Weekend events: Long Beach Cambodians to mark New Year with parade, festival

Members of the Cambodian Culture & Art Association perform during the sixth annual Cambodian New Year parade. (File photo.) 

By Emily Thornton, Special to the Press-Telegram

POSTED: 04/08/16

Long Beach’s Cambodian community will celebrate its New Year this weekend with a parade, dancing, food and more.

“We celebrate with a New Year parade to highlight Cambodia Town that has been recognized, bring awareness of the Cambodian culture to the world and show unity in the Cambodian community,” Nou said.

The 10th annual parade is from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday along Anaheim Avenue in the Cambodia Town District – home to one of the largest concentrations of Cambodians outside Cambodia.

Controversy dogged this year’s event after the Cambodian prime minister’s eldest son, Hun Manet, announced he attend the parade. After hundreds protested his appearance – Manet is the son of Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander – Manet announced on March 26 to cancel his participation, Cambodian Coordinating Council President Monorom Neth said in a statement.

The parade is open for everyone, as long as they refrain from political activities, Neth said.

“Regrettably, Manet’s invitation has been viewed negatively by some members of the Cambodian community who regarded his participation in the parade as a political maneuver… Cam-CC wishes to thank our community members for their passion in expressing their strong opinions opposing or supporting this situation,” Neth said.

Sixth District Councilman Dee Andrews said he’d be present at the parade after Manet’s decision and asked other city leaders to attend.

Parade step-off is at Anaheim Street and Junipero Avenue and ends at MacArthur Park, between Warren and Mahanna avenues, on Anaheim Street. An opening ceremony is at 9 a.m., followed by the parade at 10 a.m.

The Cambodian Town Cultural Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MacArthur Park, 1321 E. Anaheim St., with performances beginning at noon and ending with a live band and dance floor. A variety of vendors, entertainment, arts and food are among the festival’s offerings, Nou said. Andrews and Cambodia Town, Inc. are co-hosting the event.

Another event — Cambodian New Year Celebration — will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 23 at El Dorado Park, 7550 E. Spring St.

The events help unite the community, organizers said.

“With the New Year Parade, we hope to improve community relations among those with different backgrounds,” Nou said. “Most importantly, to preserve our culture for the younger generations so that we have something to pass down to the generation forward.”

Floats, musicians, dancers, cultural and traditional artists will be showcased. Parade entrants include: Building Healthy Communities, Long Beach Transit, Del Amo Motorsports, Cambodia Town Film Festival, Cambodia Town, Inc., the YMCA, Long Beach Police Department, Signal Hill Police Department and others.

About 50 entries will be in the parade this year.

Although there have been political differences, Nou said the event helps bring unity.

“We need more of that,” Nou said. “We need more of the community to see how powerful unity is and how much of a difference it makes to bridge that gap we’ve had.”

For more information, visit www.cam-cc.org/drupal.

Emily Thornton is a staff writer with Gazette Newspapers. She can be reached at: ethornton@gazettes.com