropic spirit, which he shares with Le Viet Canh, a Vietnamese American and former SEARAC board member who last year founded the Le Viet Canh & Vuong Ngoc Quyen Foundation. Mr. Uy and Mr. Le are forerunners in what SEARAC hopes will be a growing trend: for Southeast Asian Americans to take their places as leaders in all activities that shape the development of Southeast Asian American communities, including funding activities.

Mr. Chea Uy, for whom this The Chea Uy Trust Fund is named, was a force in the Cambodian American community and a role model to everyone who met him.

Mission: The missions of The Chea Uy Trust Fund are to build bridges between Cambodian American communities and other American communities; to foster an awareness of the art, dance and culture of Cambodia; and to preserve Cambodian culture for the benefit of Cambodian and other communities. The Fund will encourage the development of leadership within the Cambodian American community, and thus serve as a tribute to Mr. Chea Uy, a former community leader, after whom the fund is named.

Activities of the Fund: The long-term goal of the Fund is to provide scholarships for Cambodian American students and others studying Cambodian culture in fields such as liberal arts and human services. The Fund will also award yearly grants to organizations for arts and human service projects that deepen community understanding and appreciation of Cambodian culture.

Operational Information: The Chea Uy Trust Fund is managed by the Boston Foundation, which invests the Fund's resources and provides administrative support and assistance with annual reporting.

For more information about the Fund or for information on ways in which you can contribute, please call or email Virak Uy at:

phone: 617-283-2480
email: virak.uy@fmr.com

or send your contribution to:

The Chea Uy Trust Fund
c/o The Boston Foundation
Attn: Laura Sobel
One Boston Place
24th Floor
Boston, MA 02108

The Chea Uy Trust Fund Advisory Board
 
Susan Galbrieth
Barbara Kipperman
Chanvon Mom
Phitsamay Sychitkokhong
Shirley Tang
Virak Uy
James William

Mr. Chea Uy's Biography

Mr. Chea Uy, for whom this The Chea Uy Trust Fund is named, was a force in the Cambodian American community and a role model to everyone who met him.

Chea and his family escaped from the killing fields of Cambodia in 1979. They were among the first Cambodian refugees to settle in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1980. Within his first year in America, Chea was working at the New England Medical Center Hospital. In the following year, he was invited to become a bilingual teacher at the Washington Irving Middle School where he formed a Cambodian Dance Troupe with his Cambodian students. Also, this was where he started teaching young Cambodian Americans about their cultural heritage and to be proud of where they came from. Teaching dance was nothing new to Chea, since he had graduated from Pry Veing University of Art in Cambodia and had taught folk and classical dance. Later, Chea helped form the Khmer Cultural Preservation Office and to found the Cambodian Buddhist Temple in Lynn, Massachusetts. Chea also worked with the Refugee Arts Group.

On September 11, 1990, Chea died in a car accident. On that day, the Cambodian community lost a great leader. To the Cambodian Community he was a leader, friend, brother, teacher, and artist, and he was loved by all. He is remembered for his love, generosity, work in preserving and fostering the beauty and richness of Cambodian culture, and passionate commitment to the Cambodian community.