To underscore the indelible link between ethnicity, identity, and the foods we eat, the park hosted a bus tour earlier this month to two small, long-standing shops that cater to Lowell’s diverse melange of cultures.
“There is a long, long tradition of ethnic markets in Lowell and across the US,’’ said David Blackburn, chief of cultural resources at the park, who served as guide for the roughly hour-and-a-half trip. “They keep communities connected to the food and traditions of their homeland.’’
For Cambodians and Southeast Asians, that includes a medley of bitter and sweet, salty and spicy, diverse greens and meat delicacies, as evidenced by the first stop on the tour: Pailin Asian Supermarket on Branch Street in Lowell’s Highlands neighborhood.
In the 1980s, the city became popular as a relocation point for Cambodian refugees fleeing civil wars, Blackburn explained; as a result, it has the second largest Cambodian population in the United States, behind Long Beach, Calif.
And the Highlands neighborhood, in particular, is “becoming increasingly known as Cambodia-town,’’ Blackburn, wearing the customary ranger’s uniform and hat, told the group of more than 30 seated two-by-two on the bus.
Overall, the city’s Southeast Asian community is getting more and more robust, with notable growth also among Laotians and Burmese.
In serving that wide population, Pailin’s has morphed from a simple market into a much larger enterprise encompassing a restaurant, function hall, and music, clothing, and jewelry stores.
Crimson entrance signs in both English and Khmer (the language of Cambodia) welcome shoppers to the red-brick building, while a red-tiled, pagoda roof offers a hint at Asian architecture. Nearby sits a recently renovated mill, the site of a former mohair factory - contrasting Lowell’s rich industrial past with the ever-changing city of today.
Just inside the market, a “happy Buddha’’ statue situated on a pedestal low to the ground greets all who come inside.
