SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 499
	WHEREAS, When the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon
	in 1975, a large number of Vietnamese refugees, including former
	military personnel, government officials, and those who had
	worked with the United States during the war, immigrated to
	surrounding areas and to America; and
	WHEREAS, Throughout the late 1970s to the mid-1980s,
	thousands of Vietnamese risked their lives by fleeing Vietnam
	aboard small wooden boats; approximately half of these emigrants
	perished at sea, but others reached refugee camps in Thailand,
	Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Hong Kong; and
	WHEREAS, Many Vietnamese who came to the United States
	chose to settle in the metropolitan areas and coastal regions of
	Texas; these first-generation Vietnamese Americans worked hard
	and flourished here, and now the state is home to the
	second-largest Vietnamese population in the United States, with
	more than 200,000 residents, nearly half of whom live in the
	Houston-Sugarland-Baytown area; and
	WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans have fully embraced all of
	the democratic principles that the United States offers,
	including human rights, religious freedom, freedom of speech,
	and protection against threats of aggression; and
	WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans have denied the authority of
	the Vietnamese Communist Flag and pushed for governments to
	officially recognize the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag,
	which symbolizes both the Vietnamese cultural heritage and a
	deeply rooted resilience and yearning for democracy; and
	WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans strongly support education,
	and their children are graduating from high schools and higher
	education institutions at high rates; and
	WHEREAS, The Lone Star State has benefited enormously from
	the contributions of its Vietnamese American residents; and
	WHEREAS, The Vietnamese American community plays a vital
	role in the business, professional, and cultural life not only of
	the Lone Star State but also of the country; the number of small
	businesses owned by Vietnamese Americans has grown
	substantially, and these firms have created more than 166,000
	jobs nationwide, adding billions of dollars to the economy; in
	addition, Vietnamese Americans contribute to their communities
	in a myriad of ways, as teachers, lawyers, writers, actors,
	doctors, mayors, judges, and public servants; among the many
	Vietnamese Americans who have led notable careers are astronaut
	Eugene H. Trinh, former Dallas Cowboy Dat Nguyen, and scientist
	Nguyet Anh Duong, who developed the thermobaric weapon, which
	has been vital to United States military efforts; and
	WHEREAS, For many decades, people of Vietnamese descent
	have excelled in our society and economy, enriched our cultural
	tapestry, and helped enhance and secure the Lone Star State's
	reputation as a land of promise and possibility; now, therefore,
	be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
	Legislature, hereby recognize April 8, 2015, as Vietnamese
	American Day at the State Capitol and extend to each participant
	best wishes for an informative and enjoyable day in Austin.
	Ellis
		________________________________
		President of the Senate
		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on April 8, 2015.
		________________________________
		Secretary of the Senate
		________________________________
		Member, Texas Senate