Rep. Lofgren Statement on H.Res. 228, Honoring the Contributions of Vietnamese Americans to American
May 3, 2005
Media Contact: Heather Wong, 202.225.3072
— Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-San Jose) today submitted the following statement to the House record in support of H. Res. 226, marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Republic of Vietnam and honors the contributions of Vietnamese-Americans to American society over the past three decades. Rep Lofgren is an original co-sponsor of the resolution:
“Mr. Speaker, I rise as a coauthor in strong support of H.Res. 228, a resolution that marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Republic of Vietnam and that honors the contributions of Vietnamese-Americans to American society over the past three decades.
“April 30, 1975 marked a very somber day for millions of people when the Republic of Vietnam fell to Communist forces from North Vietnam. Instantly, the world was faced with millions of refugees, many who resettled in the United States, but also hundreds of thousands who perished at sea in their attempt to escape Communist forces. Those who remained in Vietnam were forced to re-education camps and detention as their punishment.
“Unfortunately, to this day, the Vietnamese Communist government continues to violate basic human rights of its own citizens. As it has been documented by various State Department reports, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Amnesty International and various Vietnamese-American groups, the Vietnamese government has been an egregious violator of religious freedom, human rights, and free speech. The government in Vietnam has continuously imprisoned religious figures who simply want to practice their faith, journalists attempting to print basic information about the actions of their government, and democratic activists in Vietnam. Vietnamese-Americans are playing a vital role to ensure that the Vietnamese government improves its human rights record, but much work remains to be done.
“Even though April 30th, 2005 marks the 30th anniversary of a very sad day for millions of Vietnamese and American families whose sons and daughters gave the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War, it is also a day to enthusiastically commend countless contributions that millions of Vietnamese-Americans have made in the United States. In just 30 years, 1.5 million Vietnamese refugees rebuilt their lives to become leaders in education, business, and government in the United States and have greatly enriched the cultural diversity of our country.
“So today I rise to remember the sacrifice of American and Vietnamese soldiers who fought for democracy in Vietnam and for their families who suffered their loss and injury. But I also rise to commend millions of courageous Vietnamese-Americans who have successfully rebuilt their lives in the United States while fighting to improve the human rights situation for their brothers and sisters left in Vietnam.”
— Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-San Jose) today submitted the following statement to the House record in support of H. Res. 226, marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Republic of Vietnam and honors the contributions of Vietnamese-Americans to American society over the past three decades. Rep Lofgren is an original co-sponsor of the resolution:
“Mr. Speaker, I rise as a coauthor in strong support of H.Res. 228, a resolution that marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Republic of Vietnam and that honors the contributions of Vietnamese-Americans to American society over the past three decades.
“April 30, 1975 marked a very somber day for millions of people when the Republic of Vietnam fell to Communist forces from North Vietnam. Instantly, the world was faced with millions of refugees, many who resettled in the United States, but also hundreds of thousands who perished at sea in their attempt to escape Communist forces. Those who remained in Vietnam were forced to re-education camps and detention as their punishment.
“Unfortunately, to this day, the Vietnamese Communist government continues to violate basic human rights of its own citizens. As it has been documented by various State Department reports, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Amnesty International and various Vietnamese-American groups, the Vietnamese government has been an egregious violator of religious freedom, human rights, and free speech. The government in Vietnam has continuously imprisoned religious figures who simply want to practice their faith, journalists attempting to print basic information about the actions of their government, and democratic activists in Vietnam. Vietnamese-Americans are playing a vital role to ensure that the Vietnamese government improves its human rights record, but much work remains to be done.
“Even though April 30th, 2005 marks the 30th anniversary of a very sad day for millions of Vietnamese and American families whose sons and daughters gave the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War, it is also a day to enthusiastically commend countless contributions that millions of Vietnamese-Americans have made in the United States. In just 30 years, 1.5 million Vietnamese refugees rebuilt their lives to become leaders in education, business, and government in the United States and have greatly enriched the cultural diversity of our country.
“So today I rise to remember the sacrifice of American and Vietnamese soldiers who fought for democracy in Vietnam and for their families who suffered their loss and injury. But I also rise to commend millions of courageous Vietnamese-Americans who have successfully rebuilt their lives in the United States while fighting to improve the human rights situation for their brothers and sisters left in Vietnam.”
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