USA Today: ‘I cannot let your people die’: Jimmy Carter’s Compassion Saved Refugees Like Me
This piece was originally published by USA Today.
On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh, and my family’s world was upended. My father, who ran a small pharmacy, succumbed to dysentery and malnutrition in one of the regime’s labor camps. My mother, left a widow with five children, faced an impossible choice: Stay and die, or risk everything to flee.
The Khmer Rouge announced that Vietnamese people in Cambodia could return to Vietnam ‒ a proclamation many believed to be a trap. But my mother saw a glimmer of hope. She faked being Vietnamese, renamed her children and coached herself tirelessly in the language. Her gamble paid off, allowing us to leave Cambodia. My mother’s extraordinary courage and determination saved our lives.
Yet our journey was far from over. We made it to Vietnam but were destitute, relying on the kindness of relatives and strangers to survive. In 1978, with the help of extended family, we made our way to France. And finally, after seven years, we resettled in Oakland, California, where my siblings and I were able to go to school and rebuild our lives.
Our escape was a miracle, but I know how easily it could have gone the other way. Millions of Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese war refugees were not as fortunate. By the late 1970s, the refugee crisis had become one of the greatest humanitarian disasters of the 20th century. Camps were overcrowded and underfunded, while nations hesitated to intervene.
But one man refused to look away.
Jimmy Carter’s leadership and compassion still guide me
In 1979, during a demonstration organized by Sue Morton ‒ who later founded Refugees International ‒ President Jimmy Carter told the protesters outside the White House, “I cannot let your people die.”
Those six words were a turning point for countless families like mine.
Carter’s leadership during the refugee crisis galvanized the United States to resettle nearly 200,000 refugees. For many, it was the difference between life and death. His actions saved lives, including those of my extended family, who joined us in America years later.
The candlelight vigil wasn’t just a moment of moral clarity; it was also the beginning of a movement. Refugees International was born out of this moment, dedicated to amplifying the voices of displaced people and advocating for their rights.
Today, as a member of its board, I am honored to carry forward the mission inspired by the leadership and compassion of Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Dec. 29 at the age of 100. The former president’s funeral will take place at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday.
Refugee Act set global standard for humanitarian response
President Carter’s legacy was further enshrined in 1980, when he signed the Refugee Act into law. This groundbreaking legislation created a framework for the United States to offer protection to those fleeing persecution, setting a global standard for humanitarian response.
It remains one of the most significant achievements in U.S. refugee policy.
For me, Carter’s legacy is deeply personal. Without his leadership, countless refugee families like mine might not have survived. His compassion gave us not just a second chance but a future. My journey ‒ from a baby my mother once thought she might have to give away, to a scholar, advocate and board member of Refugees International ‒ was part of Carter’s decision to act when so many hesitated.
Today, more than 120 million people around the world are displaced, and Carter’s legacy offers an urgent reminder: Refugees are not statistics. They are families like mine ‒ mothers, fathers and children fleeing unimaginable horrors, in search of safety and hope.
President Carter’s actions during Southeast Asia’s refugee crisis remain a model for what is possible when leaders rise to meet moral challenges with clarity and resolve. His legacy continues to guide Refugees International’s work, inspiring us to advocate for those whose voices are often unheard.
“I cannot let your people die.”
Those words didn’t just save lives in the past; they serve as a call to action for the present and future.
As we honor President Carter’s extraordinary life, let us recommit to the values of compassion and justice that he so deeply embodied.
For those of us who owe our lives to his leadership, his legacy isn’t just history ‒ it is a beacon of hope that reminds us of the power of humanity in the face of crisis.
Sophal Ear is an associate professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and a Refugees International board member.
Featured Image: Sophal Ear and his mother, Cam Youk Lim, 1976, Vietnam