Cambodians did not appear out of nowhere in Long Beach, California. Long before Long Beach, California became the epicenter of a very large Cambodian population, Cambodians emigrated from Cambodia, an Asian country neighboring Thailand and Vietnam. In the early 1960s, Cambodians began arriving in various cities in California, Long Beach in particular witnessed a large influx of Cambodians into the Southern California region. A year later, President John F. Kennedy created the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which was the first aid organization created for a foreign country (Impact of US Refugee Policies on US Foreign Policy /Carnegie Endowment for International Peace). The USAID program sponsored Cambodian students at several universities located throughout the United States, helping these individuals train in various industrial arts and agricultural practices. In fact, Long Beach State University hosted four Cambodian students majoring in the industrial arts program. Since the initial arrival of Cambodians in Long Beach, the Cambodian population has grown exponentially, allowing these Cambodian migrants to establish a new home. In 1975, Cambodia was taken over by a harsh dictator, the Khmer Rouge, also known as “Pol Pot” to Americans, who was a radical communist regime (Khmer Rouge History/Cambodia Tribunal Monitor). The Khmer Rouge were a lot like Hitler, enslaving the people of their country to tedious tasks. Once again, another large flow of Cambodians left Cambodia. The Be 2Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in December 1978, causing nearly 130,000 additional Cambodians to migrate to California, attracting attention...... middle of paper ...... experienced a so successful that it has become something of a tradition to open Cambodian stores, exemplified by several very successful stores not only in Long Beach but also in other cities. Cambodians have made an impact in other places as well, as evidenced by the success of Restraint Home Kitchens. Being Cambodian and knowing the religion, I can explain all the statements. My mother and other members of my family were among the thousands of refugees who emigrated to America during the invasion of the Khmer Rouge and Vietnam. My families shared their traumatic stories with me so that I could relate to the research I did.Be 6To conclude, Cambodians have a significant cultural impact on the city of Long Beach, California and will truly play a role in the evolution of Long Beach. society for years to come, not only increasing its population, but also improving the city of Cambodia.