The Cambodian Association of America (CAA) was formed in 1958 as the "Cambodian Students Association of America" by Cambodian students sent to study in the United States. Some of these students stayed in the U.S. and along with newly arriving refugees from Cambodia, changed the name of the organization to the Cambodian Association of America. CAA has been instrumental in establishing the Cambodian community in Long Beach and promoting small businesses along the Anaheim and Atlantic corridors, an area known to many as “Cambodia Town.”
The mission of the early founders was to assist Cambodian refugees in Southern California in acculturating to life in America, while preserving the Cambodian culture, customs, and values. During its first years, CAA operated on the resources of its members out of a garage with little assistance from outside funding sources. Even so they were successful in providing translation, transportation, and acculturation classes to newly arriving refugees; in advocating for the rights of Southeast Asians on a local and national level; in assisting over twenty Cambodian associations in establishing throughout the U.S.; and in participating in a national cluster project relocating newly arriving refugees throughout the U.S. Currently, CAA operates about fourteen programs funded by federal, state, county, city and private foundations. Since 2000, CAA has expanded services to serve non-Asian groups, including Hispanics, African Americans, and Caucasians. Each year over 1,500 people receive direct services from CAA. Our outreach education programs reach over 3,000 people per year. Funders include:
US Dept. of Health & Human Services
LA County Dept. of Children and Family Services
LA County Dept. of Community and and Senior Services
LA County Dept. of Health Services-Substances Abuse Prevention and Control
LA County Dept. Mental Health
LA County Dept. of Public and Social Services
Verizon Foundation
Special service for Groups
Asian American Advance Justice
