As a young Buddhist monk in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, during the 1960s, Kompha Seth studied the Brahmi alphabet and Magadhi—a root language of modern Khmer—which had been preserved and passed down for generations. Today, he’s one of only a few Cambodians in the world who understands these dialects and their links to modern Khmer.

In 1976, Seth cofounded the Cambodian Association of Illinois, where he serves as executive director. Under his guidance, the association is moving away from its early mission of providing refugee-adjustment services—job placement, English-language instruction—to focus on renewing and teaching a culture that was nearly destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.

The destruction extended to Cambodian culture, affecting more than 4,000 years’ worth of art. The Pol Pot-led Khmer Rouge government killed 80 to 90 percent of classical dancers and singers, according to ethnomusicologist Sam-Ang Sam’s book Cambodian Culture Since 1975: Homeland and Exile. Of the 380,000 artists and intellectuals present in Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge, only 300 survived the regime, according to one estimate cited by Sam.

“You come here and everyone speaks the same language and eats the same kind of food, which is a big part of who we are,” Houy says. “To have a sense of belonging within the community here was great.”

Inside, visitors can view the museum’s permanent exhibit, “Remembering the Killing Fields,” which opened in fall 2011. It illustrates life under the Khmer Rouge and includes the stories of survivors living in the Chicago area. The brutal realities of the “killing fields,” where the Khmer Rouge executed and buried more than a million people, are described in detail.

The centerpiece of the memorial is a hulking black stone pillar, which mirrors the shape of the glass panels. Etched on the pillar is a white lotus and, beneath it, the words: we continue our journey with compassion understanding and wisdom.

Opens Sun 6/5, Tue-Fri 10 AM-6 PM, Sat and Sun 11 AM-3 PM by appointment only National Cambodian Heritage Museum 2831 W. Lawrence 773-506-1280cambodian​memorial​museum.org $6 adults, $4 students and seniors, free for children 12 and under