Vietnamese Americans’ April 30
Nguyen Anh Giao
Thirty-one years ago, on April 30, 1975, an abnormal peace engulfed South Vietnam, following the withdrawal of its American ally, and the take-over of the communists.
As an aftermath, waves of Vietnamese have fled their native land to the United States and other countries of the free world. To date, many of some 1.5 million Vietnamese refugees have become Vietnamese Americans living in most cities throughout the country.
To many Vietnamese, April 30 is their National Doomsday.
It is a special time of the year for them to recall and review how, why, and how long they have become political refugees. Their thoughts are with their relatives, friends, and fatherland, which are on the other side of the Pacific, ten thousand miles away.
It is the time to remember and honor those who have sacrificed their lives for them to live. It is the time to think of and honor others whose efforts and dedication have kept alive in Vietnam the ideals of freedom. It is a reminder for all Vietnamese to try harder to realize their mission as Vietnamese nationalists and patriots.
April 30 also marks a special time of the year when Vietnamese Americans gather to thank their American friends who have actively supported the Vietnamese people with men and materials in the war to stop the communist aggression. More specifically, they wish to express their deepest gratefulness to the families of more than 58,000 Americans who fought side-by-side with the Vietnamese people, and sacrificed their lives for a noble cause, protecting freedom on that far away land.
Similarly, Vietnamese Americans are grateful to the Vietnam veterans who they think have a lot in common with them, since both are living legacies of an experience, which is bitter to the veterans, and disastrous to the Vietnamese.
Last but not least, Vietnamese Americans cannot forget to thank the government, and Congress, as well as the people of the U.S. who have opened their arms to receive and help them to secure and establish their new life since 1975.
For every year in the last 31 years, Vietnamese Americans in most cities throughout the U.S. never miss to gather to mark the day they lost their country. While enjoying all the opportunities and privileges on their new free land, they believe that their 85 million fellow countrymen deserve a better life than what Hanoi authorities can offer. After 31 years of reunification and peace, Vietnam is still one of the 10 poorest countries in the world while its citizens are being denied basic human rights such as freedom of religion, and freedom of expression. While pursuing more than one strategy to liberate Vietnam, Vietnamese Americans are united to do everything they can to accomplish their common goal, which is to terminate the dictatorship in Vietnam, thereby returning to the Vietnamese people a free life that they have longed for, and deserve.
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