Mission
Our mission at the Cambodian Genocide Resource Center is to honor the memory of those lost in the Cambodian Genocide by fostering education, awareness, and remembrance. We are dedicated to preserving the stories of survivors, amplifying the voices of those affected, and educating future generations about the atrocities of the Cambodian Genocide. Through comprehensive educational programs, advocacy initiatives, and community engagement, we seek to shine a light on this dark chapter of history, ensuring that the experiences of the victims are never forgotten. By promoting understanding, empathy, and compassion, we strive to inspire action against injustice and prevent such horrors from ever occurring again. We are committed to empowering individuals to become agents of change in their communities and beyond, as we work towards a world where genocide and mass atrocities are eradicated, and where the dignity and rights of all people are upheld and protected.
Founding and Support
We believe that survivor testimony is foundational to genocide education. This is part of our organization's DNA. The first lesson plans we created centered at testimony from our founder's memoir Short Hair Detention. Channy was first inspired to pen her story after having read The Diary of Anne Frank, who like Channy was a young girl when genocide became personal. Originally, Channy wrote her story down for her children and then later decided to share it with the world. Short Hair Detention soon made its way into our director's hands, and ultimately inspired Alexis to reach out to Channy to meet. Not long thereafter, the vision for the Cambodian Genocide Resource Center was born.
CGRC was created to respond to the greater need for genocide education in the state of California. Despite California being the first state in the nation to mandate Holocaust and genocide education (1985), less than a quarter of school districts in the state offer instruction on the subject. Teachers surveyed in a 2024 study indicated that time, funds, and teaching materials were the key barriers to teaching about genocide. We seek to alleviate this by providing free resources and trainings for educators in our state and beyond.
The history of our organization is directly linked to the creation of the California Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education, a groundbreaking statewide network of organizations, genocide survivors, and educators with a common goal: to eliminate hate by ensuring that every middle and high school student in California recieves impactful genocide education. Thanks to the support of the Collaborative, and the mentorship of the JFCS Holocaust Center, we launched our organization in 2022 to ensure survivor testimony remains a key component of genocide education.
Meet Our Team
Channy Laux, Founder and Survivor
Channy was thirteen years old when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia. From 1975 to 1979 she endured the horrors of genocide and lost friends and loved ones in the process. In June 1979 she came to the US as a refugee. Despite not knowing any English, she found academic success thanks in part to the care and support of her teachers. After graduating from Lincoln High School, she went on to earn a Bachelor's in Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Masters of Science in Applied Mathematics from Santa Clara University. She worked in Silicon Valley as an engineer in the Aerospace and Biotech industries for 30 years. In 2018, she published her award winning memoir Short Hair Detention, the success of which eventually led her to establish the Cambodian Genocide Resource Center. In addition to her work at the CGRC, Channy is a professional chef, business owner, and highly sought after public speaker.
Alexis Herr, Executive Director
Dr. Alexis Herr has dedicated her life to combatting genocide and atrocity. This passion has motivated her educational and professional pursuits and translates into a strong desire to prevent human rights violations. Since earning a doctorate in Holocaust History from Clark University, she has taught comparative genocide studies at various universities, worked for nonprofits centered on human rights, held prestigious fellowships, and published books on the Holocaust, Rwandan Genocide, and Darfur Genocide.
Kent Laux, Co-Founder
Kent Laux holds a BS degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in and worked for numerous small IT companies in Silicon Valley and San Francisco for 30 years before joining Angkor Cambodian Food & Angkor Chef as General Manager, a businesses he oversees with his wife Channy.
Copyright © 2025
Cambodian Genocide Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN: 92-3886827. All donations are tax deductible.