At last Tuesday’s meeting (May 10, 2022), the City Council unanimously adopted a resolution that made April 17th Cambodian Genocide Day in Lowell. Here is the text that was adopted:
RESOLUTION
The City Council of the City of Lowell wishes to go on record to declare April 17th in the City of Lowell as Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day.
WHEREAS, the City of Lowell is home to the second-highest population of Cambodian Americans in the US; and
WHEREAS, April 17th marks both the anniversary of the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, seizing control of Cambodia and the beginning of the Cambodian Genocide, which led to the deaths of over 1,700,000 Cambodians; and
WHEREAS, the Cambodian Genocide was a human tragedy and must be remembered for the scale of violence and devastation perpetrated against the people of Cambodia so that it does not happen again, there or in any other country; and
WHEREAS, the genocide and other crimes against humanity did not succeed in destroying the Cambodian people or their culture, in fact the culture and heritage of the Cambodian people continues to this day through the accomplishments of Cambodians and their descendants; and
WHEREAS, the Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day will honor the survivors and their descendants for their courage and contributions to our community and country. This day will serve as a way to remember those who lost their lives in Cambodia and in genocides around the world.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LOWELL as follows:
That we, the members of the City Council of the City of Lowell be recorded to declare April 17th in the City of Lowell as Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day.
In 2017, the Cambodian community of Lowell, with the assent and support of city government, installed the Khmer Refugee Monument on the grounds of City Hall. Designed by Cambodian-born Lowell artist Yary Livan, the monument is 7 feet tall and is constructed of concrete dyed a reddish color. The front shows a mother carrying an infant and a small parcel with two young children huddled alongside of her as they walk towards the viewer. The background and framing are filled with Khmer images and symbols. The back of the monument contains this inscription:
This monument is dedicated to the two million Cambodian people who suffered and died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge Regime. We honor all survivors of this genocide whose resiliency led them to find a new beginning in Lowell, strengthening through tradition, perseverance and love.
Fifty feet from this monument is the Armenian Genocide Remembrance monument which is “In Memory of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide – 1915-1923.” Also called “A Mother’s Hands” monument, this bronze and granite sculpture depicts a pair of hands crocheting a cloth, set above a large cross. Created by Daniel Varoujan Hejinian, it was dedicated in May 2014.
The Armenian community of Lowell has long commemorated the Armenian Genocide on April 24 (or on the closest Saturday) with a flag raising at City Hall. On that date in 1915, the Ottoman government arrested and deported hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and leaders from Constantinople. Most were never seen again.
In the United States, Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed each year during the month of April or in early May. (The date marks the start of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in World War II and is based on the Hebrew calendar so the exact day of the observance varies from year to year). Lowell’s Jewish community was established in the 1890s when hundreds of Jewish immigrants from Poland and Russia settled here. Each year the city commemorates Holocaust Remembrance Day.
April also marks the start of the Rwandan Genocide in which more than 500,000 members of the Tutsi ethnic group were killed during the Rwandan Civil War which lasted from April 7, 1994, to July 15, 1994. Several years ago the Greater Lowell Interfaith Leadership Alliance held a commemoration ceremony but I’m not sure if such a ceremony is held each year. If it’s not, it should be.
Late last year, the Massachusetts State Legislature enacted a law that requires all students in middle and high school to learn about the Holocaust and other instances of genocide around the globe. Lowell State Representative Vanna Howard was instrumental in the passage of this law. Here’s the relevant part of that law:
Every school district shall, for the purpose of educating middle and high school students, provide instruction on the history of genocide as aligned to, but not limited to, the content standards articulated in the history and social science curriculum framework adopted by the board of elementary and secondary education; provided, however, that a school district may partner with a community-based organization, including municipal human rights commissions and other relevant community stakeholders, to implement genocide education programming for the purpose of educating middle and high school students on the history of genocide.
Instruction on genocide shall be taught consistent within the history and social science curriculum framework to: (i) promote the teaching of human rights issues in all public schools and school districts, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of genocide; (ii) address the history and patterns of genocide that demonstrate how national, ethnic, racial or religious hatred impacts nations and societies; and (iii) reject the targeting of a specific population and other forms of prejudice that can lead to violence and genocide.
Given the diversity of Lowell’s population and the unfortunate connections that so many of our residents have to victims of genocide, the city is well-suited to become a state and national leader in the field of genocide education and remembrance, not just for students but for everyone who lives here.
Dr. Patrick Mogan who played a major role in the creation of Lowell National Historic Park, repeatedly talked about the importance of the “city as a classroom” with almost infinite opportunities for lifelong learning.
Given the rise of hate groups in the United States and the increasing incidents of violence and harassment against various groups, this type of community education and recognition is more urgent than ever.
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With yesterday’s UMass Lowell graduation, Jacquie Moloney’s seven year tenure as Chancellor neared its end. A Tewksbury native with an undergraduate degree and a doctorate from UMass Lowell, Moloney has been affiliated with the school for nearly 40 years as a professor, a dean, and a Vice Chancellor before succeeding Marty Meehan as Chancellor in 2015.
As Chancellor, Moloney continued and expanded the physical improvements to the campus and its buildings and led a very successful fundraising campaign. Certainly, the national reputation of the school has soared under her leadership. Although she no longer will be Chancellor, she will continue to be involved in the school in several respects, including teaching classes.
To me, one of Chancellor Moloney’s greatest accomplishments was guiding UMass Lowell through the pandemic in a way that kept people safe while permitting meaningful education to be conducted. She may have been especially well suited to do that because of her background as Dean of Online and Continuing Education from 1994 to 2007. My memory is that Moloney was a pioneer in the field of online learning, both for the Lowell school and for the entire UMass system. What started as a helpful adjunct to regular classroom instruction became the key to functioning effectively during the pandemic.
Moloney will be succeeded as Chancellor by Julie Chen who has served as a UMass Lowell Vice Chancellor since 2016 and has been a faculty member since 1997. Chen holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from MIT and has been a national leader in the field of nanomanufacturing.
It is noteworthy that both institutions of higher learning in Lowell have selected their new leaders from within their own ranks with UMass Lowell elevating Vice Chancellor Chen to the Chancellorship and Middlesex Community College last year selecting its Provost, Phillip Sisson, to be the 5th President of the college.
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According to recent data from the New York Times, Covid cases in Middlesex County are up 55 percent over the past two weeks and Covid hospitalizations are up 37 percent. The same report states that Lowell General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit is at 81 percent capacity and has 14 Covid patients.
Based on the number of cases and hospitalizations, Middlesex County is at a HIGH level of Covid according to the Center for Disease Control. With a high community level, the CDC recommends that everyone wear a well-fitting mask in public indoor settings, including in K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. The CDC also recommends that people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe Covid illness should consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public.
I know of quite a few individuals who have been infected by Covid recently, so my anecdotal experience tends to corroborate the statistics. Some of those infected report mild symptoms but other have experienced profound illness with steady coughs, sore throats, intense headaches, and lingering exhaustion. And these are people who were vaccinated and boosted.
Everyone seems to have moved on. I’ve generally avoided crowded indoor spaces but this past week found myself in several. In one, I was the only person wearing a mask. In the other, fewer than 10 percent had masked up.
On Thursday, the Federal government reported that 1 million Americans have died of Covid.
It seems like most people have just decided to get on with life regardless of the health and safety consequences of Covid.
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Last Tuesday’s Council meeting was relatively benign. After several proclamations and group photos, Councilors reviewed 14 responses to previous motions including three dealing with stop signs, two with road maintenance, one each on trash pickup, monument maintenance, W4 forms, and animal control. There were only eight new motions, several of which requested cleanups for certain places in the city. Regarding that, City Manager Golden indicated that he hoped that going forward, such cleanups would be synchronized to the community calendar to alleviate the need for councilors to make such motions.
Thanks for your report. I enjoyed reading this update, Dick. Your point about honoring the diverse history of our community is well taken.
Like you, I avoid crowds and wear a mask at the few indoor gatherings I attend.
Jeannie Judge