Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Michelle Steel (CA-48)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Michelle Steel introduced House Resolution 1477 to designate September as “Boat People Awareness Month” in recognition of the hundreds of thousands of refugees who fled Vietnam with the fall of Saigon in 1978.
Rep. Steel gave a speech on the House floor in honor of those who risked their lives at sea to escape the Communist regime.
Following the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon to an oppressive Communist regime, nearly 800,000 Vietnamese people fled by boat in the hopes of escaping to another country, becoming known as boat people.
Many of these refugees perished on the journey, succumbing to pirates, overcrowded boats, storms, and countless other dangers.
Those who survived the journey settled all over the world, including in Rep. Steel’s congressional district of California-45, where they have formed a vibrant and patriotic community.
“‘Boat People Awareness Month’ will honor refugees who fled Communist Vietnam to find freedom and community in places like Little Saigon, California,” said Rep. Steel. “This recognition will honor the courage of all those who fled Vietnam by boat in search for a better life, including the lives that were tragically lost.”
Following the war, about 725,000 Vietnamese refugees settled in the United States, including more than 50,000 who settled in Southern California.
Rep. Steel represents parts of Los Angeles County and Orange County, including the Little Saigon community, which has the largest population of Vietnamese anywhere outside of Vietnam.