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Located at the Historical Society of Long Beach, the CamCHAP Archive has over 2000 photographs, and nearly 1400 English and Khmer newspapers, documents, unpublished manuscripts and reports from researchers, community members, and Cambodian-led and Cambodian-serving organizations.  Community members, scholars, and students have access to these materials on an appointment basis.  Visit the HSLB website for details: www.hslb.org

Photographs


  • Cambodian community, 1960 to present. The bulk of the collection includes some 2000 photographs of community events, political engagement and movements, Buddhist and Christian institutions, sports, theater and musical performances, beauty pageants, businesses, visiting dignitaries and celebrities, local education, and day to day life throughout the community. These photographs include those donated by community members and taken by Needham and Quintiliani over the last 20 years.
  • Cambodian evacuees in Camp Pendleton, 1975. Includes photographs from Camp Pendleton official reports as well as over 70 slides donated by Mr. David Viradet Kreng.
  • Aranyaprathet, Thailand refugee camp. About 80 photographs, also donated by Mr. Kreng, record activities in the Aranyaprathet refugee camp in Thailand in 1975.
  • Pre-1970 Cambodia. Includes about sixty photographs of pre-1970 Cambodia. Photographs from this period are extremely rare. Unlike other communist groups of the time that attempted to re-educate many of their country’s elite, the Khmer Rouge found it expedient to simply kill all educated persons. Anyone caught with evidence of an education, such as glasses, books, or other documents was executed. Most people destroyed all their documents including photographs. A few people however, were willing to risk their lives to keep their photographs, hiding them in the hem of a skirt or a baby’s diaper. These images are particularly poignant as they are evidence of the importance of photographs to people in such horrific circumstances.

Documents


  • Documents and reports associated with “Operation New Arrivals,” Camp Pendleton, 1975. These are the official records associated with the evacuation of Cambodians in May, 1975. It includes the Chronological Files, newspaper articles, de-classified military orders, and the final report.
  • Community-related documents dating back to 1975. The bulk of the collection includes some 550 documents and reports from 40 Cambodian-led and Cambodian-serving organizations related to Cambodian arts, demographics, events, religious institutions, businesses, and recreational activities. We also have early curriculum and educational materials developed by the Long Beach Unified School District specifically to meet the needs of this new population.
  • Khmer language newspapers dating back to 1980. Long Beach Cambodians have been publishing Khmer language newsletters and newspapers since first arriving in the United States. CamCHAP has a random sample.
  • English language newspaper articles dating back to 1957. These articles come from local, regional, national, and international newspapers and newsletters. Topics cover Cambodians and Southeast Asians throughout the United States, but primarily Cambodians in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas.