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| The health fair, held at the local St. Mary Medical Center in Longbeach, California. (Photo: by Cheang Sophinarath) |
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Cheang Sophinarath, VOA Khmer | Long Beach, California
“Many of us here live below the poverty line, so we don’t know how to live and eat healthily.”
The Khmer Parents Association in Long Beach, Calif., organized its 7th annual health fair for Cambodian-Americans over the weekend, providing health workshops, vaccinations and tips for better living.
“Cambodian-Americans are facing complex health issues resulting from the Khmer Rouge regime, which badly tortured us, and we never had or didn’t know how or where to find the doctors,” said Chan Hopson, executive director of the association. “Most of us don’t seek doctors if we have even minor illnesses and wait until it gets serious. And many Cambodian-Americans die at a very young age.”
The health fair, held at the local St. Mary Medical Center, provided free health screenings, flu and whooping cough vaccinations and discussions on heart disease, Hepatitis B, nutrition, exercise and dental care, provided by professional doctors in the Khmer language.
The fair was put on with help from St. Mary, the Californian Endowment, the American Cancer Society and other local organizations.
Long Beach resident Sron Vy said healthcare was a major issue for Cambodian-Americans.
“Many of us here live below the poverty line, so we don’t know how to live and eat healthily,” she said. “When we are unhealthy, everything else is unhealthy. If I am sick, my children will be sick as well. To be healthy is to be happy.”
3 comments:
generalized statement for the funding purpose
Totally agree.
Go to work and you will get above poverty line.
It is America and not Cambodia!
It's good to show case Khmer language in the public institution in America. Look at Vietnamese language; everywhere you go in the East coast, Mid West, or West coast their language is every where, but not Cambodia language.
Khmer in Long Beach including most of my friends tend not to move out of that area because they miss their family and friends. Especially, free music and Kuy Teav (Phnom Penh noodle). Even they can't find a job, they still want to live simple life.
Move out to the states that have job opportunity. Do not stick in one place. How many times do you visit your friends or relatives? May be twice a year even you live so closed. They're busy with their family as well.
Be healthy; Be happy.
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