Long Beach City Council will now recognize April 17 as Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day after passing a recommendation during Tuesday night’s meeting.
Councilmembers Suely Saro and Daryl Supernaw brought the item forward to the meeting which garnered full support from council.
Saro, who is the first Cambodian American Long Beach elected councilmember, wished all Cambodians a happy New Year and gave a presentation on Cambodian history before sweeping support by the council during their comments.
“When we celebrate days of cultural significance to the very diverse communities in our city, I think we show those residents how much we appreciate them and how much they’re a part of our fabric,” Councilmember Suzie Price said. “I’m really grateful to be part of this council, especially on nights like this when the diversity is bringing us together and reminding us of what makes us strong,”
The annual Cambodian, Thai and Laos New Year begins April 14. It’s celebrated by Southeast Asians to commemorate the arrival of spring and lasts until April 16.
This year’s holiday is tinged with tragic history as it prefixes the 46th anniversary of the April 17, 1975 Khmer Rouge invasion into the Cambodian capital. The proposed day of remembrance will occur on its anniversary.
“They forced people into labor camps and murdered government officials, doctors, artists and scholars, among many others. It became known as Year Zero under the Khmer Rouge regime,” Saro said.
“This week is bittersweet for the Cambodian community as we celebrate rebirth and future health and prosperity of our community, on New Year’s Day, and also grieve the loss of loved ones, and experienced trauma from the Cambodian genocide,” Executive Director of United Cambodian community Susana Sngiem said during public comment.
Saro noted in her presentation how an estimated two million Cambodians perished or were executed during the genoicde with several hundred thousand fleeing to other countries seeking asylum. According to the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, Long Beach is home to the largest number of Cambodians living outside of Southeast Asia making up 4% of its total population.
“The thousands of families that escaped violence and genocide, to build the home here in our city represents the absolute best of us here in Long Beach and the absolute best of humanity,” Councilmember Mary Zendejas said. “The sacrifices they made, and the bravery, it took for them to come to escape from over there were extraordinary.”
Saro will host a virtual “Remembrance and Renewal” event this Friday April 16 at 6 p.m. to honor the Cambodian New Year, Genocide Rememberance Day and the stories of Cambodian American lives. The event will be livestreamed on Saro’s YouTube and Facebook page.
The next Long Beach City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, April 20 at 5 p.m. via teleconference.
