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Thousands converge on Long Beach to celebrate Cambodian new year

April 3, 2023

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.

Women gather at the Cambodian Culture Festival on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, at MacArthur Park in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

Throngs of people gather in MacArthur Park on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, for a cultural festival following the Cambodia Town Parade in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

A youngster holds a Cambodian flag on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, while watching the 15th Annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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

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

Participants perform on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, at the 15th Annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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

Cambodian native Oum Ry, champion kickboxer and owner of the Long Beach Kickboxing Center, serves as a grand marshal on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, at the 15th Annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

Mayor Rex Richardson, holding a Cambodian flag and wearing a traditional shirt, waves to the crowd on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, as he rides in the 15th Annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

Phil Lowance and Stacy Timko of Dana Point display a Cambodian flag on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, at the 15th Annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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)

Youngsters express gratitude during a dance performance at the opening ceremonies of the 15th Annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, in Long Beach (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

Sydnee Thy performs a classical Cambodian dance during the opening ceremonies of the 15th Annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival on Sunday, Apr. 2, 2023, in Long Beach (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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

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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 offering them gifts.

Then, at the onset of the parade, which began at Anaheim Street and Cherry Avenue, several community leaders, sponsors and elected officials gave speeches.

“Congratulations for 15th years of lifting up history,” state Attorney General Rob Bonta said, “promoting culture and sharing with the rest of the world, and state, the beauty of the Khmer traditions.”

Mayor Rex Rixhardson and members of the Long Beach City Council also attended the event, including Vice Mayor Cindy Allen and Councilmembers Daryl Supernaw and Suely Saro — the latter of whom is the first Cambodian American to serve on the panel.

After that, the parade began in earnest.

Thousands of people waved Cambodian flags in the air as drums banged, bells rang and the parade traveled about a half mile across Anaheim Street to MacArthur Park.

Hiromi Takahashi, a Long Beach City College student, sat on the side of the parade route, cheering and waving a Cambodian flag.

“I hope today will help the Cambodian community flourish, grow and develop because we had a pandemic and we weren’t able to do this the last couple of years,” Takahashi said. “I’m hoping that it’ll help the community grow again.”

Groups donning authentic Khmer costumes, the grand marshals — including kickboxing legend Oum Ry Ban — and other groups from diverse communities comprised the parade’s retinue.

Melissa Kim and Ana Degrazia are part of the Long Beach Phnom Penh Sister Cities Romvong Team, which performed traditional dances during the parade. It was their first time participating in the performance.

“I’m always surprised by how many people show up here in Long Beach for the celebration,” Kim said later, as she stood in the middle of the packed festival grounds. “I love to see so many people celebrating our culture and it was amazing to perform.”

The festivalgoers were able to get information from booths that offered education about Cambodia’s nearly 2 millennium-old cultural heritage, watch performances on the main stage and eat Cambodian cuisine.

Some of the organizations at the booths included the United Cambodian Community of Long Beach, The Children’s Clinic Family, Pacific Asian Counseling Services and the Global Refugee Awareness Healing Center, among others.

An exhibit that was on display during the festival showcased pictures taken by photographer Colin Grafton from Cambodian refugee camps in the early 1980s – where many who had experienced the horrors of war went to apply for resettlement in other countries after the Khmer Rouge fell in 1979.

Brandon Kheng and Lillian Wang traveled from Cypress to enjoy the lively scene in Long Beach and celebrate the new year. The couple said they were excited to indulge in the festival’s culinary offerings.

“It was awesome seeing the traditional outfits, dancing and music,” Kheng said about the parade. “I think (the festival) is a great way to celebrate the New Year and bring together all these diverse groups of people to celebrate culture and heritage.”

The annual Cambodia Town Parade and Culture Festival attracts people from all over the world. But some of the event’s attendees were locals who only recently began going — despite the parade and festival being in their own backyards.

“This is my second time attending and it’s pretty cool,” said Davin Em, who lives around the corner from where the parade took place.

“I had to come and show my support for the culture,” he added. “I would definitely recommend people to come, just to feel the support here is great.”

Orange County Register

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Thousands converge on Long Beach to celebrate Cambodian new year

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