[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 8, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF WRITING ON AMERICA

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                         HON. ALAN S. LOWENTHAL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 8, 2015

  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, last month we celebrated Viet Bao Daily 
News' 15th Anniversary of the Writing on America Essay Contest and its 
subsequent annual Awards program. Viet Bao Daily News established the 
Writing on America Essay Contest in 2000 with the simple mission of 
creating an opportunity for members of the Vietnamese community to 
share their individual experiences.
  Since its creation, the competition has become an annual grand award 
celebration and a uniting chronicle sharing inspirational stories from 
members of the Vietnamese community. The initial objective of the 
competition was to preserve the Vietnamese language and cultural 
values. However, the impact exceeded Viet Bao's initial expectation. 
The tens of thousands of entries over the years have become more than 
just an anthology of shared, collective philosophical values--but a 
historical record helping to preserve the Vietnamese community's 
history across a broad spectrum ranging from tragedy to triumph.
  I would like to congratulate all of the participants in the essay 
competition for sharing their varied stories of life and legacy, as 
well as congratulate all of the winners past and present. They have all 
contributed a multitude of inspirational stories that document and 
share with the whole community their experiences and journey to 
assimilate in American society.
  I also want to congratulate and applaud Viet Bao Daily News for the 
success of their writing competition, not just for the community 
service the program brings to the Vietnamese community, but for what it 
contributes to the rich tapestry of our nation.

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