OPINION
Page 6 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
April 17, 2017
Volume 27 Number 8
April 17, 2017
ISSN: 1094-9453
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MY TURN
n Dmae Roberts
Refuge from war
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A
pril is a momentous time for Southeast countrysides of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
Asians, with New Year celebrations taking Those who know it firsthand are refugees who
place for the Lao and Cambodian communi- learned to live in a new country, building a vibrant
ties, among others. For Cambodians especially, it is community from coast to coast.
The Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance
also a time to remember April 17, 1975 — the day
the Khmer Rouge and its leader, Pol Pot, captured Act, which passed on May 23, 1975, permitted
Phnom Penh and the government surrendered. refugees from Cambodia and Vietnam to enter the
That’s when Cambodian citizens were rounded up U.S. It was amended in 1976 to include refugees
from
Laos.
Because
U.S.
and forced to work in the Killing
involvement in Southeast Asia left
Fields, which led to an estimated
vast numbers of people homeless,
1.7 million deaths between 1975
America responded with the
and 1979.
Refugee Act of 1980, which
For the Lao, Mien, and Hmong
formally defined a refugee as a
peoples, April of 1975 also meant
person with a “well-founded fear of
fleeing their country while much of
persecution.” The Refugee Act
Southeast Asia fell to communist
created a formal resettlement plan
forces. By December of that year,
for refugees and raised the ceiling
the monarchy of Laos was
on the number who could be
overthrown by the Pathet Lao
admitted into the United States.
movement, and the country became
Church and community groups
ruled by the Lao People’s
across the country rallied to help
Revolutionary party. Many feared Pictured is Mien-American refugee
refugees. In Portland, Lutheran
persecution and death because they Farm Yoon Lee, one of the elders re-
Community Services Northwest
had fought alongside the Central corded in Refugee Dreams Revisited
and Catholic Charities worked to
Intelligence Agency and the U.S. for Crossing East. (Photo courtesy of
MediaRites)
sponsor and place families.
military against the communists.
Portland Public Schools was one of the first to
For South Vietnamese people, April 30, 1975
became known as the Fall of Saigon. The day is also figure out how to work with Southeast Asian youth
now remembered as Reunification Day by some. For attending their schools. The 1.5 generation — those
others who had to flee, it’s called “Black April.” who came to the U.S. at a young age — learned
When the American war ended in Vietnam that quickly, mastering language and writing skills
year, thousands upon thousands of Vietnamese fled before their first-generation parents.
For the radio series, we spoke with many former
to the United States. Many who stayed in Vietnam
refugees in the Southeast Asian community who
ended up imprisoned in “re-education” camps.
Helping to recount this history for the Crossing came to America as children or young adults during
East radio series a decade ago was Dr. Linda Trinh the 1980s and ’90s. Now elders in their communi-
Vo, a professor of Asian-American studies at the ties, many successfully seized the American Dream
and have made it their mission to give back to their
University of California, Irvine.
“Communist forces overtook the southern part of communities. A number had families who owned
Vietnam and wanted to replace the political power businesses or became language interpreters, like
… they imprisoned anyone who was a leader, Khantaly Thammovang. Others, including Kim
whether they were a military leader or a political Nguyen and Quy Nguyen, entered professions such
leader ... and replaced the form of government so as education. Still others became community
that the socialist form of government was being leaders, such as Kilong Ung, the founder of the
instituted in [the] country,” Vo said. “In the Golden Leaf Education Foundation, Sokhom Tauch,
aftermath, in both Laos and Cambodia, communist the former executive director of the Immigrant and
forces also were taking, fighting for power, and this Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), and Lee
internal struggle [led] to a lot of death, a lot of Po Cha, IRCO’s current executive director.
Now more than ever, we need to realize the
instability, and a lot of imprisonment and torture of
individuals. And also ethnic persecution of minority contributions refugees have made and continue to
make in our communities.
groups.”
For the 10th anniversary of Crossing East, MediaRites
Most Americans are aware of the impact of the
has worked with area youth to create a production to tell
Vietnam War on America but know little about the
Continued on page 7
horrors of war that took place in the cities and
Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication.