KarunaNews Story

Modeled after its lively counterparts in Cambodia, the Cambodian night market in Fresno, California, launched in 2021, and immediately drew worldwide attention. There hadn’t been anything like it before in the United States. The night market is a way to connect with the past and share Cambodian culture into the future. “We’re the first generation who could think about more than surviving,” said Kim, a Fresno police sergeant whose family came to the US 36 years ago. The night market in Fresno is Kim’s brainchild, inspired by a visit to Cambodia that he took with his father. While most people remember the Cambodian genocide, Kim wanted people to see something else and the night market embodies Cambodian life and community. Kim hopes that the event, which is the first Friday of the month, will eventually become a weekly gathering and will grow to draw a diverse crowd. Meanwhile, it is offer healing and kinship to the Fresno Cambodian community.