Advancing and connecting Khmer civics & dialogue.
Spean Rajana is an arts and civics organization grounded in Khmer culture.
About Spean Rajana
Vision
Our vision is to be a platform and network in connecting folks through civics, dialogue, arts and policy. We believe that every person’s voice is a catalyst for greater change.
Mission
To educate, elevate, and establish conversations through programs and partnerships.
Our culture and tradition is one that connects the people with the land, ancestry and heritage. We want to make sure that our traditional understanding of our background continues and that the community has the opportunity to be part of a deeper re-connection through our Spean Rajana to Cambodia program.
In doing so, we hope that people who are part of our journey will understand the importance of immersive sustainability, and that they will therefore be uplifted and supported towards a deeper engagement in Seattle and the region.
Our History
In 2003, an organization called “Rajana Society” was founded by a group of motivated Khmer (Cambodian) students at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 2013/2014 Rajana Society was resurrected under the leadership of Sameth Mell, Baron You, Nissana Nov and Phatry Derek Pan. The work of the resurrected organization focused on broader issues connecting through multi-cultural unity, ethnic based programming around arts & civics as a platform to re-imagine and contribute to a growing Khmer diaspora and the broader community.
“Rajana” means artistically creative in Khmer. Because of the newfound vision, Rajana Society is rebranded into SPEAN RAJANA. “Spean” means bridge. Spean Rajana is “bridge to artistic creations”. Spean Rajana’s vision is to be a platform and network in connecting folks through civics, dialogue, arts and policy. We believe that every person’s voice is a catalyst for greater change.
By providing a platform for sharing, learning best practices and celebrating Khmer heritage and contemporary arts, culture and civics, the organization hopes to promote dialogue and collaboration between Khmer/Non-Khmer artists, creatives and communities.
What we do
Here are a few things that we have worked on:
- Voter Education & Registration
- Cultural programming
- National landmark preservation work
- Intersections arts at King Street Station
- Spean Cambodia, (Annual Travel Delegation to Cambodia since 2015)
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- Ministry of fine arts and culture
- US Ambassador to Cambodia, US Embassy
- Apsara Authority
- Phare Ponleu Selapak
- Tiny Toones
- Khmerican
- Small World Small Band
- And many more +
- Arts and activism
- Advocacy,
- Digital Equity
- Housing outreach
- Mental health for youth of color at UW
- Leadership building
- Film Screenings
- Cambodian American Center for Cultural Preservation
- Ethnic media
- Vintage music collections
- Anti-hate and Bias
- Covid-19 Vaccination registration efforts
- Census
- Model Minority Myth workshops
- Supporting www.stopthehate.community hate and bias incident reporting
- Convening and Hosting Southeast Asian listening sessions with Presidential Candidate Elizabeth Warren’s Campaign
- Sign on letters to housing and immigration and racial justice letters
