By David Liscio
The Daily Item
LYNN - Thousands of Cambodians live in Lynn, but many have never set foot in City Hall out of fear or simply because they are unaware of available municipal services.
Ward 5 Councilor Brendan Crighton wants to change their way of thinking, which is why he has partnered with the local Khmer Cultural Planning Committee to host Cambodian Community Day today at City Hall.
According to Crighton, the Cambodian communities in Lynn and Lowell combined make up the third largest concentration of Khmer-speaking people in the world, yet many of these immigrants do not take advantage of local clinics, translators or direct services.
To remedy the situation, Lynn residents of Cambodian origin have been invited into the City Council's chamber from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a community meeting.
"The purpose of the meeting is to provide information on city services to the Cambodian community and to welcome them to City Hall," said Crighton, noting that the event will include presentations by local officials as well as a chance for the public to ask questions about city services.
Kirirath "A.J." Saing, a volunteer in Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy's office, will assist with language translation. Members of the Khmer Cultural Planning Committee will be present to share ideas on how to foster inter-cultural dialogue in the city. The committee meets regularly to discuss ways to preserve and share the culture and heritage of Cambodia. It also plans the city's annual Cambodian New Year celebration.
"Lynn has one of the largest Cambodian populations in the world and it's important that we as a city have a strong partnership with them," said Crighton.
The city council said he hopes to start what will become an ongoing discussion between local government and the Cambodian community.
"We had a good showing at Cambodian New Year, so we've asked people to come down and familiarize themselves with city services," he said. "The city has medical clinics and we might touch upon that, but this whole event is geared to city government and available services. We want to build their trust and make them more comfortable. As a city government, we're ready to head in that direction."
Crighton said many Lynn residents are unaware of Cambodia's history of genocide and the so-called killing fields that left millions dead only three decades ago.
In addition to information on city services, the event will be highlighted by performances of traditional Cambodian dance. Lynn Cam has volunteered to tape the event, which will allow those who are unable to attend to watch on live television or on reruns.
Ward 5 Councilor Brendan Crighton wants to change their way of thinking, which is why he has partnered with the local Khmer Cultural Planning Committee to host Cambodian Community Day today at City Hall.
According to Crighton, the Cambodian communities in Lynn and Lowell combined make up the third largest concentration of Khmer-speaking people in the world, yet many of these immigrants do not take advantage of local clinics, translators or direct services.
To remedy the situation, Lynn residents of Cambodian origin have been invited into the City Council's chamber from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a community meeting.
"The purpose of the meeting is to provide information on city services to the Cambodian community and to welcome them to City Hall," said Crighton, noting that the event will include presentations by local officials as well as a chance for the public to ask questions about city services.
Kirirath "A.J." Saing, a volunteer in Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy's office, will assist with language translation. Members of the Khmer Cultural Planning Committee will be present to share ideas on how to foster inter-cultural dialogue in the city. The committee meets regularly to discuss ways to preserve and share the culture and heritage of Cambodia. It also plans the city's annual Cambodian New Year celebration.
"Lynn has one of the largest Cambodian populations in the world and it's important that we as a city have a strong partnership with them," said Crighton.
The city council said he hopes to start what will become an ongoing discussion between local government and the Cambodian community.
"We had a good showing at Cambodian New Year, so we've asked people to come down and familiarize themselves with city services," he said. "The city has medical clinics and we might touch upon that, but this whole event is geared to city government and available services. We want to build their trust and make them more comfortable. As a city government, we're ready to head in that direction."
Crighton said many Lynn residents are unaware of Cambodia's history of genocide and the so-called killing fields that left millions dead only three decades ago.
In addition to information on city services, the event will be highlighted by performances of traditional Cambodian dance. Lynn Cam has volunteered to tape the event, which will allow those who are unable to attend to watch on live television or on reruns.
4 comments:
Our khmer people have had a long term affect in term of traumatic stressed disorder from Pol Pot regime or from this so-call the patriarchal social control groups and is very tired from trusting anyone at this stage. However, it is a good way to promote the system to let them know that if in any doubt, there are communities available for them and that they are not alone if they need any help. So, well done. Aust
As former Lynn resident I applause that ideas.
May the time getting together changes the old says "City Of Sin" into City of Grace.
I am glad to see Lynn taking this approach to embracing Cambodian people into the community. Cambodians are peace loving people that I think it will only enrich Lynn as a community of diversity. However, Cambodians must learn to get involved... we have been disenfranchising ourselves long enough. We must step in to input our thoughts and ideas to how we can better build this community together... not just for ourselves but for our children.
i think it was due to the reserve way of khmer people in general. it's not like we khmer are stupid or don't have any brain, it's just we went through so much in the past that we have to be reserved in our character before trusting anyone that way. however, i speculate that it will take a new generation of khmer people to change this perception, etc... i mean, there are reasons for everything people do, you know! what happened in cambodia didn't help that situation. but who to say that can't be reformed or changed in the near future. everything comes and goes, really!
historically in cambodia, most khmer people were reserved in both character and approach due partly to lack of service center or crisis center like we all taken for granted in the western society. so people learned to protect themselves by being reserved. for example, when i was growing up, my parents, especially my mother, was so protective of me to go outside during a big storm, etc because from her experience, she's heard or seen people got struck by lightening, so, her way to protect her children is to discipline us from going outside to play during a lightening or thunder storm, etc... so, in today's cambodia, things may be different because there are crisis center and services center, etc, to give assistance and guidance to people, so, they are less reserved, in a way, really!
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