WHEREAS, April 30, 2026, marks the 51st year since the Fall of Saigon, on April 30, 1975, to communism; and

WHEREAS, For many Vietnam and Vietnam-era veterans who were directly involved in the war and Vietnamese Americans who have settled in the United States, the Vietnam War was a tragedy full of great suffering and loss of American, Vietnamese, and Southeast Asian lives; and

WHEREAS, The combined United States and South Vietnamese fatalities among military personnel during the Vietnam War reached more than one-half million, with approximately 800,000 additional troops being wounded in combat. Millions of Vietnamese civilians suffered casualties and death as a result of the extended conflict; and

WHEREAS, After the Fall of Saigon, millions of Vietnamese and their families fled Vietnam to surrounding areas and the United States, including, but not limited to, former military personnel, government officials, and those who had worked for the United States during the war; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1970s to mid-1980s, thousands of Vietnamese risked their lives by fleeing Vietnam aboard small wooden boats. These emigrants reached refugee camps in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Hong Kong, while approximately one-half of the people fleeing Vietnam in search of freedom and democracy perished at sea; and

WHEREAS, Today, more than 600,000 Vietnamese residents live in California, with the largest concentration of Vietnamese residents found outside of Vietnam residing in the County of Orange; and

WHEREAS, Human rights, religious freedom, democracy, and protection against threats of aggression are important concerns of Vietnamese Americans and Vietnamese communities worldwide stemming from abuse of human rights that continue to occur in Vietnam in the areas of child labor, human trafficking, religious and political persecution, suppression of the press, unlawful deprivation of life, forced disappearances, and land seizure, among others; and

WHEREAS, We must teach our children and future generations important lessons from the Vietnam War and the continuing situation in Vietnam, including how the plight of the Vietnamese refugees following the end of the war serves as a powerful example of the values of freedom and democracy; and

WHEREAS, We, the people of California, should actively rededicate ourselves to the principles of human rights, individual freedom, sovereignty, and equal protection under the laws of a just and democratic world. Californians should set aside moments of time every year on April 30 to give remembrance to the soldiers, medical personnel, and civilians who died during the Vietnam War in pursuit of freedom and democracy; and

WHEREAS, Vietnamese American communities throughout California will commemorate April 30, 2026, as Black April, a day of remembrance and rededication to the principles of freedom, including freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and internet freedom; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That in recognition of the great tragedy and suffering and lives lost during the Vietnam War, the month of April 2026 shall be proclaimed Black April Memorial Month, a special time for Californians to remember the lives lost during the Vietnam War era, and to hope for a more humane and just life for the people of Vietnam; and be it further

Resolved, That in recognition of the 51st anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, the Legislature encourages that the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag, which is recognized by the state of California as a symbol of the Vietnamese communitys continued struggle for freedom and liberty for the people of Vietnam, be flown throughout the state; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

ACR 119: Black April Memorial Month.

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