Celebrating Special Lives

The Long Beach/Signal Hill area is home to the largest Cambodian population outside of Southeast Asia. Many of our Cambodian neighbors settled in Long Beach as refugees after fleeing the genocide inflicted by the Khmer Rouge between 1975-1979. April 17th has been recognized by the State of California, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Long Beach as Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day. April also marks Cambodian New Year. There are many local events to remember the history and celebrate the future. This month, we have two incredible Cambodian-American women who will share their life experiences.

Dr. Suely Saro, the first Cambodian-American elected
to the LB City Council, represents District 6. Councilwoman
Saro, who was the first in her family to graduate from college,
holds an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne, is an adjunct faculty member at the School of
Social Work at CSULA.

Dedicated to alleviating poverty and empowering women with disabilities in Cambodia, Councilwoman Saro co-founded and is the board chair of Women for Women Foundation (WfWF) which is based in Cambodia. Since 2005, WfWF has helped over 700 women with disabilities increase their economic security by working in a social enterprise program. WfWF is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) allowing its fashionable accessories and products to be sold throughout the world. To read more about Councilwoman Saro, click here for a recent LA Times article.

Susana Sngiem is the first second-generation Cambodian-American woman to serve as United Cambodian Community’s (UCC) Executive Director. Her family are Khmer Rouge survivors and refugees who immigrated to Long Beach in the early 1980’s. Born and raised in central Long Beach, Sngiem attended UC Irvine and received a BA in psychology. After earning her master’s degree in social work from USC in 2012, Sngiem began working at UCC. Through her leadership, UCC has doubled their staff and annual budget to promote health and provide youth development, community engagement, and economic development programs.

Sngiem was recognized by former Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal as one of “30 under 30” young women who have made a difference. She currently serves as a board member of Long Beach Community Action Partnership, APIA Professional Network, Midtown Business and Property Owners Association, and the Long Beach Homeless Services Advisory Committee.

Please remember to register for the April program using this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqcuqurTwpGNyI8EaWPW22dPbgEqM-o15X