April 30, 1975. This date marked the end of the Vietnam War and has been an instrumental date to many Vietnamese lives. From that day, much of the Vietnam that my parents and grandparents knew was no longer there. As the government and political sphere in Vietnam changed, so did the mindset and attitude of many Vietnamese citizens.
The country formally reunited in 1976, and Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, in commemoration of the late North Vietnamese leader. This began a period of confusion, displacement, and despair.
The fall of Saigon prompted waves of Vietnamese immigration known as the “Boat People.” This diaspora of Vietnamese people throughout the globe still exists more than 45 years later and is one of the largest mass exoduses in modern history. My mother and my father were boat people. Both were in their twenties as they fled the country on rickety, make-shift boats and spent the following years transitioning from refugee camp to refugee camp. My father traveled with his older brother, but only he survived the journey. My mother was caught and arrested by the communist Vietnamese government several times before successfully reaching a shore willing to accept immigrants. After finding a man selling fake identification papers, my mother’s family was able to use their savings to buy new identities to travel. My mother’s new birthday was April 28, the day they began their journey of escape.
As thousands died en route on crumbling boats, on uninhabited islands, fell victim to vicious pirates of the South China Sea, or succumbed to tropical diseases, many were able to find new life in a new country far from home.
I was born in the United States. I am a Vietnamese-American, and I am the first generation born after the Vietnam War. As a college student, it is hard to remember that at my age, my parents and their generation were forced to flee from their home, now an unpredictable land with no structure or system to allow them to thrive. Furthermore, this divisive war had a profound impact on American history, that is so easily overlooked in this generation following the Vietnam War.
Part of practicing mindfulness is remembrance and respect. Each year, many VSA (Vietnamese Student Association) organizations across campuses honor this day; however, these activities have been affected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to flatten the coronavirus curve, the Vietnamese community has taken to online measures as a way to commemorate this fateful day in history. An event organized by the Federation of the Vietnamese American Communities of the USA and other groups was hosted on Zoom on April 30, 2020 and drew viewers from across the globe as people virtually paid tribute to this solemn date in modern history. Huu Vo, president and the Vietnamese Community of Pomona Valley and chairman of the United Council of Vietnamese Homeland and Overseas, said “We’ve been here almost half a century. When we first came, we arrived empty-handed. Now, we’re settled and have found success in America and other countries… But we never forget Vietnam” (1). In Arlington, Texas, Hand in Hand Share Missions, a non-profit organization that serves mission trips to Vietnam, coordinated a recent event called the 1975 Meals to Heal Project to benefit healthcare workers. With a goal of $20,000 to provide meals for workers in nursing homes, hospitals, and testing sites in North Texas, the group wanted to give back to the community to honor the generation of exiled Vietnamese and to help those that are on the frontlines of this pandemic war (2).
This day was especially important in the very recent past and is still a fresh memory to many Vietnamese throughout the world today. As the first generation of Vietnamese following this era, it is important to pay tribute to this time and respect the hard work of those before, during, and after this momentous time.
References:
- Kopetman, R. (2020, April 30). Vietnamese community to hold first virtual commemoration of ‘Fall of Saigon’ due to coronavirus. Retrieved May 02, 2020, from https://www.ocregister.com/2020/04/29/vietnamese-community-to-hold-first-virtual-commemoration-of-fall-of-saigon-due-to-coronavirus/
- Desk, P. (2020, May 01). Arlington: 1975 Meals To Heal Project To Benefit Healthcare Workers. Retrieved May 03, 2020, from https://patch.com/texas/arlington-tx/arlington-1975-meals-heal-project-benefit-healthcare-workers
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