[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 175 (Friday, October 9, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E942-E943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORY OF ROSANA CHANOU

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALAN S. LOWENTHAL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 2020

  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of Mrs. Rosana 
Chanou, a Cambodian American community leader and constituent in my 
47th Congressional District, who passed away on September 22, 2020 in 
Long Beach, California.
  Born in 1951 in the Kampong Cham Province of Cambodia, Mrs. Rosana 
Chanou spent her childhood in the capital, Phnom Penh. In 1972, she 
passed the Cambodian National Baccalaureate II Exam. Rosana dreamed 
about studying abroad in the United States with its world class 
education. Within a year, she successfully acquired a student visa, bid 
farewell to family and friends, and began a journey to pursue her 
ambition.
  Rosana arrived in the United States with just $200 in her pocket. She 
worked several minimum wage jobs to support herself while attending 
school and tirelessly practicing her English. In 1975, when the Khmer 
Rouge overtook Cambodia, she was granted asylum status to remain in 
America. Rosana attended Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland, and 
then obtained a scholarship to study at the American University in 
Washington D.C. In 1979, she received her BS in Computer Science, 
married her college sweetheart Pasin, and moved to California to join 
her family who were able to escape the Khmer Rouge.
  Rosana became a U.S. citizen in 1984. She went on to achieve a long 
and illustrious career as a software engineer. As an Asian-American 
woman in the early years of the computer industry, she overcame 
barriers such as racial and sexual discrimination with her programming 
talents and tenacious personality. Rosana began working for the Boeing 
Company in Long Beach in 1986 and retired in 2015 after three decades 
with the company.
  Rosana and Pasin Chanou are proud parents to three children: Diana, 
Ryan, and Ronald. They instilled in their children the values of hard 
work, education, and family. They encouraged their children to be 
progressive and forward-thinking while also remembering the wise 
lessons of tradition. All three of their children completed their 
college education at the University of California, began their 
successful careers, and started families of their own. Rosana loved 
playing with her grandchildren, showing them how to make 3D origami, 
blowing bubbles, and picking exotic fruits and flowers together around 
the vast garden that she maintained. She also loved to travel to places 
all around the world such as Australia, France, Canada, the Bahamas, 
Alaska, Hawaii, and numerous countries throughout Asia. She has 
traveled back to Cambodia several times to visit friends and family, 
showed her children where she grew up, gave back to her home country, 
and witnessed the amazing development it has gone through despite its 
tragic history.
  In addition to her personal success and achievements, Rosana Chanou 
was a community activist and leader. She volunteered for events such as 
the Special Summer Olympics, Long Beach Marathon, NCCJ Peace Walk, and 
LA Heart-Walk. She ardently championed Cambodian arts and culture by 
inviting Cambodian artists to perform at the Asian Pacific Heritage 
Month celebration. She generously donated to various Cambodian 
community organizations such as Cambodia Town, Inc., Cam-CC, and Khmer 
Arts Academy. In 2001, she co-founded the Cambodia Town Initiative Task 
Force (CTITF), whose mission was to officially designate a section of 
the Anaheim street corridor in Lon Beach as Cambodia Town, in honor of 
Cambodian Americans who transformed the neighborhood into a vibrant 
community. In 2005, CTITF was restructured as a nonprofit known as 
Cambodia Town, Inc. Rosana served as the First Vice-Chair of the 
organization. Both Rosana and Pasin were major donors to the Long Beach 
Mark Twain Neighborhood Library's ``Cambodia Town'' Community Room, and 
proud sponsors sofa Cambodia Town street sign.
  Rosana was multi-talented. She provided tremendous support to 
Cambodia Town, Inc. at all levels. She designed pamphlets and booklets, 
organized parades, and conducted signature drives. She used her love of 
cooking to build team spirit, hosting meetings in her

[[Page E943]]

kitchen while serving her signature Cambodia Town Noodles. She was an 
active member of community organizations such a Cam-CC, which organizes 
the annual Cambodian New Year Celebration, and the Long Beach-Phnom 
Penh Sister Cities, which promotes trades, cultures, education, and 
humanitarian services between Cambodia and the United States.
  Rosana Chanou was a remarkable woman, mother, grandmother, and 
community leader. She would always warm the hearts of those around her 
with her creative passion, caring demeanor and infectious energy. With 
her passing, it is a true loss to the Cambodian American community. On 
behalf of the people of the 47th Congressional District, I offer my 
deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of Rosana Chanou, her 
husband Pasin, and all of their children and grandchildren. May we 
continue to serve the community in honor of the memories and dedication 
of Rosana Chanou.

                          ____________________