Khmer Maine Annual Christmas Celebration Highlights

By Dhananji Rathnayake

Khmer Maine’s annual Christmas celebration took place on December 16 in Portland. More than 80 people attended, including community leaders and members of nonprofit organizations.

Executive director Marpheen Chann sought to build unity, resilience, and a sense of hope that better times will come. “We are stronger together,” he told the gathering. “Even in dark times filled with anger and fear … we celebrate each other.”

The event was held in a historic house decorated with festive Christmas decorations and featured food catered by M Platter Paradise and traditional Cambodian dance. Former Speaker of the Maine House and gubernatorial candidate Hannah Pingree, who was in attendance, said she felt uplifted by the community celebration.

“This is such a joyous event,” Pingree said. “I love seeing immigrant community leaders from different organizations come together. People have a lot of hope and excitement about what’s happening.”

Steve Bugden gave each person in attendance a book honoring his late Cambodian wife Anchina Vickery, who passed away in 2022. The book recounts her life story, as well as Bugden and Vickery’s life together. He said the gift was given as a symbol of love, remembrance, and cultural exchange.

Evan Murray, Community Engagement Director at Maine Equal Justice, expressed his appreciation of the celebration, and of the Khmer Maine organization. “It was a really lovely chance to see not only Khmer Maine, but also their friends, supporters, and allied organizations,” he said. Murray highlighted Khmer Maine’s strength in identifying needs experienced by immigrants, unfilled programmatic gaps, and then creating new programs to fill those needs.

Sosanya Pok, Khmer Maine Board President, reflected on the significance of the event, noting that it marked the organization’s first holiday celebration of this kind. “It’s good to see how far we’ve come,” Pok said. “A few years ago, this wasn’t something we were doing. This gathering is a heartwarming way to end the year and reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going.”

State Representative Deqa Dhalac (D-South Portland) echoed her appreciation for the event. “I see people from different cultures, religions, and backgrounds,” she said. “This is what the community looks like, and I’m so happy to be part of this amazing immigrant community in Maine.”

Mahir Hasanov, a board member of the Azerbaijan Society of Maine, highlighted the strong feeling of cross-cultural solidarity at the celebration. “We are so grateful and happy to be here celebrating with our Cambodian friends,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see so many communities together coming out to support our Cambodian brothers and sisters. This is what I love about our community. We come together, celebrate every holiday, share great food, and learn about each other’s cultures.”

Khmer Maine has expanded its mission to support Southeast Asian communities that currently lack strong leadership and organizational structures. The organization focuses on arts and culture, food and farm programs for elders and youth, and initiatives such as the Salted Green Crab project, which is exploring the market for green crabs in Maine’s Southeast Asian community.

Reflecting on the evening, Mapheen emphasized that the celebration was not only about the past and present, but also about the future.

“Celebrating each other is essential,” Mapheen noted. “Especially during challenging times. That’s how we keep hope alive.”