Cambodia Town Parade, Culture Festival returns for 16th year this weekend

by Khmer Times
April 5, 2024

Crowds line Anaheim Boulevard on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, for the 15th Annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival in Long Beach (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

The 16th annual Cambodia Town Parade and Cultural, a celebration of the country’s new year, will return to Long Beach this weekend.

The free event will kick off with the parade at the intersection of Anaheim Street and Cherry Avenue on Sunday, April 7 at 10:30 a.m. after an interfaith program, including a traditional blessing.

The parade will travel about a half mile to MacArthur Park, 1321 Anaheim St., where a cultural festival — featuring traditional Cambodian dance, ancient martial arts demonstrations, crafts, food, and more — will get underway from about 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Cambodia Town is centred around about a one-mile stretch of Anaheim Street between Atlantic and Junipero avenues.

Long Beach became a second home for Cambodians in the early 1980s — when hundreds of thousands of Cambodian refugees flocked to the United States seeking safety from the brutality of the communist Khmer Rouge.

The resulting Cambodian Genocide killed nearly 2 million people. Long Beach is now home to the largest population of Cambodians outside of the country itself, with about 500,000 nearly Cambodians living in the city.

This year’s Cambodia Town Parade and Culture Festival will feature live demonstrations of ancient Angkor ceramics by master ceramist Yary Livan.

Livan, according to his website, was one of only three master ceramists to survive the Cambodian Genocide — and the only master Cambodian ceramists currently living in the United States.

His work will be exhibited at the Manzanar Gamboa Theater, 1323 Gundry Ave., on Sunday as part of the Cambodia Town Parade and Culture Festival.

Livan will also host a special workshop in Long Beach on Monday, April 8, according to his website.

The first Cambodian New Year Parade, meanwhile, got underway in April 2005 after years of advocacy from community members, according to the event’s website, who wanted to ensure their culture and heritage wouldn’t be forgotten in America.

The event draws thousands to Cambodia Town every year — and offers a way for the community to celebrate the new year, honour and carry on Khmer culture and traditions, and share it with others.

This year, the event’s theme is to “Celebrate a Culture of Peace and Unity” — hopes to emphasize the important of celebrating Long Beach’s diversity.


“The festival and parade are a great celebration that reminds of the importance to come together in the spirit of love,” Mayor Rex Richardson wrote in a Monday, April 1 letter to the parade’s organizers, “and compassion to all dimensions of diversity.”Long Beach Press Telegram

John Bingham wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2024 5:03 pm

Long Beach became a second home for Cambodians in the early 1980s — when hundreds of thousands of Cambodian refugees flocked to the United States seeking safety from the brutality of the communist Khmer Rouge.

Correction - When tens of thousands of Khmer Rouge families decided that it might be easier for them in the US than a Thai refugee camp.

That happened when president Carter saw a photo essay by former Marine combat correspondent Eddie Adams (my friend and mentor back when I was a corporal). After seeing Eddie's photos of the "Boats with no Smiles" ... Carter signed an executive order allowing them into USA immediately. That's why Carter is one of my favorite prez. A peanut farmer. He is still alive, although not by much, so I hear.

I think that park in the vid is along International Blvd in Oakland, Little Saigon. If not, it sure looks like it.

Spigzy wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2024 4:18 pm There seems to be an influx of "I'm Cambodian" social media vids lately that are beyond cringeworthy. What are now effectively Americans trying to speak Khmer, is like a Brit listening to Americans trying to speak Engish. I'm putting them in the same pile as the foreign based "politicians" who complain about the CPP, but haven't set foot in the country for sixty years talking as if they know it inside out.

That said, "Hella Chluy" was funny as hell & taught me a good few 'extra' words ...

If only Brits could speak a language understandable by other humans.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2024 5:03 pm

Long Beach became a second home for Cambodians in the early 1980s — when hundreds of thousands of Cambodian refugees flocked to the United States seeking safety from the brutality of the communist Khmer Rouge.

Correction - When tens of thousands of Khmer Rouge families decided that it might be easier for them in the US than a Thai refugee camp.

Some arrived in Long Beach in the mid-70s, connecting with the prior (albeit smaller) community from the '50s and '60s (e.g., graduates of CSU Long Beach and UCLA).

LA is a great place for lunch, whether you like Kenyan, Khmer, Brazilian or just Italian cuisine, there is almost always a place catering to your needs.

newsgatherer wrote: ↑Sat Apr 06, 2024 6:46 pm LA is a great place for lunch, whether you like Kenyan, Khmer, Brazilian or just Italian cuisine, there is almost always a place catering to your needs.

Yes. There are also roving options like taco and bulgogi trucks, though some of them stay put like bricks and mortar. The later (and louder) it gets, the stronger the smell from smoky vendors grilling bacon-wrapped sausages with peppers and onions.

I was just a young long-hair rabble-rouser running through the bayous and woods north of Houston hunting anything that was in range of my Daisy pump-action BB gin when JC was prez … so I don’t know much about him … but another reason I really admire him is for the stuff he and his wife did together with Habitat For Humanity … what a great man.

[mod edit- comment and hash deleted. Don’t thread drift your own topic into another US politics diatribe. Thanks]