In 1979, Sokhary Chau was a child following his mother and six siblings through a jungle as they fled the repressive regime of the Khmer Rouge for a refugee camp in Thailand. On Monday, Chau was elected as the first Cambodian American mayor in the United States, taking the oath of office in the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.
Lowell City Councilor Chau also took his place as the city’s first mayor of color, unanimously elected by his 10 colleagues on the council, a message that he said holds meaning to the city’s largely immigrant population.
“They sent a message to the rest of the community here, too. You know, you work hard, you try to bring people together to unite everyone and work for a common goal, which is really to enhance the quality of life in the city for everyone,” he told GBH News in a Zoom interview. “We have millions of Cambodian diaspora around the world. We love our country and we try to achieve a level of success and establish roots and history wherever we are, wherever we decide to make a home.”
Chau, 49, and his family suffered immensely to access the American Dream. His father, a captain in the Cambodian Army, was killed by Khmer Rouge in 1975 as the country was embroiled in a years-long civil war. His mother, Hem Hay, kept the children alive through what he described as “hunger and illness” for four years until they found the opportunity to escape, traveling by night and avoiding landmines. In 1981 they arrived in Pennsylvania as refugees sponsored by the Catholic Church, and lived in a convent for a couple of years.
Chau said that’s when he discovered his Christian faith, which he brought with him when the family moved to Lowell’s Acre community in the mid-1980s. The Acre neighborhood has been home to generations of immigrants from Ireland, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia for 170 years.
“When you first come as an immigrant and you didn't have anything, you probably would end up in this neighborhood called Acre. It's a great history for the city, and you have it as a starting point for many immigrants,” he said.
While his older siblings went to work, Chau attended the Bartlett School and won a scholarship to attend Phillips Academy in Andover. He studied political science and economics at Macalester College in Minnesota before returning home to Lowell. The position of mayor in Lowell is considered part-time, so Chau will continue to work as an employee at the state’s Social Security Administration.
Lowell has a strong city manager form of government and does not directly elect a mayor, but does expect the mayor to chair the city council and the school committee.
Chau served a two-year term as City Councilor after his 2019 election.
Chau’s immigrant backstory reverberates throughout Lowell, which has the nation’s second-largest Cambodian community outside of Long Beach, Calif. The city’s population is nearly 25% Asian, and Lowell is also home to many Latin American immigrants.
He recognized the significance of his position in his inaugural address. “We cannot change our past or take back the sorrows from where we came,” Chau said. “But together, we can fashion a brighter future. We cannot change the world. But collectively, we can make historic change 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.”
Chau’s biggest competitor in the mayoral race was Councilor Vesna Nuon, another Cambodian refugee. Nuon withdrew his bid at the end of December to unify the council, according to the Lowell Sun.
Chau wants to see more diversity in city government and increase access to city services among immigrants.
“It’s important we get immigrant families involved, you know, make them feel comfortable seeking resources and resource from city, whether it's at City Hall or the school department or what have you. I think it's important to provide that equal access to everyone,” he said.
For policy issues, Chau says he wants to help alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 on the city’s population by alleviating stress on small businesses and improving health information access, and mentioned decreasing homelessness and finding affordable housing.
”Housing supply is a huge issue,” Chau said, adding that even if a couple has three jobs combined, they can’t afford a good, safe living arrangement. Finding solutions for the working-class population, he said, is a priority.
At the swearing-in, Chau was joined by wife Somong Rattanayong, and his two sons, ages 15 and 17. Chau's inauguration earned the praise of U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia W. Patrick Murphy, who tweeted, "Inspiring! @SokharyChau has become the 1st Cambodian American mayor of a U.S. city: the great @CityofLowell, a long-standing haven for generations of hardworking refugees like Sokhary. They hosted me in 2020; I was amazined by their shared sucess stories. Congrats Mr. Mayor!"
Chau’s election comes following a settlement between the city and a coalition of Asian American and Latino voters who alleged the city’s former municipal election system illegally weakened the voting rights of communities of color. The plaintiffs, represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights and Ropes & Gray, won a change to the election process that started with the 2021 election.
WATCH: Mayor Sokhary Chau on Greater Boston
