Cambodia Town Founders to be Honored

On May 6, LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva will be honoring members of the Asian American Pacific Islander community for the founding of Cambodia Town at a town hall event at the Carson Community Center.

The honorees include the leaders of the Cambodia American Group, Monorom Neth, Richer San and Sithea San.

Considered the father of Cambodia Town,

Monorom was instrumental in getting the City of Long Beach to officially designate the onemile business corridor along Anaheim Street, between Atlantic and Junipero Avenues in the Eastside of Long Beach. He also established a Sister City relationship between Long Beach and the city of Phnom Penh.

From April 14 to 16, the east Long Beach neighborhood celebrated the Cambodian New

Year with Villanueva and his team of Los Angeles Sheriffs Department deputies participating in the parade as an LASD helicopter did several flyovers along the parade route. Richer and Sithea were this year's festival organizers.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva, center, with Monorom Neth, right, and his wife, Princess Kessar Norodom at the Cambodian Town Parade on April 3.