[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 7, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H1467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         VIETNAMESE OF LINCOLN

  (Mr. FORTENBERRY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to join 
the Lincoln Vietnamese community in the celebration of the Vietnamese 
New Year, the Year of the Dog. I celebrated this special occasion at 
St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions Catholic Church in Lincoln, where I 
live, and I participated in the Catholic mass, followed by a community 
festival complete with traditional dragon dancers. I would like to 
thank Father Joseph Nguyen and the parish community for their 
generosity and hospitality.
  Mr. Speaker, there are nearly 2 million persons of Vietnamese descent 
living in America. My hometown of Lincoln has become home for nearly 
10,000 Vietnamese Americans, some of whom faced the trauma of 
persecution, escape, open seas, refugee camps, and, finally, 
resettlement in a new home.
  Our vibrant, well-respected Vietnamese community has become an 
integral part of Lincoln's cultural traditions and adds to our capital 
city's vibrant tapestry. Vietnamese is the third most commonly spoken 
language in the Cornhusker State, and I have actively encouraged the 
youth to keep the great tradition alive.
  Mr. Speaker, it is not advisable to try a language that you don't 
speak, but to my Vietnamese friends, I would like to try: ``thank 
you,'' ``cam o'n ban.''

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