Cambodia Town, Long Beach, California
Prior to the rise of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, Cambodia was a highly agricultural society that endured ninety years of French colonial rule.
Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge as a communist group who sought to remove all Western influence in Cambodia and create an equal, agricultural society.
[3] Cambodia then turned into a classless, institution-less society that forced people to work 12 to 14 hours a day in the labor camps on the countryside.
The Cambodian students who had settled in Long Beach in the 1950s and 1960s provided services, such as mental health resources, to assist refugees with adjustment to American society.
Long Beach became a destination that allowed many refugees to start their own businesses and establish cultural legacies due to its affordable property.
[5] After their time in this resettlement camp, many Cambodian refugees moved to Cambodia Town, Long Beach in search of support, as well as familiar lifestyle and culture.
Many Cambodians in Cambodia Town struggled emotionally by having more anxiety and fear in their daily activities because of this trauma, not just the civil war, but also the effects of Year Zero that has been declared by Angkar (Organization), a powerful ruling body that controlled most of its population.
These individuals dealt with insomnia, nightmares, panic attacks, and headaches due to painful memories from the political turmoil between the Cambodian Civil War and the infamous Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot and Khieu Samphan in Cambodia, following the Fall of Phnom Penh in 1975.
After the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia began on Christmas Day in 1978 declared by Lê Duẩn, the leader of unified Vietnam to capture Phnom Penh which defeated Angkar and its Khmer Rouge cadres which forced Pol Pot and others to retreat back into the jungle located in Anlong Veng near the border of Thailand from 1979 until 1997.
At the time, Long Beach had many jobs that did not require English proficiency, which granted Cambodians a higher access to work and income.
[5] Additionally, cheap and affordable property allowed a few Cambodian refugees to gather funds within their immediate and extended family to establish small businesses, cultural institutions, and homes.
[13] Thus, some community activists preferred the name Little Phnom Penh because the name does not impose a "singular national identity" unlike how the name Cambodia Town implies.
Official recognition for a single ethnic group would reinforce racial tensions between Cambodian and Latino youth that stemmed from cultural differences and social isolation.
[13] The proposal received the unanimous approval by the Housing and Neighborhoods Committee despite dissent and concerns that other minority groups had in regards of being displaced.
[16] The advocates for the designation also used other established ethnic enclaves as examples of spaces where Asians, Blacks, Hispanics and Whites were able to live and work together.
As a result, the Long Beach City Council unanimously approved the concept of Cambodia Town in 2007 – under the condition that it became a Business Improvement District (BID).
[19] The lack of educational support within the Long Beach school system for Cambodians also contributed towards high rates of gang participation.
In Cambodia, Choul Chnam Thmey traditionally signifies the shift from the height of the hot, dry season to the monsoon rains that will wash away the dust and bring nourishment to the fields.
This celebration showcases traditional garments and performances (e.g. classical dancing and drumming), flags and symbols of Cambodian cultural pride, and representatives of local organizations and businesses.
[22] Additionally, the celebration exhibits the ethnic diversity of the enclave as the event often includes monks, Cambodian and Black Christian ministers, and paleta vendors.
[23] Another well-known local event is the annual Cambodia Town Film Festival which was founded by Cambodian American filmmaker Caylee So and hip-hop artist praCH Ly.
Phnom Penh Noodle Shack started as a modest, family-run restaurant, but over the years has garnered mass appeal from food critic reviews and social media.
[25] The markets within Cambodia Town reflect the diversity of Asian ethnicities in Long Beach and carry key ingredients for a variety of cuisines including Khmer, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese food.
[citation needed] Cambodia Town is currently undergoing many beautification projects with public investment in murals, bike lanes, parks, and community gardens, among others.
