Cambodian name riles controversy

by AndreA LAwrence

Despite the controversial name change of the holiday, Cambodians attended and celebrated Sankranta in traditional attire on April 1 at LBCC’s PCC campus.

There has been much debate over whether the city of Long Beach should refer to the festivities as Cambodian New Year as opposed to Sankranta, which is an all inclusive term for Southeast Asian cultures.

A few residents in Cambodia town preferred the festival to be named “Cambodian New Year” in the hopes of preserving their culture and pride here in Long Beach after fleeing from Cambodia to escape the Cambodian genocide.

Under communist regime, the Khmer Rouge overthrew Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia in 1975, killing about a quarter of the country’s population.

“I feel not so happy about the title change,” said Phan Tiev, a Cambodian town resident. “I escaped from Cambodia to Thailand in 1979, we struggled a lot.” On the other hand, other residents state they don’t have any concern over the title being Sankranta.

“New generations know about Cambodian New Year but in ancient times, older generations have heard both. Sankranta means new year,” said Sireysakayamuny B. Buddha, a monk here in Long Beach.

With the title change, many elders who fled Cambodia Town from the genocide begin to fear the future for the newer generations and their connection to their culture.

As names are being changed from first generations, newer generations are losing their connection and identity as they are immersed into a new world.

“I am a little iffy about the next Cambodian generations, including my younger siblings, but I do make it a point for me to learn about our history,” said Alice Yuk, a Long Beach resident and performer with the Cambodian Awareness Organization at UCI.

The Cambodian genocide continues to affect survivors and offspring of survivors here in Long Beach’s Cambodia Town.

Grace Jones