Channy Chhi Laux
Author – Chef – Engineer
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 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, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and the Cambodian Genocide Resource Center.