Thousands converged on a one-mile stretch of Anaheim Street, in Long Beach, on Sunday, April 2, for one of the city’s largest annual events — a celebration of Cambodian new year and Khmer traditions.
The Cambodia Town Parade and Cultural Festival returned for its 15th iteration, reveling in the Southeast Asian nation’s new year, which traditionally takes place from April 14 to 16, with cultural performances, educational resources and food, among other activities and entertainment.
There were also local vendors and organizations on display.
Long Beach became a second home for many Cambodians in the early 1980s – when hundreds of thousands of refugees flocked to the United States in the wake of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and the resulting genocide that killed nearly 2 million people.
Long Beach, now, is home to nearly 500,000 Cambodians — the largest population outside of the Southeast Asian country. A one-mile stretch of Anaheim Street, in the heart of Long Beach, is officially designated as Cambodia Town.
“For over a decade, Cambodia Town has made great efforts to preserve and promote our heritage and culture,” said Sithea San, chair of Cambodia Town Inc., “while cultivating the social-economic well-being of residents and businesses in Long Beach.”
The theme this year was “Stop Hate With Love” – aimed at bringing awareness to rising hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, as well as embracing Long Beach’s diversity.
“Our board is very proud of Cambodia Town’s work in educating Cambodians about hate crimes, hate incidents and how to report them,” San said during the Saturday event. “We want to bring people together in the spirit of love, unity, peace, caring, empathy, and compassion and to raise awareness of anti-racism and discrimination, including Anti-Asian hate.”
Following an interfaith program in the morning, Buddhist monks performed a traditional blessing, with distinguished guests…
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