Cambodian Community History and Archive Project
| Cambodian Community History and Archive Project | |
|---|---|
| Common name | CamCHAP |
| Type | Community association |
| Focus areas | community archive; oral history; cultural preservation; digital ethnography; community research; education |
| Subjects | Migration & Diaspora; History & Remembrance; Community & Civic Life |
| City | Long Beach |
| State / province | California |
| Country | United States |
| Address | Historical Society of Long Beach, 4260 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807 |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Website | Website |
| Phone | (562) 424-2220 |
| Operating status | active |
Cambodian Community History and Archive Project (CamCHAP) is a community-university partnership that documents and preserves the history of the Cambodian community in Long Beach, California, home to the largest Cambodian population outside Southeast Asia. Founded in 2008, CamCHAP is a collaboration between California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), California State University Long Beach (CSULB), and the Historical Society of Long Beach (HSLB), where the physical archive is housed. (Source)
Overview
CamCHAP maintains a multilingual (English and Khmer) digital ethnography website and a physical archive of over 2,000 photographs, nearly 1,700 English and Khmer newspapers, documents, unpublished manuscripts, and reports from researchers, community members, and Cambodian-led and Cambodian-serving organizations. The archive is open to the public by appointment at the Historical Society of Long Beach, 4260 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach. (Source)
The co-founders, Dr. Susan Needham (CSUDH) and Dr. Karen Quintiliani (CSULB), have conducted ethnographic and linguistic research in the Long Beach Cambodian community since 1988. They began collaborating on a community history in 2002 and formally established CamCHAP in 2008 in conjunction with Julie Bartolotto, Executive Director of HSLB. (Source)
Programs and services
- Physical archive of 2,000+ photographs, ~1,700 newspapers and documents, open by appointment at HSLB
- Multilingual digital ethnography website (camchap.org) presenting narratives, photographs, and short video documentaries
- Cambodian American 1.5 Generation Oral History Project — 15 oral history interviews housed at CamCHAP
- Community-based research and learning center for students, scholars, and community members
Leadership
- Co-founders and co-directors
- Dr. Susan Needham — CSUDH, linguistic anthropologist. Also founded the Cambodian Culture Festival, held annually in conjunction with the Long Beach Cambodian New Year Parade. (Source)
- Dr. Karen Quintiliani — CSULB, applied cultural anthropologist. (Source)
- Institutional partners
- California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH)
- California State University Long Beach (CSULB)
- Historical Society of Long Beach (HSLB) — physical archive host
- Administration
- Julie Bartolotto — HSLB Executive Director
Funding
The project has been made possible, in part, by grants from the Long Beach Community Foundation strategic grant-making program. The 1.5 Generation Oral History Project was funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) as part of the Asian Pacific Islander Underserved Cultural Communities (API UsCC) capacity building projects.
Explore the archive and follow updates
The physical collection is described in The CamCHAP Archive. The project documentation identifies the Historical Society of Long Beach as its host and provides access by appointment. (CSUDH, Cambodian Community History and Archive Project)
- Explore CamCHAP's digital material.
- Visit the project's Facebook page. (Cambodian Community History & Archive Project (CamCHAP.org), Facebook Pages listing (supplied capture))