Human Rights Rally in West Hartford to Commemorate 40 Years of Connecticut Vietnamese in Exile

The Republic of Viet Nam Veterans & Officials Association of Connecticut is holding a human rights rally at West Hartford Town Hall on Saturday, April 25 from 12 noon to 3 p.m. to commemorate 40 years of exile.

The event will be held on the front patio at the main entrance of Town Hall.

The ceremony includes the American and Vietnamese national anthems, a flag ceremony, a proclamation and address from Mayor Scott Slifka, a speech from the Vietnamese American community, and a human rights report.

The end of April is a significant time in Vietnam history. Known as Reunification Day, Victory Day, or Liberation Day, April 30 is celebrated as a public holiday in Vietnam that marks the event when Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) on April 30, 1975. This signaled the end of the Vietnam War, also known as “Resistance War Against America.” The anniversary is marked by several festivals around the date of April 30.

For the thousands of Vietnam citizens who now live in the United States, however, this is a commemorative day for exiled Vietnamese who served, were affected, and displaced in overseas communities, and as such, this is a day of reflection.

For them, the day is remembered as the “Fall of Saigon”, “Black April, or the National Day of Shame.