To improve the quality of life in our community by providing linguistically and culturally appropriate social services to the Southeast Asian population in Greater Long Beach.
Cambodian Association of America is one of the oldest organization in the United State. It helps Southeast Asian community, especially the Cambodian community, improving their standard of living, finding jobs, and tightening family's tie.
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 was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in December 1975.
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.
During the past 25 years, CAA services have gradually expanded through the generous donations of our funders and the hard work of our staff. CAA currently has an operational budget of close to $2 million with over fifteen distinct programs. CAA currently employs forty staff members who provide services to over 3,000 Southeast Asians each year.
Our pledge to our funders and our community is that CAA will continue to provide the highest quality of linguistically and culturally appropriate services to our target populations.