Editor's Note: This piece was co-authored by Kevin Dang and Anh Tu Do.
After the fall of Saigon in April 1975, the unbearable oppression from the Vietnamese Communist regime forced nearly half a million people to escape the country in search of freedom, democracy, and a better life.
Our families were some of the lucky ones if you want to call it “luck.” Fleeing Vietnam was a heartbreaking and terrifying experience for our family members who made it out. Not only did so many leave family behind, both young and old, but the journey was a harrowing one filled with dangers. The chance of being captured by the Vietnamese Coast Guards and imprisoned by the Vietnamese communist government was high and always present.
Unfortunately, then-Sen. Joe Biden, now the Democrat nominee for President, was strongly opposed to the evacuations of South Vietnamese , and was adamant that the U.S. had "no obligation, moral or otherwise, to evacuate foreign nationals”, despite the fact that the United States has had a long tradition of opening its doors to immigrants from all countries around the world. Biden’s callous statements and inhumane behavior towards the South Vietnamese who were US allies are disgraceful and despicable. For Biden to negate the fact that hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese soldiers were in danger of recriminations from the Communists, and insisted that “the United States has no obligation to evacuate one or 100,001 South Vietnamese”, he had not only disparaged the US’s former allies, but also undervalued humanitarianism.
Despite strong opposition from Biden, President Ford’s administration was able to manage the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees and resettled them in various parts of the US.
The story of so many Vietnamese-Americans is a story of perseverance and survival. We, the younger Vietnamese generation, are forever indebted to our parents for their sacrifices and resilience in search of a better life for us in America.
For nearly 50 years since the fall of Saigon, Vietnamese Americans living in the U.S. have proven to Biden and other radical, heart-less Democrats that we have overcome the obstacles and enrich the fabric of American society. Vietnamese Americans have made countless achievements in a wide variety of fields – be it the business sector, health industry, political arena, or education area. We worked hard to overcome the language and cultural barriers so as to integrate ourselves into the American way of life. Working hard and being good citizens, we believe, are ways to express our gratitude and give back to the American people.
More than 3 million Vietnamese Americans residing in the US will always be grateful for the generosity and philanthropic traditions of the American people. To those American people who have welcomed our presence and embraced our Vietnamese culture, please know that we are forever thankful for your benevolence. To Biden and other American people who rejected our presence and repudiated our contribution, please understand that we are very appreciative of the opportunity to call the United States of America, the greatest nation on Earth, “home.”
We are also indebted to this country, the greatest nation of the face of the earth, and we understand that President Trump will always put the American people first.