[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 16, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
          IT IS TIME TO RECOGNIZE THE SERVICE OF THE LAO-HMONG

                                 ______


                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 16, 1994

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, today I, along with five of my colleagues am 
introducing legislation, the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act, which 
would modify certain naturalization requirements for Hmong veterans who 
served alongside United States Forces in the Vietnam war.
  The Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act recognizes the extreme 
sacrifice made by thousands of Hmong and other Laotian highland groups 
who served in special guerrilla units in the Vietnam war from 1960 to 
1975. Recruited, trained, and funded by the CIA, these units included 
men, women, and children, some as young as 10 years old. Between 10,000 
and 20,000 Hmong were killed in combat and over 100,000 had to flee to 
refugee camps to survive.
  Time and again, they laid down their lives to save and protect 
Americans. The Hmong stood by the United States at a crucial time in 
our history; now we have an opportunity to repay that loyalty. While it 
is clear that the Hmong served bravely and sacrificed dearly in the 
Vietnam war, many of those who did survive and made it to the United 
States are separated from other family members and are having a 
difficult time adjusting to life here. Fortunately there is something 
we can do to speed up the process of family reunification and ease the 
adjustment of Hmong into U.S. society, at no cost to the Federal 
Government.
  Few of those Hmong in the United States who served in the special 
units or their spouses, have been successful in passing the citizenship 
test. My bill makes the attainment of citizenship easier for those who 
served in the special guerrilla units by waiving the English language 
and residency tests. The greatest obstacle for the Hmong in becoming a 
citizen is passing the English test. Written characters for Hmong have 
only been introduced in recent years, and whatever chances most Hmong, 
who served, may have had to learn a written language were disrupted by 
the war.
  This bill would also waive the residency requirement for those who 
served in order to speed up the process of family reunification. 
Current law permits aliens or noncitizen nationals who served honorably 
during World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Vietnam 
war to be naturalized regardless of age, period of residence or 
physical presence in the United States. There is a well-established 
precedent of modifying naturalization requirement for military service, 
recently reaffirmed by passage of the Filipino Scouts legislation in 
the immigration bill passed by Congress in 1990.
  The Hmong served the United States for 16 years. They suffered a 
tremendous loss of life and homeland. This bill recognizes the Hmong 
people's brave sacrifice and service to the United States.

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