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