AsiaLIFE

Longing for his Cambodian home while in California over Phchum Ben holiday, Craig Gerard visits Cambodia Town in Long Beach to find the Khmer spirit alive and well abroad. Photo by Sean Rath.

The largest Cambodian population outside of Asia is tucked away in a corner of Long Beach, California, but if you look down to change the radio station while passing through, you may miss the entire thing. On the surface, the entirety of Cambodia Town is the Khmer text on signs as you drive down Anaheim Street, but inside those shop fronts are the lives and stories of a generation of refugees who escaped war in search of a better life.

When you visit Cambodia Town, break out your rusty Khmer when ordering food or asking directions. Not only do you get precious double takes, you’ll find that residents are very curious to chat about your experiences in Cambodia. They follow the politics, they have family in Cambodia, and hold tightly to the Cambodian in Cambodian-American. Even more, they are so curious about visitors that they just can’t help but say hello.

As an expat who lives in Cambodia, I am used to being the only “barang” in some places. It takes a little more getting used to being the only barang when you are in Southern California. But the residents of Cambodia Town will always make you feel at home with the warm smile that comes so easily to the Cambodian people. They also know what it is like to be an outsider.

Most residents came to the U.S. via a refugee camp, sponsored by an American family or a church group. They gravitated to common grounds, bound by the comforts of familiarity. Yet some Cambodians living in Long Beach feel like barangs when they visit Phnom Penh, especially the younger generation who do not know the language.

“My daughter doesn’t speak Khmer at all,” says Catherine, a Cambodia Town resident since 1990, having first arrived from Nebraska. “So when she visits her relatives in Phnom Penh, she feels like a visitor in a foreign land.” Catherine, who works nights in an Indian casino, jokes with her truck-driving husband, Sam, about the karaoke girls in Phnom Penh, but then gets very serious when she tells me there is a bad situation “over there.” She’s presumably alluding to trafficking, but never expressly saying so.

Sam started his journey to Cambodia Town by walking through the mine-riddled northern forests of Cambodia, across the Thai border and into a refugee camp. A family in Texas sponsored his parents and siblings to come to the Lone Star state. Setting to work creating new lives, they opened a doughnut business. Today, all of his family members own businesses, except for Sam himself, who has a civilian job with the Air Force. “Look at me now,” he quips. “I was a refugee and now I’m launching rockets.”

While Cambodia Town does feel like a more comfortable version of Phnom Penh, it does have a raw and rough quality. Do not expect the polished gates of San Francisco’s China Town; this is an area that up until recently was plagued with gang violence. The houses have bars on the windows and walls without murals are pocked with graffiti. But much of the turf wars between the long-term Latino residents and the newly arrived Cambodians have been settled; The two groups now work together through business council exchanges and shared cultural programmes for youth. “We try to make a better life for ourselves here,” says Sam.

I sense that the distance between those in Cambodia Town and those in the Kingdom is more than geographical. Sam makes his family in Cambodia report rice production when he gives them financial assistance. “If you don’t make them accountable in tangible items,” he explains, “they will never keep their end of the bargain.”

In addition, both Sam and Catherine do not appreciate the way youth in Cambodia speak with their elders. “There is a lack of respect now,” says Catherine. And according to most I talked, feelings about Cambodian politics are lukewarm.

Despite this, energy remains positive in Cambodia Town. Almost every resident has an incredible story of resilience and sacrifice. These first and second generation Americans look to improve their lives and create a better world for their children, all while still maintaining their unique culture. In that sense, they are indeed living the American Dream.

Cambodia Town Highlights
United Cambodian Community Center
2201 Anaheim Street
A good place to start a tour, the center provides information on history of Cambodia Town and up coming community events.

Mayura Video
1295 Anaheim Street
Stop by hear to complete your Khmer karaoke collection as well as pick up titles from across Asia all dubbed in Khmer.

Crystal Cambodian & Thai Food
Corner of Orange and 10th Street (next to Bayon Market)
Quaint local place off the main drag with large, reasonably priced portions. Dishes are named after various Cambodian cities.

Sophy’s
3240 Pacific Cost Hwy (at Obispo)
One of the classic Cambodia Town favourites, this restaurant digs deeper than just lok lak.