Expressing support for designation of May 2, 2009, as "Vietnamese Refugees Day".

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 342, offered by my good friend and colleague, Mr. Joseph Cao. The ``Vietnamese Refugees Day'' resolution sets aside May 2, 2009, as a day of remembrance and celebration for the growing Vietnamese American community in the United States and throughout the world.

First, I would like to say a few words about Mr. Cao, the first Vietnamese-American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Joseph is a husband, proud father and man of deep and abiding religious faith and currently serves the people of Louisiana's Second District with honor and distinction.

Mr. Cao is far too modest and humble to say it, but he is the quintessential example of a refugee success story.

Joseph Cao's father, a lieutenant in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, was captured by the North Vietnamese at the end of the war and was incarcerated for seven terrible years in a reeducation camp.

In 1975, at the age of 8, Joseph escaped Vietnam with two of his siblings. His mom and jailed father remained behind. Joseph Cao worked hard in his new adopted homeland. Smart, resourceful, devout and generous to a fault, Joseph earned his Bachelor's Degree at Baylor, his Master's from Fordham University, and his J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Never forgetting the plight of refugees, and wanting to make a difference in the lives of the disenfranchised, Joseph became an immigration lawyer. He worked tirelessly to aid refugees and to assist in unifying families. He served as a member of the board of directors of Boat People SOS, and he is now a member of the United States Congress and is a rising star in the House.

Mr. Speaker, Joseph Cao is an inspiration to all who escape tyranny and come to America. With persistence and hard work and faith, Joseph inspires a new generation of refugees and, really, everyone else as well that you can achieve much and do wonderful things if you put your mind to it and you persist.

Joseph's legislation highlights the extraordinary work and the contributions made by Vietnamese Americans and the work of groups like Boat People SOS and the work of people like Dr. Thang, who have welcomed Vietnamese asylum seekers fleeing reeducation camps, harassment, and religious persecution, labor violations and other human rights abuses.

Over 2 million boat people and other refugees from Vietnam have received asylum in the United States and around the world. Half of those individuals have made their home in the U.S. Vietnamese Americans have made and continue to make a significant contributions to our country, bringing their rich heritage and culture and work ethic to the United States, their new, cherished permanent home.

The sad thing, Mr. Speaker, is that Vietnam's government continues to repress its own citizens, and the human rights record of that country's government remains deplorable. So many Vietnamese suffer each day at the hands of the government and secret police. It's deplorable.

Additionally, ethnic religious minority groups such as the Montagnards in the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom Buddhists continue to face intense persecution, beatings and even death.

I would hope that Mr. Cao's resolution causes this Congress to reexamine Vietnam's human rights record and redouble our efforts to promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam and to remove hindrances for Vietnamese people seeking asylum in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world.

Again, I congratulate my good friend and colleague. His is a success story that needs to be held up in neon lights. Joseph Cao, you are an extraordinarily talented and courageous leader.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, and I wish to yield as

much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the great State of Louisiana (Mr. Cao), the original sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), and my good friend and classmate, a great American.

Mr. Speaker, it's my privilege to yield 3 minutes to my friend and colleague from the State of New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Cao, for introducing this piece of legislation, and I urge my fellow Members to support the passage of H. Res. 342.

Mr. Speaker, in 1975, after the Vietnam War, a mass immigration to the United States of Vietnamese people began. These early Vietnamese immigrants were fleeing persecution by the Communists in power in that region of the world. They came to America, sometimes with barely the clothes on their back, seeking asylum and a better life.

Many of them can recount harrowing experiences in having to flee their homelands, some by boat, and others by land across Cambodia, Laos and Thai borders into refugee camps. In fact, over 2 million Vietnamese boat people and other refugees are now spread across the world, in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, England, Germany, China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines and other nations.

And yet despite these harrowing escapes from oppressive regimes, Vietnamese-Americans have made significant contributions to the rich culture and economic prosperity of the United States. Vietnamese- Americans have distinguished themselves in the fields of literature, the arts, science and athletics. In fact, just a few months ago, the people of Louisiana's Second Congressional District, elected the first Vietnamese-American and sent the author of this piece of legislation, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, to Congress.

According to Census Data, as of 2006, 72 percent of foreign-born Vietnamese are naturalized U.S. citizens. When combined with the 36 percent of Vietnamese born in America, a full 82 percent of Vietnamese are American citizens. Over half of all overseas Vietnamese are Vietnamese-Americans. What's more, there are well over 1 million people in the U.S. who identify themselves as Vietnamese alone or in combination with other ethnicities, ranking fourth among the Asian American groups.

According to 2006 Census Data, the Vietnamese American population has grown to 1.6 million and remains the second largest Southeast Asian American subgroup.

In light of the civic achievements of Vietnamese-Americans, I am pleased to support, and urge my colleagues to support this resolution, designating May 2, 2009 as ``Vietnamese Refugees Day'' in order to commemorate the arrival of Vietnamese refugees in the United States, to document their harrowing experiences and subsequent achievements in their new homeland, to honor the host countries that welcomed the boat people, and to recognize the voluntary agencies and nongovernmental organizations that facilitated their resettlement, adjustment, and assimilation into mainstream society in the United States.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 342) expressing support for designation of May 2, 2009, as ``Vietnamese Refugees Day''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I stand to join my colleagues in the consideration of House Resolution 342, which expresses our support for the designation of May 2, 2009, as ``Vietnamese Refugees Day.''

And House Resolution 342 was introduced by the gentleman from Louisiana, Congressman Cao, on April 21, 2009, and was considered by and reported from the Oversight Committee on April 23, 2009, by unanimous consent. This measure has the support and cosponsorship of 67 Members of Congress.

Basically, Vietnamese refugees were asylum-seekers from Communist- controlled Vietnam. In the late 1970s, many Vietnamese escaped in boats and by land across the Cambodian, Laotian and the Thai borders into refugee camps in Thailand after the Vietnam war. Over 2 million Vietnamese boat people and other refugees are now spread across the world, in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, England, Germany, Japan, China, Hong Kong and South Korea, also in the Philippines and other nations. Over half of all overseas Vietnamese are Vietnamese Americans, and Vietnamese Americans are the fourth largest Asian American group in the United States.

As of 2006, 72 percent of Vietnamese Americans were naturalized United States citizens, the highest rate among all Asian groups. Vietnamese Americans have made significant contributions to the rich culture and economic prosperity of the United States.

Vietnamese Americans have distinguished themselves in fields of literature, the arts, science and athletics, and include actors and actresses, physicists, an astronaut, and Olympic athletes and so on. And on May 2, 2009, many will come together to recognize what has been designated as ``Vietnamese Refugees Day.''

Mr. Speaker, with this bill, we have the opportunity to commemorate the arrival and integration of Vietnamese refugees into the United States and remember the arduous task that many citizens and the citizens of the world have had to travel to attain for their liberty, safety and prosperity.

I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cao) for authoring such an important resolution, and I urge my colleagues to join all of us here on the floor now in support of the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, but I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, we continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to congratulate Mr. Cao on his leadership in sponsoring this resolution. I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for his leadership as well.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland) for the time and for recognizing our valuable partnership in this fine august body.

Mr. Speaker, today I also rise, as the Vietnamese community in my district gathers for their regular meeting, to express my support for a national Vietnamese Refugees Day.

Throughout the past years, I have listened with great interest and admiration to the poignant stories of hardship and triumph that many members of the Vietnamese community have shared with me. I am deeply moved by their dedication to the principles of liberty that have distinguished our American experience. This is expressed in the difficult decisions to leave their beloved homeland of Vietnam and to embrace our Nation's founding principles, principles that those of us who have never experienced life under oppression and communism invariably run the risk of taking for granted.

Even today, Vietnamese American refugees gather across this Nation to raise awareness of concerns affecting their loved ones back in Vietnam. Lincoln's Vietnamese American community has been particularly concerned with religious freedom and Vietnam's two-child policy. And I have tried to make it a priority to urge the Government of Vietnam to uphold its stated commitments to religious freedom. I deeply value the active civic engagement of the Vietnamese American community in Nebraska with regards to these and other important human rights issues.

It is my privilege to serve the Vietnamese American community. And I want to thank Congressman Cao, who, as he mentioned, at 8 years old, 34 years ago today, fled his homeland of Vietnam on a United States of America C-130 transport plane, for bringing this important resolution forward and allowing us to reflect on the profound commitment of the Vietnamese refugee population to the well-being of our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 342, to designate May 2, 2009, as ``Vietnamese Refugees Day.''

As the Vietnam war came to an end, millions fled Communist-controlled Vietnam by boat and by land, across the Cambodian, Laotian and Thai borders into refugee camps.

Like me, many of the conflict's refugees came to the United States. In fact, it was April 28, 1975, exactly 34 years ago today, that, as Saigon fell, I climbed aboard a C-130 destined for the United States and my new life. To date, over 2 million Vietnamese boat people and other refugees of the conflict remain dispersed globally.

In the United States, as of 2006, 72 percent of Vietnamese Americans are naturalized United States citizens, the highest rate among Asian groups. Vietnamese Americans have made significant contributions to the cultural and economic prosperity of the United States. They count among their ranks artists, singers, actors, scientists, astronauts, restaurateurs, Olympians and elected officials. While Vietnamese Americans' accomplishments are significant and notable, it is critical that their history and the history of their ancestors be recorded.

Mr. Speaker, on May 2, 2009, the Library of Congress Asian Division is joining many Vietnamese American organizations across the United States in sponsoring a symposium entitled ``Journey to Freedom: A Boat People Retrospective.'' In honor of this significant event, I ask my colleagues to support House Resolution 342 to designate May 2, 2009, as ``Vietnamese Refugees Day.'' By doing so, we enshrine in the hearts and consciousness of Americans the tragic, heroic and uplifting stories of perseverance and the pursuit of freedom of millions of Vietnamese refugees to ensure those stories will stand as an inspiration to generations of Americans to come.