Well, I have only been back a week and it was hard week trying to reacclimatize back to being home and figuring out what time it really was. I had such a case of jet lag but it seems to be settling down. I was exhausted most of the week and contemplated not doing a Trip of the Week. But I always find it important to stay on task and to get back into my routine as quickly as possible to ensure a smooth transition.

Aside from the yearly exotic backpacking trips, part of the fun is planning and coordinating the trip. Once I go on the trip, I learn so much about the culture, history, music, food, and political climate, and education that no book could teach me. Upon return to the states, I want to savor my trip and with my new found education, want to delve more deeply into that culture.

With that said, upon returning I had known there was a Little Saigon in Orange County which I have wanted to visit. But, I learned that Long Beach is home to our very own Cambodia Town. Since Long Beach was a bit closer I opted to investigate this ethnic area in Long Beach. But no worries…I will be visiting Little Saigon within the next few weeks!

Cambodia Town (also known as Little Phnom Penh or Little Cambodia) is the official name for a roughly one mile long business corridor along Anaheim Street between Atlantic and Junipero avenues Long Beach, California. This area has numerous Cambodian restaurants, clothing stores, and jewelry stores. Churches, temples, and service centers for Cambodian-Americans are also found in the area. In addition, there are many more general businesses in the area, such as auto repair shops, that are also Cambodian-owned.

With approximately 50,000 Cambodians in Long Beach and surrounding communities, Long Beach is home to the second largest population of Cambodian immigrants outside of Cambodia, and the city has its own Cambodian Consulate. Many of the Cambodians in Long Beach came to the United States as refugees from Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, as well as the 1978 invasion and occupation of Cambodia by Vietnam.

Prior to my visiting this ethnic neighborhood I did my research to see what restaurants and markets were in the area. I always enjoy visiting local ethnic markets where you can buy ethnic food you would not be able to find in regular chain supermarkets. In addition, I always find that food, whether restaurant or market, is truly a cultural experience. I found a listing of about 4 markets and 6 restaurants. The market I went to was truly Cambodian and South East Asia. I felt like I was back on my trip again with a meat market selling Eel, Pork stomach, frozen Grubs, and host of rice’s and noodles along with tropical fruit. After browsing the market, I went to lunch at one of the many Cambodian Restaurants. The one I went to was called Siem Reap Restaurant. I chose this one because I had just been in Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat. I ordered what most consider to be the national dish of Cambodia-Amok. It was as good as the one I had a few weeks ago in Phnom Penh.

After my culinary experiences at the restaurant and market I then walked up and down Anaheim street passing numerous stores selling Cambodian goods or offering Cambodian Services.

I’ve been to Long Beach a thousand times and never knew there was this one mile area known as Cambodia Town. But what’s the history? Why Long Beach?

In the early 1960's, the Cambodian government sent groups of student to the United States and most of them went to schools in Southern California such as CAL State-LA, CAL State-Long Beach and UCLA. In 1975, after Cambodia was taken over by the Khmer Rouge (a Cambodian Communist group), most of the students recognized the dangers of that regime and sought political asylum here. By April 17, 1975, the first refugee groups arrived, made up of the Cambodian diplomatic families living abroad, evacuated U.S. Embassy employees, and military personnel and their families. The U.S. Government brought them to Camp Pendleton, California for the immigration processing and they found sponsors in Southern California.

Shortly thereafter, in 1979 the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia and nearly 500,000 Cambodians sought refuge in Thailand. Due to the efforts of the displaced Cambodian students here, there was intense lobbying for the U.S. Congress to allow the Thai-based Cambodians refugees to seek political asylum in this country. Between 1980 and 1981, the students started to sponsor hundred of families and a great number of those Cambodian refugees settled in California, particularly Southern California. Years later, more and more moved to Long Beach because of the nice weather and entrepreneurial opportunities in the donut shop business.

The City of Long Beach is home to the largest population of Cambodians outside of Cambodia. The U.S. Census showed that of the approximate 84,000 Cambodians in California, over 20,000 were in Long Beach! Due to under-reporting, accurate population figures are unavailable, but it is reasonable to claim there are upwards of 30,000 Cambodians living within the Long Beach city limits. Combined with those living in neighboring Cerritos, Lakewood, Paramount, and in Greater L.A. and Orange counties, there may be upwards of 50,000 Cambodians in the area.

Since 1975, Cambodians have built their homes and businesses in Long Beach. Most Cambodians living in Long Beach, will work and shop in the immediate area of Anaheim Street between Junipero and Atlantic Avenue. Their homes, churches, temples, businesses, and service centers have created a community identified by most Cambodians here and throughout the rest of the world as the “Cambodian Capital of the United States.” On the weekends, hundreds of Cambodians from Southern California come to Anaheim Street to shop and visit with one another, recreating their homeland. No other population of Cambodians, outside of Cambodia, has attained this level of recognition.

The official naming of Cambodia Town is a recent happening which occurred just this year in 2007. It took several years of lobbying and council meetings to get the official recognition. Some wanted the area to be called Little Phnom Penh. Since Cambodians in Long Beach come from various parts of Cambodia, such as Battambang, Kompong Cham, Siem Reap, Pailin, and Phnom Penh, they chose “Cambodia Town” to honor the reality that local Cambodian-Americans came from many regions of Cambodia.

As I drove home, I had been able to savor my trip just a little longer. I felt like I was in Cambodia again. In addition, because of my trip, I found out that a whole little ethnic neighborhood was in my area and I was able to visit with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the culture, the food, the history.