[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 1, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1387-H1388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO FREEDOM DURING BLACK APRIL

  (Mr. TRAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TRAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark the beginning of the most 
solemn month of the year for Vietnamese Americans and diaspora. We 
refer to this month as Black April, or Thang Tu Den, because so many of 
us lost our homes, our livelihoods, and our country.
  My own parents escaped brutal oppression at the hands of the 
Vietnamese Communist Government and came to this country seeking the 
freedom and democracy that had been ripped away from them in the 
country of their birth.
  This year, we recognize the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon on 
April 30, 1975. In the years since, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese 
Americans have built vibrant communities in the United States that have 
enriched our Nation and strengthened our communities.
  By recognizing Black April, we honor those who sacrificed their lives 
for freedom, including members of the South Vietnamese military who 
fought alongside American allied forces. We also honor the immense 
hardships endured by the refugees as they embarked on the perilous 
journey to seek refuge and rebuild their lives.
  I am so proud to be the first Vietnamese American to represent Orange 
County's Little Saigon community in Congress. Home to the largest 
Vietnamese diaspora in the world, Little Saigon is a beacon of hope and 
testament to the resiliency of our community.
  I am proud to tell the story of our community on the floor of the 
United States House of Representatives to ensure that no communist 
regime can rewrite our history.

[[Page H1388]]

  As we mark this solemn milestone, let us reaffirm our commitment to 
freedom and human rights and honor the indomitable spirit of the 
Vietnamese diaspora.

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