Going into the new year the trend of people of color making historic wins nationwide continues. Just two months ago, Aftab Pureval was elected as Cincinnati’s first Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) mayor, his win was followed a month later by the election of Maine’s first Somali American mayor, Deqa Dhalac. Now, a new month brings us another first, Sokhary Chau as the first Cambodian American mayor in the United States. Chau made history Monday night as not only the first mayor of color in the town of Lowell, Massachusetts, but as the first Cambodian American mayor in the United States.
Chau, who formerly served as a city councilor in Lowell, was elected by a unanimous 11-0 vote by the Lowell City Council on Jan. 3. The city of more than 115,000 residents is 25% Asian, and houses the country’s second-largest Cambodian community.
Chau will serve as mayor for at least two years. His win is historic not only because of his identity as the first Cambodian American mayor but for his journey as a refugee.
During his victory speech, he recalled old memories of when he first came to America after surviving the Khmer Rouge’s brutal rule.
"God bless America, right? I was a refugee, now I’m the mayor of a major city in Massachusetts," he said, according to the Associated Press.
He also acknowledged other immigrants and their sacrifices.
"I don't know if that could happen anywhere else in the world. I'm still trying to absorb it. As a proud Cambodian American, I am standing on the shoulders of many immigrants who came before me to build this city," Chau added.
Chau fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia with his mother and six siblings in 1979. His family faced many obstacles including traveling the jungles of Thailand while attempting to reach refugee camps.
He shared that his mother who died last year managed to keep her seven children alive for four years through “landmines, jungles, hunger, sickness and uncertainty” in order to get them safely to the U.S.
"When I was nine years old, my family initially settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with the help of the Catholic Church. The extraordinary experience offered by the Church had promoted us to convert to Christianity," he told the AP.
During his speech, he not only recalled his family’s journey but memories of his father, who he said was a captain in the Cambodian army and executed by communists during the civil war.
Emotional and proud Chau noted the significance of his election to the wider Cambodian diaspora and called others to step up in their communities.
“We can no longer be just victims,” he said in his closing his inaugural remarks. “It is our time now to be leaders and to succeed.”
Loving all these “firsts” and cannot wait to see more! Comment below with a “first” you hope to see happen this new year!
Chau, who formerly served as a city councilor in Lowell, was elected by a unanimous 11-0 vote by the Lowell City Council on Jan. 3. The city of more than 115,000 residents is 25% Asian, and houses the country’s second-largest Cambodian community.
Chau will serve as mayor for at least two years. His win is historic not only because of his identity as the first Cambodian American mayor but for his journey as a refugee.
During his victory speech, he recalled old memories of when he first came to America after surviving the Khmer Rouge’s brutal rule.
"God bless America, right? I was a refugee, now I’m the mayor of a major city in Massachusetts," he said, according to the Associated Press.
He also acknowledged other immigrants and their sacrifices.
"I don't know if that could happen anywhere else in the world. I'm still trying to absorb it. As a proud Cambodian American, I am standing on the shoulders of many immigrants who came before me to build this city," Chau added.
Chau fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia with his mother and six siblings in 1979. His family faced many obstacles including traveling the jungles of Thailand while attempting to reach refugee camps.
He shared that his mother who died last year managed to keep her seven children alive for four years through “landmines, jungles, hunger, sickness and uncertainty” in order to get them safely to the U.S.
"When I was nine years old, my family initially settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with the help of the Catholic Church. The extraordinary experience offered by the Church had promoted us to convert to Christianity," he told the AP.
During his speech, he not only recalled his family’s journey but memories of his father, who he said was a captain in the Cambodian army and executed by communists during the civil war.
Emotional and proud Chau noted the significance of his election to the wider Cambodian diaspora and called others to step up in their communities.
“We can no longer be just victims,” he said in his closing his inaugural remarks. “It is our time now to be leaders and to succeed.”
Loving all these “firsts” and cannot wait to see more! Comment below with a “first” you hope to see happen this new year!