H.R. No. 1223



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Thousands of Vietnamese Americans are traveling to 
our nation's capital to celebrate "Vietnam Freedom March: 
Remembering the Past, Shaping the Future" on April 30, 2005, and 
this historic occasion offers a fitting opportunity to recognize 
the heritage and contributions of our nation's Vietnamese American 
citizens and pay tribute to the Vietnam veterans; and
	WHEREAS, The Vietnamese Freedom March coincides with the 30th 
anniversary of the Vietnamese Diaspora, a mass exodus of Vietnamese 
natives who fled their homeland to escape the oppression of the 
country's communist government; many of those refugees were 
welcomed by the United States, where they wholeheartedly embraced 
the freedoms and opportunities that were previously unavailable to 
them; and
	WHEREAS, Today, the United States is home to some 1.2 million 
Vietnamese Americans, nearly 20 percent of whom hold a bachelor's 
degree or higher and nearly 60 percent of whom are homeowners; these 
productive and valued citizens generate annual receipts in excess 
of $9.7 billion, a significant portion of which is sent to relatives 
who remain in Vietnam under the repressive control of the 
Vietnamese Communist Party; and
	WHEREAS, In addition to prospering economically, many of 
these esteemed citizens serve as elected officials, have enlisted 
in the armed forces, or have been appointed to positions of 
responsibility within local, state, and national governments; and
	WHEREAS, Vietnamese Americans have demonstrated a deep and 
abiding respect for democracy and human rights, while retaining a 
strong sense of pride in their national heritage, and this 
anniversary event will serve to remind all citizens of the United 
States that it is these beliefs that bind us together as Americans; 
now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby recognize the "Vietnam Freedom March: 
Remembering the Past, Shaping the Future" and extend best wishes to 
the participants for a memorable and fulfilling event; and, be it 
further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for the Vietnam Freedom March Organizing Committee as an 
expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.

                                                                              Vo

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 1223 was adopted by the House on April 
19, 2005, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House