Cao Commemorates “Vietnamese
Refugees Day”
Washington, D.C. – Today,
Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao’s
(LA-02) first piece
of legislation, H.Res. 342,
designating May 2, 2009 as
“Vietnamese Refugees
Day,” was passed unanimously by
the U.S. House of
Representatives.
“The resolution commemorates the
arrival of Vietnamese refugees
in the
United States, documents their
harrowing experiences and
subsequent
achievements in their new
homeland, and honors the host
countries and other
voluntary agencies that welcomed
the
boat people and
facilitated their
resettlement into mainstream
society in the United States,”
declared Cao.
On May 2, 2009, designated as
“Vietnamese Refugees Day,” the
Library of
Congress’ Asian Division will
join many Vietnamese-American
organizations
across the United States in
sponsoring a symposium entitled:
“Journey to
Freedom: A Boat People
Retrospective.”
“Like me, many of the conflict’s
refugees came to the United
States. In
fact, it was April 28, 1974,
exactly 34 years ago today,
that, as Saigon
fell, I climbed aboard a C-130
destined for the United States
and my new
life,” said Cao in support of
the resolution.
Cao added that, since the
Vietnam War ended,
approximately 2,000,000
Vietnamese boat people and other
refugees are dispersed globally.
As of
2006, 72 percent of those
Vietnamese-American in the
United States are
naturalized
United States citizens —
the highest rate among Asian
groups.
Vietnamese-American s
significantly contribute to the
cultural and economic
prosperity of the United States
as artists, scientists,
astronauts,
restaurateurs, Olympians,
professors and lawyers. H.Res.
342 designates May
2, 2009 as “Vietnamese Refugees
Day” in honor of
Vietnamese-American s’
journey to freedom.
“By doing so, we enshrine in the
hearts and consciousness of
Americans the
tragic, heroic and uplifting
stories of perseverance and the
pursuit of
freedom of millions of
Vietnamese refugees to ensure
these stories will
stand as an inspiration to
generations of Americans to
come,” affirmed Cao.
The bill had 67 co-sponsors.
Cao’s statement from the House
floor can be viewed here:
http://clips.shadowtv.net/media/stv/3343/8/2009/118/13/3343_8_20090428_130414_820.wmv
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--
Bert Nguyen
J.D. Candidate, Class of 2010
University of California,
Hastings College of the Law