IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 240 
Recognizing the economic, cultural, and political contributions of the South-
east Asian American community at this time of the 40th anniversary 
of the Khmer Rouge control over Cambodia and the beginning of the 
Cambodian Genocide, and the end of the Vietnam War and Secret 
War in Laos. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 30, 2015 
Mr. HONDA (for himself, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. 
SWALWELL of California, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. PETERS, Mr. ELLISON, 
Mr. COSTA, Mr. POCAN, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. HAHN, Ms. 
MOORE, and Mr. AL GREEN of Texas) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the economic, cultural, and political contribu-
tions of the Southeast Asian American community at 
this time of the 40th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge 
control over Cambodia and the beginning of the Cam-
bodian Genocide, and the end of the Vietnam War and 
Secret War in Laos. 
Whereas April 17, 2015, marks the 40th Anniversary of the 
Khmer Rouge control over Cambodia and the beginning 
of the Cambodian Genocide; 
Whereas April 30, 2015, marks the 40th Anniversary of the 
end of the Vietnam War; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:12 May 01, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR240.IH
HR240
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 240 IH 
Whereas December 2, 2015, marks the 40th Anniversary of 
the end of ‘‘Secret War’’ when the communists declared 
the victory over the Kingdom of Laos and established a 
communist regime; 
Whereas these historical events led to the forced migration of 
over one million political refugees from Cambodia, Laos, 
and Vietnam to the United States after 1975; 
Whereas over 600,000 Vietnamese refugees were resettled in 
the United States, many of whom worked with the 
United States Government during the Vietnam War as 
translators and civil servants, and were paroled into the 
United States after the Indochina Migration and Refugee 
Assistance Act of 1975, and over 30,000 survivors of 
communist ‘‘re-education’’ camps and 150,000 of their 
family members were resettled in the 1990s; 
Whereas approximately 250,000 refugees from the Kingdom 
of Laos were resettled in the United States, many of 
whom assisted the United States War effort during the 
‘‘Secret War’’ in Laos, including as civil servants and 
35,000 Special Guerrilla Unit fighters in the United 
States Surrogate Army; 
Whereas at least 115,000 Cambodian refugees were resettled 
in the United States after one of the worst genocides of 
the 20th century, during which about 20 percent of the 
Cambodian population perished; 
Whereas the exodus of refugees from the region prompted the 
United States to pass the 1980 Refugee Act and to es-
tablish the Office of Refugee Resettlement, creating the 
country’s first formal refugee resettlement system; 
Whereas the Office of Refugee Resettlement recognized the 
critical importance of Southeast Asian American ‘‘Mutual 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:12 May 01, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR240.IH
HR240
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 240 IH 
Assistance Associations’’ (MAAs) by creating a special 
grant program in 1980, laying the groundwork for a 
strong network of community-based organizations; 
Whereas over 2.5 million Southeast Asian Americans today 
trace their heritage to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam; 
Whereas Southeast Asian Americans include a broad diversity 
of ethnic groups, including Cham, Khmer, and Khmer 
Loeu from Cambodia; Hmong, Iu-Mien, Khmu, Taidam, 
and Lao Theung from the Kingdom of Laos; and ethnic 
Khmer, Montagnards, and Vietnamese from Vietnam; 
Whereas Southeast Asian Americans today have blazed trails 
to own small businesses, lead community-based organiza-
tions, serve in public office, and nurture emerging lead-
ers; 
Whereas Southeast Asian Americans continue a rich cultural 
arts tradition of music and dance, while pioneering hy-
brid art forms such as spoken word poetry and hip hop; 
Whereas Southeast Asian Americans continue to face signifi-
cant challenges to full economic and social empowerment, 
such as low rates of high school completion, high rates 
of poverty, and disproportionate rates of arrest and in-
carceration; and 
Whereas Southeast Asian American communities remain re-
silient, rooted both in Southeast Asian heritage and in 
American soil, and rising toward a hopeful, equitable fu-
ture: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the significance of the 40th anni-
versary of the beginning of the Khmer Rouge rule 
and the Cambodian Genocide, the end of the Viet-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:12 May 01, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR240.IH
HR240
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 240 IH 
nam War and the Secret War in Laos, the humani-
tarian response of the United States to receive over 
one million refugees from the region, and the begin-
ning of the Southeast Asian American community in 
the United States; and 
(2) recognizes the ongoing contributions of the 
Southeast Asian American community to the eco-
nomic, cultural, and political vitality of the United 
States. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
06:12 May 01, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR240.IH
HR240
SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS