[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 30, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E411-E412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           COMMEMORATING THE 49TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK APRIL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 30, 2024

  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 49th 
anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
  Forty-nine years ago today, on April 30, 1975, the Republic of 
Vietnam was overthrown by communist forces in an event known as

[[Page E412]]

``Black April'' or the ``Fall of Saigon,'' which is observed in 
Vietnamese-American communities across the United States each year. 
This event marked the end of the Vietnam War, which claimed the lives 
of as many as 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers and nearly 60,000 
American soldiers, as well as hundreds of thousands of innocent 
civilians throughout Southeast Asia. I recognize the bravery of the 
soldiers of the South Vietnamese military who fought side by side with 
the United States Armed Forces in defense of the ideals of democracy 
and freedom.
  Since Black April, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese, many of them 
refugees, have resettled in the United States and built vibrant 
communities across the country that contribute to the rich diversity of 
this Nation. They are the sixth largest immigrant group in the United 
States, representing nine percent of all immigrants from Asia in the 
United States. And they continue to show fierce commitment to those 
ideals of freedom and democracy as they speak out against human rights 
abuses in Vietnam and throughout the world.
  Forty-nine years after the Fall of Saigon, I am honored to pay homage 
to the journeys many Vietnamese refugees and immigrants took across 
oceans to call America their new home. I am also proud to sponsor the 
Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act of 2023, legislation that would 
end deportations of Southeast Asian American refugees, including many 
Vietnamese Americans, and establish a pathway to return to the U.S for 
the more than 2,000 refugees who have already been deported. On this 
anniversary, I call on my colleagues to join me in passing this 
legislation and honoring our commitment to the Southeast Asian 
Americans who made this country home after enduring war, violence, and 
genocide.
  I am grateful for the opportunity to honor the service and 
contributions of the Vietnamese American community, and to commemorate 
Black April on this 49th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

                          ____________________