Black April honors Vietnamese legacy

Sitting in a staff meeting for the Vietnamese Student Union in
preparations for the upcoming “Black April” event
inspired a weird feeling of sadness and nostalgia inside me. I was
not sure what this weird feeling was, but I knew it had to do with
the upcoming days of what is known by Vietnamese abroad as
“Thang Tu Den,” or Black April.

What is Black April? Some people believe it has something to do
with Black History month. Others with more historical knowledge say
it is when the United States lost the Vietnam War. From all of
these discussions, people can only say that Black April is
important, but most people do not have knowledge of why. I find
that even though there really is no true definition of Black April,
it still exists in the hearts of Vietnamese abroad as the day that
transformed their lives forever.

As the 30th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon and the end to the
Vietnam War approaches on this upcoming April 30, my feelings about
the day continue to grow stronger. I feel that some Vietnamese
Americans (especially the second generation and beyond) have
forgotten about their Vietnamese side because they grew up outside
the country or their loved ones refuse to talk about it with them.
It is sad to see that people have forgotten such an important day.
While working on video footage for commemoration of this day last
year, I felt angered by the lack of knowledge displayed by some of
the Vietnamese American students here at UCLA. However, I
understand that not everyone has the opportunity to learn about
such an event.

Being a part of the “1.5” generation (people born in
Vietnam but who moved to the United States at a very early age), I
feel inclined to remember my past and the sacrifices of the
refugees and immigrants who paved the way for people of my age
group to be where we are today. There is a video called “Hanh
Trinh Tim Tu Do,” or the “Journey to Freedom,”
which always reminds me of what it means to be an immigrant. It
discusses the impact of Black April on the Vietnamese exodus, those
who risked everything in pursuit of freedom from cruelty and
oppression. A vast number of people perished on this journey as
they faced the multiple challenges from the relentless sea. Those
who were lucky enough to make it would rather forget their journeys
than have to remember the hardships they had undergone to get here.
It is sad to say that that message has somehow been lost on the
younger generations.

I guess my main reason for expressing my opinions in the Daily
Bruin is my hope that people who have never heard of Black April or
do not understand what this day really is get a chance to hear a
little about it from a perspective similar to theirs. It has been
30 years since the end of that fateful day ““ April 30 ““
when over 2 million Vietnamese people were forced to leave their
homeland as they fled from persecution and oppression.

There are now third and almost fourth generations of Vietnamese
in the United States and all over the world. Hopefully we, the
younger folks, will not forget about the importance of this day,
about the sacrifices of those who have gone before us, and about
why we are here in a foreign land away from the rest of our people
and our native soil.

Do is a second-year statistics and math/applied sciences
student.