Organization

National Cambodian American Organization


The National Cambodian American Organization (NCAO) is a national advocacy organization founded in 2010 and now based in Vancouver, Washington.[1] Cambodian American community members from across the United States founded it to advance Khmer identity and to speak for Khmer interests.[1][2] It is a member of the Cambodian American Community Council of Washington (CACCWA).[1]

History

The organization historically operated as the Cambodian Association of Illinois, with a Chicago address at 2831 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625, and the Cambodian American Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial. Its website features the National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial in Chicago.[3] Its Washington office is in Vancouver.[1]

NCAO has held national conferences on both the East Coast and the West Coast. They have taken up community concerns and recognized the achievements of individual members.[1] Its 2019 conference, "Bridging Cambodian American Generations," took place on July 13, 2019, at Gaiser Hall at Clark College in Vancouver.[4] Its goals were to share practices and resources among Cambodian American communities, to build outreach and networks, to grow leaders across generations and to agree on joint community resolutions.[4] The program included a panel, "A Dialogue on Civic Engagement & Deportation," and a workshop by the Khmer Student Association at the University of Washington.[3]

At the 2020 Cambodian New Year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, NCAO's board issued a message to the community. It thanked health care workers, public health staff, community and faith-based groups and volunteers. It noted that Cambodian Americans were facing hardship, that elders were most at risk, and that many feared stigma and racist acts tied to talk about the virus's origin. The message urged Cambodian Americans to work together with community, faith, health and education organizations, and it shared resources from government and other groups.[5]

Leadership (2019)

NCAO has a Board of Directors and an Advisory Board.[3] Officers named at the 2019 conference:[3]

  • Dr. Connie Mom-Chhing, president (formerly vice president)
  • Yorn Yan, secretary (formerly president)

Dr. Connie Mom-Chhing also gave the opening remarks at a community dinner reception for U.S. Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Cambodian American Community Council of Washington, Member organizations
  2. ↑ Cambodian American Community Council of Washington, Community partners (2024)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 National Cambodian American Organization, home page
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 National Cambodian American Organization, 2019 conference
  5. ↑ National Cambodian American Organization, home page (secure address)
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This page was last edited on 27 September 2026, at 07:20.