Our 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 lessons learned 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.
Team
Channy Laux – Founder & Survivor
Channy Laux is a survivor of the Cambodian genocide. She was thirteen-years-old when the Khmer Rouge took over the country in 1975. From 1975 to 1979, Channy endured starvation, horrendous working conditions, sickness and repeated separations from her family.
In June of 1979, Channy arrived in Lincoln Nebraska as a refugee. After four years of no school and not knowing a word of English, she attended Lincoln High School. After graduating, she went on to earn a BS from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from Santa Clara University. Channy worked in Silicon Valley as an engineer in the Aerospace and Biotech industries for 30 years. Channy published her memoir, Short Hair Detention, which went on to receive multiple awards, including the 2018 Best Indie Book Award and Nebraska’s 2018 Book Award.
Channy is also founder of Angkor Cambodian Food, which provides authentic and hard to find ingredients along with easy to follow recipes. In 2023, Channy opened the highly acclaimed Angkor Chef, one of the finest Cambodian restaurants in San Jose. In 2024, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) recognized Channy as an Outstanding Americans by Choice honoree for her contributions to our community and country.
Channy now balances her time between her business and educating communities on the Cambodian Genocide. She works with schools and other organizations to promote awareness of the Cambodian Genocide. She is a member of the Speakers Bureau for JFCS Holocaust Center and for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
Alexis Herr – Director of Education and Research
Dr. Alexis Herr has dedicated her life to combating genocide and atrocity. This passion has motivated her educational and professional pursuits and translates into a strong desire to prevent human rights violations. She views genocide education as key to this mission. Ms. Herr received a doctorate in Holocaust History from the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University, and currently lectures at the University of San Francisco.
She is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards including the Holocaust Educational Foundation of Northeastern University Teaching Fellowship (2023-2024), University of San Francisco Jesuit Foundation Award (2023-2024), Saul Kagan Claims Conference Postdoctoral Fellowship (2017-2018), the European Historical Research Infrastructure Fellowship (2017), the Pearl Resnick Postdoctoral Fellowship in Advanced Holocaust Studies, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC (2016), and the Saul Kagan Claims Conference Dissertation Fellowship (2012-2014).
She is the author of The Holocaust and Compensated Compliance in Italy: Fossoli di Carpi, 1942 – 1952 (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), and the editor of Rwanda: The Essential Reference Guide (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2018), Sudan: The Essential Reference Guide (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2020), and the author of the forthcoming LGBTQ+ and the Holocaust (New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2025).
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.
Kelly Bolton – Director
Current Interns
- Chloe Tong – University of San Francisco
Former Interns
- Kai Yang, University of San Francisco
- Axel Ndombasi, University of San Francisco
- Rodolfo Sevilla, University of San Francisco
- Hady Tinawi, University of San Francisco
The Cambodian Genocide Resource Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a member of the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education. Our organization was initially funded by a grant from the State of California in 2023.