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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, On April 30, 1975, Saigon, the capital of the
3Republic of Vietnam, popularly known as South Vietnam, was
4overthrown by the North Vietnamese army, and the Republic of
5Vietnam was dissolved; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Vietnamese and Americans worked together to
7organize the largest helicopter evacuation in history from the
8United States Embassy in Saigon, helping over 7,000 people,
9including 5,500 Vietnamese, leave within 24 hours; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Further operations supported by Americans that
11spring, summer, and autumn helped approximately 125,000
12Vietnamese refugees leave their country, and the eventual
13creation of a refugee program with the assistance of the
14United Nations helped over 500,000 Vietnamese people immigrate
15to the United States; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Vietnamese American communities annually
17commemorate the Fall of Saigon, known as "Black April", in
18order to recognize the sacrifices of those in their
19communities who fought in defense of the ideals of democracy,
20freedom, and human rights; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Over the past half century, hundreds of thousands

 

 

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1of Vietnamese people have settled in the United States and
2have worked to build vibrant communities that contribute to
3the rich diversity of the United States; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Illinois has its own vibrant community of
5Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans, including refugees who
6helped establish a "Little Saigon" neighborhood in a corridor
7along Argyle Street in Chicago's Uptown area, building
8businesses and social service organizations; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Illinois community of Vietnamese and
10Vietnamese Americans has grown over the past half century from
11just hundreds of people to between 30,000 and 40,000 today;
12therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
14HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15we honor the contributions of Vietnamese and Vietnamese
16Americans to the United States and their values of upholding
17human rights, freedom, and democracy and recognize the
18sacrifices made in order to support these values, including
19losses of family, home, and life; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That we honor the courage, dignity, strength,
21and resilience of Vietnamese refugees who were forced to flee
22their home to escape persecution and rebuild their lives and

 

 

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1recognize the need to build empathy and understanding for the
2plight of refugees; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That we urge all Illinoisans to take time to
4learn about the history and contributions of Vietnamese and
5Vietnamese American people to Illinois and the United States.