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Touch-Pen profile image
Touch Pen
Owner of Touch Pen Custom Sewing

After fleeing Cambodia to start a new life in America, Touch Pen began her journey as a business owner in Virginia. With resilience, determination, and a strong work ethic, Touch has grown her business tremendously, notably providing services to the restored Virginia Capitol, the White House, and most recently, the Virginia Governor’s Mansion.

Beyond her talents, Touch sets an example of kindness and strength. Read on for more about the amazing story of Touch Pen.


Please tell us about your story.

I was born in Cambodia in Kampot Province in 1959. I lived with my mother and my 9 siblings (I was the 7th child). At age 7, my mother died, and my father took me and a brother to live with him. My stepmother was cruel, putting me to work before and after school and on weekends. There were times when the only food I had was provided by a caring neighbor.

We were very poor. I owned 2 sets of clothes and received one pair of shoes per year. But my father was always supportive and said he would provide for my schooling. I was always the top student in my classes and my dream as a child was to be a physician.

In 1975, when I was 16 years old, the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia, creating a cruel and oppressive government. They closed the schools, relocated all city dwellers to “farms” (including my father and me), and confiscated all belongings. I was forced to work day and night on a Khmer Rouge farm where we all wore black clothes and sandals. There was little food to eat and no medical care. They separated children from parents and arranged forced marriages. I was separated from my father during this time. 3 million Cambodians died under Khmer Rouge rule.

In 1979, after the Vietnamese occupied Cambodia, I met my husband and in 1980 we decided to risk the walk through the minefields to the Thailand border. We walked at night and hid during the day, sleeping on the ground. It took 3 days to reach the border. In Thailand there were UN refugee camps. The Thais were not welcoming, and we moved to 3 different camps to escape Thai rockets fired at us. The last camp was safe but initially there was no shelter. We slept on the ground and the UN personnel provided us with food and water.

My husband and I worked in the camp, each receiving $100/month which was paid to us in the form of food and clothes. To obtain cash, we could sell some of our food, receiving half of what we paid for it. We needed cash for stamps as we were writing to the embassies of USA, Canada, France, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand seeking asylum. There was no option to return to Cambodia where we would have been killed. My two children were born in the refugee camp.

In 1984, we were successfully interviewed for admission into the U.S. and our family was transferred to a refugee camp in the Philippines. At this refugee camp we were given basic preparation for life in the U.S. and waited for sponsorship to be admitted into the U.S. as refugees.

After 3 months, sponsors were found through St. Bridget’s Catholic Church. Five families together committed to the financial and support responsibilities required of a sponsor. The U.S. government arranged for our flights to Richmond and gave our family $1,200 to begin our new life in America.

How long have you been working with the Executive Mansion, and what has your experience been like throughout?

Our family of four arrived in Richmond on May 1, 1984. Our sponsors found us an apartment, provided clothes, furniture, kitchenware, beds and bedding, etc., and located medical care for us. They found a job for my husband after only one week and our sponsors provided him with transport to/from work every day until he was able to bicycle to work. After 4 months in Richmond and after finding childcare, I started my first job, in a factory making grocery carts.

After 1 ½ years, a sponsor found me a job as a seamstress at a business making draperies and valences for interior designers. After 12 years developing my skills there, I decided to start my own business, Touch Pen Custom Sewing, working out of my home. In 1993 my business had outgrown my home workplace, so I purchased a building and relocated my business there. I have 10 employees today. Some are refugees from Afghanistan. My business has provided window treatments for the restored Virginia Capitol, the White House, and most recently, the Virginia Governor’s Mansion.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. How do you honor your heritage?

I am active in the Richmond Khmer community and helped to finance the establishment of the Khmer Buddhist temple.

Each year, my husband and I return to Cambodia where we provide financial support to Cambodian school children trying to further their education. We do this with donations from my business and through the generosity of many clients. We offer clothes, school supplies, etc. to children who have very few resources of their own.

What advice do you have for Women+girls in the workforce?

I believe that friendliness, honesty, hard work, generosity, and patience are key attributes of a leader and to be successful. When I was young, I saw that studying and working hard in school was essential. Be observant in the classroom and workplace, learning from your classmates and fellow employees. Establish relationships with successful people, observe how they have achieved success.

About Touch Pen

Touch Pen has been providing custom sewing services to the Executive Mansion for nearly 20 years. Overcoming adversity with tenacity and grit, Touch is an inspiration to all. Touch’s masterful designs that adorn the windows, pillows and bed skirts of the oldest continuous Governor’s residence in the Nation remind us of the truth the American dream. Starting her career as a factory worker to becoming a successful business owner, Touch Pen is a shining example of the incredible fortitude and ingenuity women, Asian Americans, and Virginians alike exude.

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