March 20, 2023

Mayor Sheng Thao's visit at CERI

For our Cambodian community, having a Southeast Asian Mayor in Oakland is a dream come true. So, when Mayor Sheng Thao responded to a message from Sophal, CERI's interpreter and outreach specialist sent to her at 10:30 at night and graciously accepted our invitation to our agency, our community members began planning and preparing themselves for her visit right away.

When she came into the space that was filled with balloons, candles, flowers, and Southeast Asian food and desserts prepared by the CERI community, it was as if the daughter of one of our survivors had stepped into our space. She greeted 80+ community members as young as 10 and as old as 90 one by one, holding her hands together and bowing to them followed by a hug. When she spoke, at times with tears in her eyes, other times with the determination of a woman warrior, it became clear that refugee communities in Oakland have an ally.

Click on the video above to watch the interactions of community members with Mayor Sheng Thao.

We look forward to working with Mayor Sheng Thao to further the growth and healing of our underserved refugee and immigrant communities