In Historic Media Moment, Grey’s Anatomy Brings Cambodian Refugee Experience to Primetime TV

In Grey’s Anatomy Season 22, Episode 2, “We Built This City,” viewers witnessed a powerful and long-overdue moment of Cambodian American representation on primetime television. The episode featured Sok Tep, a Cambodian refugee, and his daughter Sithea—characters whose story reflects the enduring legacy of the Khmer Rouge genocide and the intergenerational trauma that continues to shape many Cambodian families today.

For decades, stories like Sok Tep’s have been missing from mainstream media. While Grey’s Anatomy has long been praised for its diversity, this episode stood out because it went beyond token representation. It gave voice to the quiet struggles many Cambodian and Southeast Asian American families face—navigating complex health systems, bridging language and cultural barriers, and carrying the invisible weight of survival.

In the scene, we see Sithea, a second-generation Cambodian American, translating for her father as he receives medical care. For many in the 1.5 and 2nd generations—those born in refugee camps or shortly after resettlement—this experience is deeply familiar. Children often become interpreters, advocates, and cultural mediators for their parents and grandparents, navigating systems that were never designed for families like theirs. It’s a small but emotionally charged glimpse into how the trauma of war and displacement continues to ripple through generations.

Sok Tep’s story also serves as a reminder of the resilience of Cambodian families and the tenderness that exists alongside the trauma. It’s a story of love expressed through care—of a daughter doing her best to make sure her father is understood, seen, and treated with dignity.

For Cambodian Americans, seeing this story told on one of television’s most iconic medical dramas is no small thing. It’s validation. It’s recognition. And it’s an opening for deeper conversations about history, healing, and representation.

At a time when media visibility still skews heavily toward certain narratives, Grey’s Anatomy’s decision to spotlight a Cambodian refugee and his daughter is a milestone worth celebrating. It reminds us that representation is not just about who gets to be on screen—it’s about whose stories are told with care and truth.