This preliminary paper reviews the political and cultural history of the Cambodian refugees who have settled in large numbers in California communities. The kingdom of Cambodia was a major power in Southeast Asia from the ninth century A.D. until March 1970, and its Buddhist culture influenced the dance, music, architecture, and linguistic traditions of neighboring states. Under Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia was the first of the Indochinese states to win independence from France in 1953, and it attempted to remain neutral in the second Indochina war (1961-75). General Lon Nol replaced Sihanouk after a military coup in 1970, and the country aligned itself with the United States and the Republic of Viet Nam. Monarchist loyalists and the small Cambodian communist party, the Khmer Rouge, supported Sihanouk's government-in-exile, and waged civil war. The Khmer Rouge seized the capital in April 1975, ending the civil war and beginning a four-year reign of terror that included the execution of one to three million Cambodians and massive resettlement programs that destroyed normal family life. Hundreds of thousands of refugees fled to Thailand in 1979, and from there over 200,000 Cambodians have emigrated to other countries. Seventy-five thousand refugees now reside in California. The refugees must cope with post-traumatic stress; family disintegration; and concern for lost, displaced or disabled relatives in Southeast Asia. A brief list of readings is included. (FMW)