"Working with Linguistically and Culturally Isolated Communities: The Cambodian Outreach Project of Merrimack Valley Legal Services"

By Trang Nguyen - 030143

Abstract Number: 030143

August 2003

Trang Nguyen's article "Working with Linguistically and Culturally Isolated Communities: The Cambodian Outreach Project of Merrimack Valley Legal Services" explores the organization's approach to working with the largest minority population in Lowell, Massachusetts. Many Cambodians still practice Buddhism and certain Buddhist beliefs have deterred potential legal services clients from seeking legal assistance. These beliefs, compounded by the fact that many agencies once lacked staff members who could fluently speak and understand Khmer and Cambodian culture, resulted in very few Cambodians receiving legal help. In March 2001, Merrimack added the Cambodian Outreach Project, an organization initiated by Greater Boston Legal Services, in order to provide better services to this isolated population.

The article features Samnang Mam, a Cambodian paralegal, current full-time director of MVLS, and the essential link between the Cambodian community of Lowell, Massachusetts and Merrimack Valley Legal Services. With the addition of a director whose background mirrored many of the potential clients', word quickly spread throughout the community that Merrimack had a new Cambodian advocate on staff. Before long, more Cambodian clients sought legal services. In May 2001 the Project conducted a meeting with key community advocates to explore some of the issues facing Cambodian clients. The agencies suggested the Project partake in providing community legal education not only to the clients but also to service providers and the advocates. Training sessions, workshops, and even a radio show featuring Samnang followed. Results were immediate. The number of walk-ins increased dramatically, and cases involving Cambodian clients grew. With Samnang's assistance, the Project's goal continues to be the development of more effective ways to serve the growing Cambodian population in Lowell, Massachusetts. To learn more about this project, access the attachments below as PDF documents. MVLS' webpage is available at: http://www.mvlegal.org.

Contact Information:

Trang Nguyen
Merrimack Valley Legal Services
35 John Street, Suite 302
Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: (978) 458-1465
Fax: (978) 458-3481
Email

Additional Information:

• Trang Nguyen, "Working with Linguistically and Culturally Isolated Communities: The Cambodian Outreach Project of Merrimack Valley Legal Services," Clearinghouse Review 37, No. 3 (May-June 2003) 79-83. (54kb, PDF)*

*This article appears courtesy of Clearinghouse Review.

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