119-hres366

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 366 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 366

Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Black April and the Fall of Saigon 
 on April 30, 1975.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 30, 2025

Mr. Tran (for himself, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Correa, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Min, Mr. 
 Baumgartner, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Hurd of Colorado, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. 
Fitzpatrick, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Chu, Mr. Thompson 
 of California, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. Takano, Mr. Frost, Ms. 
 Tokuda, Mr. Liccardo, Mr. Subramanyam, Mr. Peters, Ms. Escobar, Ms. 
 Bynum, Ms. Rivas, Mrs. Torres of California, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Soto, 
 Mr. Doggett, Ms. Ross, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
Bell, Mr. Gray, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Dexter, Ms. Friedman, Mr. Riley of New 
 York, Mr. Hernandez, Ms. Scholten, Mr. Casar, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Vasquez, 
 Ms. Malliotakis, and Mr. Kennedy of New York) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and 
 in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
 of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
 concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Black April and the Fall of Saigon 
 on April 30, 1975.

Whereas, since 1975, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fled the Vietnamese 
 communist regime, resettled in the United States, and built vibrant 
 communities across the United States which contribute to the rich 
 diversity of the Nation;
Whereas, on April 30, 1975, the Republic of Vietnam was overthrown by Communist 
 forces in an event known as the ``Fall of Saigon'';
Whereas, every year on April 30, Vietnamese-American communities across the 
 United States observe ``Black April'' as a solemn day of remembrance;
Whereas ``Black April'' is known as ``Thang Tu Den'' in the Vietnamese language;
Whereas the Fall of Saigon led to the forced displacement of millions of 
 Vietnamese who sought refuge across the world;
Whereas, in 1975, Congress passed the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance 
 Act (Public Law 94-23), allocating roughly $455,000,000 to facilitate 
 the evacuation and resettlement of refugees from South Vietnam fleeing 
 political persecution, oppression, and economic hardship;
Whereas members of the South Vietnamese military fought side by side with the 
 United States Armed Forces and troops from other allied nations in 
 defense of the ideals of democracy, freedom, and human dignity;
Whereas the evacuation of thousands of Vietnamese and Americans during Operation 
 Frequent Wind stands as one of the most significant humanitarian efforts 
 in modern United States military history;
Whereas the United States carried out multiple subsequent aerial evacuation 
 missions, including Operation Babylift, Operation New Life, and 
 Operation New Arrivals, which collectively evacuated tens of thousands 
 of Vietnamese refugees to the United States;
Whereas the journey of Vietnamese refugees was marked by immense hardship, with 
 many enduring perilous ocean voyages, time in refugee camps, and 
 struggles of cultural adaptation;
Whereas Vietnamese Americans persevered to build new lives and contribute to the 
 social, economic, and political fabric of the United States;
Whereas Vietnamese Americans have continuously advocated for freedom and 
 democracy in Vietnam, and spoken out against human rights abuses by the 
 Vietnamese Government;
Whereas the Communist Party of Vietnam continues to hold one of the worst 
 records on human rights in the region, violating religious freedom, 
 obstructing freedom of press, restricting its own citizens' freedom of 
 speech and assembly, and detaining prisoners of conscience;
Whereas, in 2023, the Vietnamese American community numbers over 2,300,000 
 people, becoming an integral part of American society and excelling in 
 diverse fields such as public service, business, science, education, 
 medicine, and the arts; and
Whereas the customs of traditions of Vietnamese Americans are celebrated and 
 deeply woven into the fabric of our Nation: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) recognizes the significance of the 50th anniversary of 
 Black April and the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975;

    (2) honors the contributions of Vietnamese Americans to the 
 United States over the last 50 years and their tireless 
 commitment to upholding freedom, human rights, and democracy in 
 Vietnam;

    (3) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
 upholding the values of democracy, human rights, and freedom 
 for all people, including in Vietnam where people continue to 
 seek enhanced civil liberties and freedom of press;

    (4) honors the service of members of the United States 
 Armed Forces and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam who fought 
 in the Vietnam war, including those who gave their lives;

    (5) honors the memory of the Vietnamese who lost their 
 lives in search of freedom and democracy while attempting to 
 flee Vietnam; and

    (6) encourages all citizens of the United States to join in 
 commemorating Black April and the Fall of Saigon and honoring 
 the contributions of the Vietnamese American community and 
 indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese diaspora.
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