[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 81 (Thursday, June 23, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    TRIBUTE TO REV. NINH VAN NGUYEN

                                 ______


                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 1994

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Reverend 
Ninh Van Nguyen, a man who has dedicated his entire adult life to the 
service of God and his fellow man. On the evening of June 17 his 
family, his friends, and his colleagues will gather to recognize 
Reverend Nguyen's many contributions to the Presbyterian Church and the 
community at large.
  The life of a refugee is a difficult one. Many make their way to this 
country after having their lives jeopardized by circumstances beyond 
their control. No one knows the uncertainty of a refugee's life like 
Reverend Nguyen does. He was a refugee not once, but twice. Uprooted 
from his homeland, Reverend Nguyen knows all too well that for a 
refugee to survive, he must find something to believe in, something 
that can never be taken away. Ninh Van Nguyen believed that he could 
make a difference in the lives of his fellow refugees.
  After fleeing Communist forces in North Vietnam, Ninh Van Nguyen, 
settled in South Vietnam in 1954 and soon went to work for Vietnam 
Christian Service. Their mission was to alleviate the suffering of war 
victims--the orphans, the widows, the refugees, the sick, the wounded, 
the amputees. He did this work from 1955 to 1975, and as you can 
imagine, in Vietnam there was much work to do. He continued at this 
most difficult of jobs until, once again, he was uprooted by the forces 
of communism.
  In his new country, America, Ninh Van Nguyen set out to continue 
assisting his fellow refugees. As a consultant to Lutheran Immigration 
and Refugee Services based in New York, he developed resettlement 
programs supervising orientation and crisis intervention services for 
Southeast Asian refugees.
  Eventually, his work landed him in Sacramento, CA, where he founded 
the Southeast Asian Assistance Center, earned a degree in social 
welfare, a masters in social work, a master of divinity, and a doctor 
of ministry. Since 1983, he has served as pastor/director for Southeast 
Asian Ministries. In 1986 he became the first, and only, Vietnamese 
refugee to become an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church.
  Throughout his life's experiences, Reverend Nguyen has developed a 
genuine understanding of the many issues affecting the quality of 
people's lives. He has embraced leadership positions in numerous 
community organizations, including the YMCA, Interfaith Service Bureau, 
the Sacramento County Health Council, and numerous others dedicated to 
improving the quality of life for immigrants. It appears as through 
Reverend Nguyen has dedicated every waking hour to his life's work of 
service to man and service to God. In so doing he has become a well-
rounded and highly educated individual with a wealth of real world 
experience. Sacramento is fortunate to be the home of such an 
outstanding spiritual and community leader.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize 
Rev. Ninh Van Nguyen, who serves as a living definition of the word 
``dedication.''

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