84R14828 KSM-F
By: Vo H.R. No. 1560
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, When the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon in
1975, a large number of Vietnamese refugees, including former
military personnel, government officials, and those who had worked
with the United States during the war, immigrated to surrounding
areas and to America; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the late 1970s to the mid-1980s,
thousands of Vietnamese risked their lives by fleeing Vietnam
aboard small wooden boats; approximately half of these emigrants
perished at sea, but others reached refugee camps in Thailand,
Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Hong Kong; and
WHEREAS, Many Vietnamese who came to the United States chose
to settle in the metropolitan areas and coastal regions of Texas;
these first-generation Vietnamese Americans worked hard and
flourished here, and now the state is home to the second largest
Vietnamese population in the United States, with more than 200,000
residents, nearly half of those living in the
Houston-Sugarland-Baytown area; and
WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans have fully embraced all of the
democratic principles that the United States offers, including
human rights, religious freedom, freedom of speech, and protection
against threats of aggression; and
WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans have denied the authority of
the Vietnamese Communist Flag and pushed for governments to
officially recognize the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag,
which symbolizes both the Vietnamese cultural heritage and a deeply
rooted resilience and yearning for democracy; and
WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans strongly support education,
and their children are graduating from high schools and higher
education institutions at high rates; and
WHEREAS, The Lone Star State has benefited enormously from
the contributions of its Vietnamese American residents; and
WHEREAS, The Vietnamese American community plays a vital role
in the business, professional, and cultural life not only of the
Lone Star State but also of the country; the number of small
businesses owned by Vietnamese Americans has grown substantially,
and these firms have created more than 166,000 jobs nationwide,
adding billions of dollars to the economy; in addition, Vietnamese
Americans contribute to their communities in a myriad of ways, as
teachers, lawyers, writers, actors, doctors, mayors, judges, and
public servants; among the many Vietnamese Americans who have led
notable careers are astronaut Eugene H. Trinh, former Dallas Cowboy
Dat Nguyen, and scientist Nguyet Anh Duong, who developed the
thermobaric weapon, which has been vital to U.S. military efforts;
and
WHEREAS, For many decades, people of Vietnamese descent have
excelled in our society and economy, enriched our cultural
tapestry, and helped enhance and secure the Lone Star State's
reputation as a land of promise and possibility; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 8, 2015, as Vietnamese American
Day at the State Capitol and extend to each participant best wishes
for an informative and enjoyable day in Austin.