April Declared as Cambodian Heritage Month
By Vattana Peong
It is a historic moment in Orange County!
On behalf of The Cambodian Family and our Cambodian community in Orange County, I am very excited and honored to share that both the County of Orange, California, and the City of Santa Ana have proclaimed April as Cambodian Heritage Month.
Photo courtesy of The Cambodian Family.
This recognition holds a profound significance for our community, as it marks a deeply meaningful moment for the Cambodian American community in the city, the county, and the United States we have long called home. Santa Ana and the County of Orange, which is currently home to nearly 10,000 Cambodians, was one of the first places in the United States to welcome Cambodian refugees fleeing genocide and civil war in the late 1970s. It’s where The Cambodian Family was founded in 1980, and where generations of Cambodian Americans have since built their lives, small businesses, and cultural institutions.
This proclamation is a recognition of the stories, traditions, and contributions of Cambodian Americans who call Orange County home. The Cambodian American community in Orange County has contributed to the County’s and City’s economic development through institutions like iconic donut shops, has contributed to its cultural diversity through our thriving visual and fine arts, and has empowered our communities to overcome decades of trauma and resettlement.
April 17th marked the 50th anniversary of the fall of Cambodia into the Cambodian Genocide, which killed over 2 million people. Moreover, April is a time for us to remember this dark moment in our human history, known in our Cambodian American community as “Remembrance Day.” April is also a time to celebrate our Cambodian New Year. This year, 2025, we are also celebrating 45 years of service and resiliency in our mission of providing refugee and immigrant families with the opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and desires for creating health and well-being in their lives. Therefore, proclaiming April as Cambodian Heritage Month means so much for our Cambodian American community members in Orange County and beyond.
Photo courtesy of The Cambodian Family
On behalf of The Cambodian Family and the Cambodian community in Orange County, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the entire Orange County Board of Supervisors and the Santa Ana City Council, for making this historic decision to proclaim April as Cambodian Heritage Month. My special thanks and gratitude go to Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, 2nd District, and to Santa Ana City Councilwoman Jessie Lopez (Ward 3), for their historic initiative to help introduce this important proclamation.
Once again, thank you so much everyone for celebrating this historic moment of proclaiming April as Cambodian Heritage Month with our community. I would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous Cambodian New Year! Suosdey Tchnam Thmei (Happy New Year)!'
Vattana Peong is the executive director of The Cambodian Family Community Center (TCF), a multi-ethnic human services agency providing preventive health, mental health, youth and resident leadership and education, civic engagement, immigration, and cultural preservation programs to low-income children and families in Orange County.