| 10 | 16 | | |
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| 11 | 17 | | |
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| 12 | 18 | | |
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| 13 | 19 | | WHEREAS, April 30, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon and is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the numerous contributions of the Vietnamese American community to the Commonwealth and the country; and |
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| 14 | 20 | | |
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| 15 | 21 | | WHEREAS, on April 30, 1975, the Fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War, which resulted in one of the largest refugee crises in modern history and led to the arrival of nearly one million Vietnamese refugees in the United States between 1975 and 2000, making this country home to the largest Vietnamese diaspora in the world; and |
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| 16 | 22 | | |
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| 17 | 23 | | WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is home to a significant population of Vietnamese Americans who overcame language, economic, and other barriers through perseverance, grit, and sacrifice, laying the foundation for the success of future generations while maintaining strong cultural and linguistic roots; and |
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| 18 | 24 | | |
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| 19 | 25 | | WHEREAS, each generation of Vietnamese Americans in the Commonwealth have demonstrated initiative and leadership by establishing civic organizations to provide critical support and resources to meet the educational, social, and economic needs of Vietnamese American community members; and |
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| 20 | 26 | | |
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| 21 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Vietnamese American innovators and entrepreneurs have contributed to the Commonwealth's economic strength by forming and growing countless small businesses, including Eden Center, which is the preeminent Vietnamese American cultural center and commercial hub on the East Coast of the United States; and |
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| 22 | 28 | | |
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| 23 | 29 | | WHEREAS, the Vietnamese American community constitutes a vital example of the Commonwealth's extraordinary cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity and represents a cornerstone of America's history, present, and future; and |
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| 24 | 30 | | |
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| 25 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans across the Commonwealth and the nation will commemorate this momentous occasion with events honoring their heritage, and contributions to America; now, therefore, be it |
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| 26 | 32 | | |
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| 27 | 33 | | RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Vietnamese American community hereby be commended for its contributions to the Commonwealth and nation since 1975; and, be it |
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| 28 | 34 | | |
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| 29 | 35 | | RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to representatives of the Vietnamese American community as an expression of the House of Delegates' deep appreciation for the Vietnamese American community's history, heritage, and contributions to the Commonwealth and the nation. |
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