America’s first Cambodian American mayor was sworn in on Monday, The Lowell Sun reports.
Sokhary Chau, a city councilor, became the first mayor of color in Lowell, Massachusetts on Monday. Chau is also the first Cambodian American mayor in American history.
The city council selected Chau as the next mayor in a unanimous 11-0 vote.
Chau fled the Khmer regime in Cambodia with his mother and his six siblings in 1979. The family eventually arrived in Lowell, Massachusetts. They moved to Acre shortly after.
Chau won a scholarship to attend Phillips Academy in Andover. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics at Macalester College. He worked for a mortgage lending company for several years.
In 2017, Chau ran for a seat on the city council. He was eventually elected in 2019. Now, as mayor, Chau hopes to inspire other Cambodian Americans to lead.
“We cannot change our past or take back the sorrows from where we came,” Chau said, according to The Lowell Sun. “But together, we can fashion a brighter future. We cannot change the world. But collectively, we can make historic changes in Lowell. To the Cambodian diaspora around the world, we can no longer be just victims. It is our time to now to be leaders and to succeed.”
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story, or making a contribution.
