During the 1960s, Cal State Long Beach hosted more than 100 Cambodian exchange students who participated in a USAID program to learn industrial skills. Among them was San Ramjek who came to CSU Long Beach as a student in 1962. According to him the first Cambodian Student Association, now known as CSS, was organized at Long Beach State in 1959. He was its president in 1962. A number of these former exchange students formed the Cambodian Association of Southern California (C.A.S.C.) in response to the demands of the first wave of refugees fleeing the Khmer Rouge atrocities. C.A.S.C. is the oldest Cambodian mutual aid association in the United States. In December 1975 it was incorporated as a non-profit organization and renamed the Cambodian Association of America (C.A.A.) (Teri Yamada)

The Cambodian Student Society (CSS) of California State University of Long Beach (CSULB) was originally established in 1984 by a group of Cambodian students. The formation of the organization has two main purposes:

1. To share the Cambodian culture and customs among the Associated Student Body and to also promote academic goals, and achievements among fellow Cambodians.

2. To provide the student opportunities for association and interaction with the faculty and administration of CSULB and members of the community.

Within its history, CSS has been very successful in providing services to fellow students and the community as a whole. CSS has assisted many Cambodian students and parents to become familiarized with the University campus and system through SOAR orientation. During the Cambodian New Year every April, CSS made great efforts and proudly put together cultural shows for the community in order to promote friendship, understanding and awareness of the Khmer culture today.

Every year, we at CSS want to improve the organization to better serve the Cambodian community by recruiting more participants and outreaching closer to the community through social, cultural and educational goals. CSS would like to encourage interested students, staff and faculty at CSULB to be involved with the organization as members. The organization is free to choose and accept new members without regard to sex, race, religion, national origin, disability or sexual preference. Please come join us and support CSS!


From all of us at CSS, we will continue to look forward in providing opportunities for Cambodian students and to serve our community. Thank you.