Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR499 Compare Versions

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1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 499
2	2	WHEREAS, When the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon
3	3	in 1975, a large number of Vietnamese refugees, including former
4	4	military personnel, government officials, and those who had
5	5	worked with the United States during the war, immigrated to
6	6	surrounding areas and to America; and
7	7	WHEREAS, Throughout the late 1970s to the mid-1980s,
8	8	thousands of Vietnamese risked their lives by fleeing Vietnam
9	9	aboard small wooden boats; approximately half of these emigrants
10	10	perished at sea, but others reached refugee camps in Thailand,
11	11	Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Hong Kong; and
12	12	WHEREAS, Many Vietnamese who came to the United States
13	13	chose to settle in the metropolitan areas and coastal regions of
14	14	Texas; these first-generation Vietnamese Americans worked hard
15	15	and flourished here, and now the state is home to the
16	16	second-largest Vietnamese population in the United States, with
17	17	more than 200,000 residents, nearly half of whom live in the
18	18	Houston-Sugarland-Baytown area; and
19	19	WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans have fully embraced all of
20	20	the democratic principles that the United States offers,
21	21	including human rights, religious freedom, freedom of speech,
22	22	and protection against threats of aggression; and
23	23	WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans have denied the authority of
24	24	the Vietnamese Communist Flag and pushed for governments to
25	25	officially recognize the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag,
26	26	which symbolizes both the Vietnamese cultural heritage and a
27	27	deeply rooted resilience and yearning for democracy; and
28	28	WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans strongly support education,
29	29	and their children are graduating from high schools and higher
30	30	education institutions at high rates; and
31	31	WHEREAS, The Lone Star State has benefited enormously from
32	32	the contributions of its Vietnamese American residents; and
33	33	WHEREAS, The Vietnamese American community plays a vital
34	34	role in the business, professional, and cultural life not only of
35	35	the Lone Star State but also of the country; the number of small
36	36	businesses owned by Vietnamese Americans has grown
37	37	substantially, and these firms have created more than 166,000
38	38	jobs nationwide, adding billions of dollars to the economy; in
39	39	addition, Vietnamese Americans contribute to their communities
40	40	in a myriad of ways, as teachers, lawyers, writers, actors,
41	41	doctors, mayors, judges, and public servants; among the many
42	42	Vietnamese Americans who have led notable careers are astronaut
43	43	Eugene H. Trinh, former Dallas Cowboy Dat Nguyen, and scientist
44	44	Nguyet Anh Duong, who developed the thermobaric weapon, which
45	45	has been vital to United States military efforts; and
46	46	WHEREAS, For many decades, people of Vietnamese descent
47	47	have excelled in our society and economy, enriched our cultural
48	48	tapestry, and helped enhance and secure the Lone Star State's
49	49	reputation as a land of promise and possibility; now, therefore,
50	50	be it
51	51	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
52	52	Legislature, hereby recognize April 8, 2015, as Vietnamese
53	53	American Day at the State Capitol and extend to each participant
54	54	best wishes for an informative and enjoyable day in Austin.
55	55	Ellis
56	56	________________________________
57	57	President of the Senate
58	58	I hereby certify that the
59	59	above Resolution was adopted by
60	60	the Senate on April 8, 2015.
61	61	________________________________
62	62	Secretary of the Senate
63	63	________________________________
64	64	Member, Texas Senate