Recommendation to request City Council to adopt resolution to recognize April as Cambodian Genocide Awareness Month.
Communicate. Item number 20. Communications from Councilman Eddie Andrews. Recommendation to request City Council to adopt a resolution to recognize April as Cambodian Genocide Awareness Month. Yes. First of all, I make a motion. Okay, fine. We'll take a few seconds before we get started, if you don't mind. Okay. Thank you, everyone. You know this I think every time we talk about genocide and we talk about individuals who've been brought up under these certain atrocities, you know, we have to think of everyone, not just ourselves. And I think this. Is really amazing when we can sit here and bring this to the study of Long Beach, because. The fact that we are really very aware and the energy of people and we reach out to try to show love all over the world. And tonight, I am very, very fortunate to be able to speak for a group of individuals who I feel so much love for, because the fact that they show a lot of love for. Me and this that Cambodian. Community, you know, with over 20,000 residents of the Cambodian descent. To Long Beach, as it is. Known as Cambodia, capital of the United States, this includes thousands of Long Beach, Cambodian community residents that have been affected by the Cambodian genocide known as. The Killing. Fields. April 17 marked 40 years since the atrocity in which 1.5 to 3 million people were killed. The cameras, torture, mass execution, use of forced labor and melt malnutrition led to the death of an estimated 25% of the total population. The Cambodian genocide was one of the greatest human tragedies of the 20th century. The Cambodian people to persevere, perseverance, reestablished families and communities in Long Beach. This perseverance have enhanced the cultural diversity in the city of Long Beach and across the world. The scars of genocide as carried by the survivors in the families and the victims living in our city. Tonight, I ask the city council to pay tribute in honor of those who suffered. Unimaginable tragedies. And that we recognize April as Cambodian Genocide Awareness Month. And I'd like to bring you the Cambodian people up to. The podium with you, the mayor. And to say a few words. Absolutely. Thank you. I'm going to. Before I get to public comment, I do have two councilmembers, a couple of customers queued up to speak. And then we'll go to public comment. Councilman Price. I want to thank Councilman Andrews for bringing this item forward. And I want to thank all of the people in the audience who came to support this particular item and for raising awareness and allowing us to stop and reflect on our history and the future. So I want to thank you for bringing this to our attention and allowing us as a council to commemorate and honor this community. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Gonzalez. I also want to say thank you to Councilman Andrews and the Cambodian community for coming forward. I know, again, this is not always very easy to to to look back on, but we certainly need to recognize that you all certainly share your culture with us. And so very proud to have you all and as residents of Long Beach. So thank you for being here tonight. Thank you, Councilmember. Thank you. I would like to thank Councilmember Andrews for bringing forth this item. And to to my Cambodian friends in the audience, I say to you, thank you for being here. This is a very emotional city council meeting, but also a very serious matter before us in terms of genocide and the killing fields. We have spent the past week in celebration with our Cambodian community as we celebrate the new year last weekend. But we also commemorate this 40 years of this genocide, and we say that proudly in this city. Unfortunately, it happened. And and that's something that we will never change. But I think the city of Long Beach benefited in some regards in a large way, because we we picked up, in addition to the fabric of our city and to our community, and that is the Cambodian people. And here in Long Beach, here in the United States, you can only look forward and not look backward. And so we commemorate 40 years today. But I ask that we look forward. I think the future is bright in terms of education and in access to to everything that this great country has to offer. So thank you very much. I just wanted to say that. Thank you, Councilwoman Mongo. I, too, wanted to join my colleagues in commemorating this event. It's important that we all stand together. And your community has just been so welcoming and celebratory throughout the New Year and everything. We just really want to thank you for being such good citizens of Long Beach. Councilman Ranga. Thank you, Mayor. And I, too, want to extend my congratulations to Councilmember Foster for bringing this forward. It's an important milestone. So that's what we look at. The way. We look. At. It. I look at NAMI. The 40 years ago, I was I was a student at Cal State, Long Beach. And in 1978, I did a research paper, a white paper, if you will, on the impacts and the change in diversity in the school system. Allow me to us the and a big part of that was the growing population of young Cambodian students attending our schools and knew then that it was going to be an important community. And Long Beach. I had the honor five years later, six years later of being part of a groundbreaking event that created that. That made a change from what was then called the Centro de la Raza, which was a Latino serving institution back at the time, right there in Anaheim and Junipero. And that converted over to the what became the UCC, the United Cambodia Community Center. And I was part of that transition because it was it was important to note that the growing influence in the growing population and the growing effect that the Carmona community would have in Long Beach was prevalent even then, as it is today. And I congratulate you on your being able to establish your roots here and to have Long Beach as your as your capital here in the U.S. as it is, the largest community of Cambodians outside of Cambodia here reside here in Long Beach. So I welcome you and I and I hope to continue to work with you. And someday, someday, maybe we'll see a Cambodian behind these days. Thank you. We're going to as we open it up to public comment, I just want to say I see so many of my friends here in the audience, obviously, and I just thought we were just all together. I think Friday night in big finals at a great event that Councilmember Austin hosted there. I also want to make sure that we note and I think this was really substantive, is that the California state Senate, thanks to Senator Ricardo, Lara, also brought forward, I thought, which I thought was a really great gesture, an opportunity to recognize a real tragedy, but also celebrate such a all the contributions that that Cambodians and Cambodia Americans have made, not just to Long Beach, but to the state of California. And so I know he obviously can't be here today, but I did want to mention that that was a real special event. I saw the photo of all of you in Sacramento or many of you in Sacramento. And I that was a really nice moment. Let me let me just add that and you've all heard me say this many times, but our Cambodian community is one of the best things about our city. It's absolutely one of the best things we're most proud of in the city of Long Beach is all of you. It's the yummy food. It's the music, it's the culture. It's the vibrancy. It's the small businesses, the jobs you provide, all the work that that all of you do every single day. So I know for me, we certainly are honoring a terrible, horrific moment in time and an anniversary of that. But I also view it as an opportunity to celebrate. One of the things that makes Long Beach, Long Beach, and that is all of you and the work you're all doing. So thank you for being here. Really, really appreciate that. So with that, I know a few of you are going to make some comments. So it is public comment. If anyone wants to make a comment, please come forward and then we will present you with with a proclamation. Okay. I'd like to make a comment, but to put in a short 3 minutes is probably not going to do it. Probably gonna need a little more than 3 minutes. Good evening, honorable mayor. Vice Mayor, Council members, city official and ladies and gentlemen, my name is Charles Song. I am a commissioner to the Pacific Gateway Workforce. And I'm also the president of the American Civic Engagement. I'd like to thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to speak on behalf of my fellow Cambodians. Who are here to witness the historic event unfold in this chamber this evening. As a young child. I was a victim and a survivor of a conflict. War that left six anchors a scar on my stomach. Today. In 1972, I was blown up. But a hand grenade and left to die. But I survived. Three years later, like many other Cambodians. Who lost many of their families, friends and relatives. I, on the other hand, had lost. Many relatives of my own, including my oldest brother. Who was missing? Missing. During an escape attempt. One late evening in 1997. Not to mention one of his friends. And now hanging himself the next day. And the other was captured and beaten to death. I survived that, too. How can I ever forget the evening my body was soaking wet blood. With my hand holding part of my intestine and ran for help. That was the fault of the governor. He set the tone for that. Sorry. Yes. How can I ever forget the morning I woke up not knowing when and how one of my friends dying. Lying next to me. How can I ever forget the shot that fire from the AK 47 echoing the mountain? Well, my brother and I tried to escape. How can I? Ever forget. The many weeks. That, my friend. Thank you so much. Thank you. To my wife. My. Thank you. Many weeks on. My friends and I had I hadn't tied so tight in the back and not knowing whether or not. We will go into live. Or be killed at any moment. How can a man like me ever forget the early evening? What? I woke up. Knowing my head coach of the red blood lying and just away from the way I'll feel with skeleton smiling. That's body. A new fresh slogan stacking up. On each other. How can I ever forget the day we were cut? In the middle of the crossfire, you feel that the explosion, rockets and propelled grenades. I survive all these. But I still do not know how and why. I only know life does. Has its purpose and the destiny within the three year, eight months and 20 days of the atrocity. They cannot fly and other crimes against humanity. The Khmer Rouge will help more than a million lives and left millions of survivors with haunted memories and scar of horrific images that led to the suffering of a post traumatic syndrome they are facing each and every day. And you are looking at. A living proof. Of a man who lived through this ordeal. Somehow I knew I will live to one day, to one day to tell the story to my children, to my young generation and the world. Because we cannot afford. This type of the history to repeat itself as a five time survivor. The greatest day for me and my family, I have to say. The day when I stepped foot in America 32 years ago. America has given us a new hope. And an opportunity to not only enjoy the freedom. But also allow us, our children, to become who we are and who we would want to be. It was done when I realized it was done when I learned the only way for me to heal my deep bond is to forgive. The past and looking for a new beginning. And it was then when I realized there is a great sense of pride within me. So I began to create a deep passion within myself to what other human being that led to the countless hours. A volunteer with the Red Cross and the contribution. That I made a great deal of my effort to the society and the community that I have come to love very dearly for the past 20 years, knowing that I may not get up the next day and do it again. Thank you, America. On Obama. Why is Maya? Council members. In particular councilmember other sixth District Honorable Councilman de Andrew. Today you are made a history. You are made an official. By passing, I hope there's a resolution to allow the city to recognize the manner of April at the Genocide Awareness Month. This is also a historic day for all Cambodians. On behalf of all the Cambodian genocide survivor. All my young fellow brothers and sisters and those millions who lost their lives. We thank you. We thank you from the bottom of our heart. Four Put this resolution forward. This good cognac tester will be for ever being a hot. Thank you. May God bless us all and may God bless America. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening. Major Robert Garcia. Why is Major Sergio Lowenthal Councilman. Leandro Councilman. I lost in another distinguished elected official in the chamber for supporting the resolution. My name is terrible. I'm going to survive. Survivor The Killing Field. My statement probably different from my fellow Cambodian. I talk from my experience as a by culture. American culture and Cambodian culture. Five years before the Holocaust in Cambodia. That meant in the spring of 1974, 1970. When President Richard Nixon sent American ground troops to wipe out the comedies Vietcong and North Vietnamese Century in Cambodia. I was a young teenager. In the junior high school. So up to now for 45 years. I mean, addicted to American culture. But from the good side, not the bad side. During the early 70, many Americans didn't burn an American flag, spit at American veteran coming back from Vietnam. In contrast. As a young teenager in Cambodia during that time. We see American troops as our heroes. The volunteers joined the Cambodian armed forces when we just 15 years old. The M-16 is higher than us. We are very patriotism, just like American veterans, because we are staunch anti-communist. Beside that. Of course, many of my high school students keep long hair hippie. Some try to smoke pot like the Beatle. But majority joined the armed forces fought bravely side by side. What is a part of the American coverage because other countries prevent American ground troops from entering Cambodia. What more besides patriotism and the love for America at the American music? Apple right now in my iPhone I have several hundred some of the 60 and the early 70 always. One of the songs that I would like to remind you is the reflection of my life by the marmalade. For those older you will probably remember beautiful song. So tonight it's a reflection on my life. I remember what's going on during the killing field, of course, before the war. I see the fighting, the bloodshed. In high school. I studied World War One. World War Two, I study American Civil War. I study about the Jewish Holocaust in Auschwitz camp in Poland. In my class, but I never tested. Until Cambodia fall into the comedy town. Then I can feel how the Jewish who survived the Holocaust or they are. My fellow Americans survived the Turkish atrocity in World War One. We were evacuated from the capital city, but not knowing in advance. I live, lie slow at the countryside, working more than 16 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. But not complain complain up in this. A lot of people die a slow labor. Starvation disease. Anything that led to American will be executed. I tried to keep my addiction to American music in my heart, but I missed so much. So for fire, I witnessed the starvation, the killing, the bloodshed, everything. But the Holocaust keep me strong. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge. I said to the refugee camp. I survived the wall on the border between the Cambodian and Thai comedy troupe and the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia. We survived because we. B. B. Struggle during the Khmer Rouge. When we came to America, we tried to learn. Yes or. To pull ourselves as a productive citizen and a law abiding citizen of this country. So I called several famous statesmen one. From a Japanese. A rookie. I forgot his name. Mr. Haruki Murakami, he said. When you come out of the storm. You wouldn't be the same person that walked in. That how the storm is all about. So the Khmer Rouge holocaust on kidney stone. And there's another quote. Rich people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore. Of course. I forgive you. What happened in Cambodia? But I cannot forget. We can forgive, but. If they said the. Remember the past and embrace the future. So. This evening. I am very honored and grateful to all the elected officials, the American public, as well as the U.S. government. For saving the life of my Cambodian refugee to come to America. When you look all over the world in the post-Cold War. When people try to escape. They dream to come to America. Because this is a seven. That's why I encourage my people to protect themselves and to defend this country. This is the last heaven. Just Love, Not a Song of the 60 by the Led Zeppelin Stairway to Heaven by Jimmy Page. Robert Plant. I still remember in Cambodia during the 70. Before you go to America. You had to go through hell in Cambodia. You wouldn't appreciate how even unless you went through hell. So today I humbly. Grateful to all of you. And thank you, America. Essential Project in Long Beach. As I forgot to mention another name. A gentleman when I was in Sacramento a few days ago. California State Senator Ricardo Lara for having the resolution to recognize our Holocaust sanctuary. So I appreciate your effort. Thank you. Thank you, Charles. And just before we go to the next speaker, I want to also make sure this is a really, really important occasion. I want to make sure that we give everyone the opportunity to say what they need to say. I also want to be respectful. We have three other presentations next to, so we're going to try to do our best to manage the time appropriately. So because your words are so very important and so that the best that we can keep to the 3 minutes. But I understand if other things need to be said, we're going to honor that. So please. Just Mr. Mayor, we will obviously have the time and we will speak as a group to save time. Well, good evening, honorable mayor and honorable city council members. My name is Kim Chi Cook, the chief executive director of the Cambodian Association of Garcia. On behalf of my colleagues, the leaders of the Cambodian Advocacy Collaborative, which comprised of Cambodia Association, America, Family and Good Health, American Action, My Parent Association and United Cambodian Community. And on behalf of the Cambodian community leaders, Cambodian genocide survivors and the Cambodian residents in Long Beach, we feel humbled and honored to be here tonight supporting the city's resolution to recognize April Cambodian Genocide Awareness Month in the city of Long Beach. Whereas, as the city resolution recognizes the Cambodian genocide during the period of the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979 as one of the greatest human, tragic tragedies of the 20th centuries. This resolution is serve as a grand testimony to our children and grandchildren that despite of the horrific pain and suffering the Cambodian survived, survivors have to do have great resiliency, pride, perseverance, and continue to strive in rebuilding their lives in Long Beach, the place we now call home. In addition, the city resolution will recognize and highlight the numerous contributions of the Cambodian people who have made it to the social and economic revitalization of the central Long Beach and the establishment of the largest Cambodian community outside of Southeast Asia. In Long Beach, we have been able to move forward into a brighter future while maintaining our cultures and heritage, our cultures, our heritage and genocide. Experience is a legacy that we pass on to the future generations and a gift that we are proud and honored to share with the broader Long Beach community to be cherished and remembered to help prevent genocide from happening anywhere else in the world. We are blessed and thankful for amazing and supportive elected officials, including Mr. Mayor Garcia and Councilman de Andrew. Community leaders, community members who have made this resolution possible. Again, thank you very much and happy Cambodian New Year. Thank you. Thank you so much. Next speaker, please. Getting everyone. Um, my name is Joe, and I live in the sixth district as a second generation Cambodian. I believe that knowing your roots and tradition is important to knowing yourself. Growing up, I didn't know much about the Cambodian genocide. I knew it was bad and that people died. But I was it. It was not until I volunteered in a united Cambodian community to learn about why the genocide happened and what my people went through. I feel that educating and creating awareness about the genocide is important to letting people, especially younger Cambodians, known about who they are and our identity as a Cambodian Americans. I urge you to support this resolution to recognize April as Genocide Awareness Month. Thank you. Thank you so much. Next speaker, please. Good evening. My name is so plus so come along beach resident living in Belmont Heights. It is an honor for me to stand up here and share with you a little bit of my story and also what it mean to have April as Cambodia Genocide Awareness Month. As a child born into a world of bloodshed where man killed one another for no purpose, watched others being tortured for a blind ideology and on the verge of death myself many times because of hunger and disease, I can never erase these memories from my mind. I was not even three when the Khmer Rouge took full control of Cambodia on April 17, 1975, and set out on their ruinous effort to create a utopian agrarian society in only three years and eight months. An estimated 2 million people, or a quarter of the country's population died, including eight of my aunts, eight of my 11 aunts and uncles and numerous cousins. I am one of the lucky children that survived, but my story is no different than others. And Cambodia is not the only country that has suffered genocide. Genocide is not just an event of the past. For example, the Janjaweed crisis in Darfur clearly shows that genocide remains a reality in the modern times of the 21st century. How do we seek justice for an almost unimaginable scale of criminal behavior? How can we honor those who have passed? We are the fortunate ones that need to untangle questions of guilt, punish the perpetrators, and work to prevent future crimes of such magnitude. There's a saying a river never forgets its source. That is why it is important to have a time that is recognized as the Genocide Awareness Month. It is important not to forget our past by remembering our relatives who suffered. We bring honor to them by raising awareness. We can encourage our national government to intervene to prevent future crisis. If we can prevent one child growing up amidst the madness of genocide and suffering its long term consequences, we will have accomplished more than we can imagine. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Member of City Council, especially Councilman de Andrew, for bringing awareness of the Cambodian genocide. Thank you. Next speaker. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Members of the City Council. My name is Weston Labar, and I'm the chairman of the board for the United Cambodian Community. And on behalf of the entire board this evening, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for bringing this issue forward. I'd like to thank Councilman Andrews for asking you to consider this resolution. And I'd like to preemptively thank you all for supporting it. And to our members and the Cambodian community. I'd like to thank you for allowing us to serve on your board. Okay. My name is Sommer Hansen from. Children's Day, which needs to be about peace, love and happiness. We need to. You know, make more of a commitment. We really wanted to focus a lot more on peace this year. And you know. It's a lot of. You know, I mean, there was the Indians and the Irish and the blacks. Jews, white. You know, we were all, you know, brothers and sisters from one mother. Ultimately, it's told in the journey of man is proven scientifically and. Anyway, Superintendent Steinhauser said that Long Beach oh my goodness. Is really improving so incredibly in in character and all kinds of really good things. And we we're very, very lucky to live in the community that we do. And let's help show America and everybody else, you know, in the world, you know, how to. You know, live the. The Golden Rule rule and do the very best we can to be a place on earth where heaven shows up for. You know, for today and for future generations. Things are getting better. Oh, my Lord. Was really make a commitment to do our very, very best. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. And thank you all for for speaking. I want to thank you all for coming forward and speaking. Sir, I assure you, you have to come to the fore. Two for two. If you. And then after our speaker here, we'll go ahead and go to a vote and we're going to take a picture. Okay. So. Yes, sir. My name is Drew. I live in Long Beach. You call us Cambodian, and that's good. But we also go by other name. We like to call ourselves Khmer. I am here. Not to take a lot of your time. I'll ask this. Oh. I wish. Deep down in my heart. To thank God. Jesus Christ. They have a grandfather. And that's it. If you want to. Talk about genocide. All you have to do is just turn your TV on. And you could see for yourself right now, even today. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Will close public comment. And now I'm going to go ahead and turn this back to council then for a vote. Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Has there been a motion by Councilmember Andrews? Yes, with a motion. Councilmember Andrews, do you want to go first? No. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. All right, I. I appreciate that. I wanted to thank everyone that came today to share their personal stories. It's. I know how incredibly painful it must be. It's certainly painful for those of us here that are part of your community and family today. And the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime directed at the Cambodian people are made all the more painful by the fact that we have so very personal and some professional relationships here in Long Beach with many individuals that lived through such a horrible human tragedy. And we also have immediate relatives that suffered at the hands of their oppressors. And so it's and we're all very proud that Long Beach is home to the largest Cambodian American community outside of Cambodia. And that's something that we're very deeply proud of. We're proud that you all came together and encouraged us to designate Cambodia Town as the first in this country. I think every step that you take to. To demonstrate how much you are thriving as a community in your new homeland is something that we can all celebrate and and share in that joy. We focus on the tragedies because we must so that we won't forget. And the last speaker is absolutely correct if we wanted to see genocide. We don't have to look back in history. We can just turn on the television and we can read the newspaper. And so it happens every day. And it's it's something that I wish we could say that we have outlived outgrown, but it's not. So my heart goes out to those of you in the audience tonight and those loved ones watching at home. I know there isn't a single one of you here that has not had a very personal experience with this atrocity. And I do want to thank everyone as well. For those of you. To all of you especially that came to speak because you and your family chose Long Beach as your home. I often joke with people and I say, you know, you have me at Long Beach, but thank you for having us and calling Long Beach your home. Thank you. Thank you. And with that, we're going to go to tick, tick, tick. Can I just. 1/2. Could I have the what I named to the ambassador, the Cambodian cherry? Would you just stand up and let. This is. She's an organizer. She's a go getter, too. I just want to thank you. And you guys really seriously, we love you. Please don't ever forget us because we'll never forget you. Thank you. Thank you. Please go and cast your votes. Motion carries seven zero. Great. I know we have the resolution here which will do the photo and then we'll get back to the agenda. What I'd like to do is I'm going to have a few of you here because we can't get everybody down. So would you all like. To stand up and. Okay. Are you okay? Okay. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay? Yeah. Okay. Everyone stay here. I'm going to pay city council. What you guys want. Everybody? Yeah, please give everybody. Oh, I got to take this. We got. Here we go. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for coming to get the information so that we can. Okay. Now we're going on to our we have a couple of presentations, so we're going to move on to those. And we're moving on first to our presentation on Denim Day, which we obviously do every single year, which is very exciting. So I'm going to have action and I'm going to invite, I think, Sharon. Sharon where Sharon? I think I saw her a minute ago. Oh, there she is. Okay. Sharon from Animal House is going to come up and say a few words.