Representative Tran Recognizes the 51st Black April in Remarks to the U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Tran delivered remarks from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in solemn recognition of Black April, the 51st anniversary of the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.

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"For the Vietnamese diaspora, April 30th, 1975 is not just a solemn day in history; it is a reminder of the day we lost everything - our homes, our livelihoods, and our beloved country," said Representative Tran. "Amidst the darkness of war, our culture, our grit, and our resilience have spread across the world. As the first Vietnamese American to represent Orange County's Little Saigon in Congress, I am proud to share our story on the floor of the House of Representatives to ensure that no communist regime can rewrite our history."

As the first Vietnamese American elected to represent the world's largest Vietnamese diaspora, Representative Tran is committed to preserving and amplifying his community's history on the national stage. Tran introduced a congressional resolution to formally mark April 30, 2026, as the 51st anniversary of Black April, and, in April 2025, held a series of events in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

Representative Tran also introduced a congressional resolution recognizing June 19, 2025 as Veterans of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day in honor of the Vietnamese and American soldiers who fought alongside each other in the name of freedom and democracy. Tran, a vocal advocate for advancing human rights in Vietnam, co-led H.R. 3122, the bipartisan Vietnam Human Rights Act, to hold Vietnamese communist officials accountable for human rights abuses and establish human rights and fair-trade priorities for U.S.-Vietnam relations. Representative Tran serves as the official sponsor of Le Huu Minh Tuan, a Vietnamese journalist who was wrongfully imprisoned by the communist government, through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project and continues to fight for the release of prisoners of conscience around the world.

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Congressman Derek Tran represents California's 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.