Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 27, 2005 

CONTACT:
Hung Nguyen (877) 592-4140

NCVA INTERVIEWS ON NPR’S “TALK OF THE NATION” AND CNN INTERNATIONAL

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, April 28, 2005 at 2 pm EST on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” and Saturday, April 30, 2005 at 8 am EST on CNN International, the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (NCVA) President Hung Quoc Nguyen and Secretary Anh Thu Lu will appear live as guests on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” and CNN International, respectively.

Listeners can participate in the live discussion on “Talk of the Nation” by calling (800) 989-8255. Consult your local listings for actual program air time as they vary throughout the United States.

Mr. Nguyen and Ms. Lu will be discussing the significance of April 30, 1975, often referred to as the Fall of Saigon. This date also marks the beginning of the Mass Diaspora of the Vietnamese community throughout the world.

Mr. Nguyen and Ms. Lu will share their views of the Vietnamese American community as it has unfolded over the past 30 years. Over the past 30 years, the majority of Vietnamese Americans came to the United States with nothing more than their internal desire to live free and productive lives. Today, members of this community are elected officials, business owners, sport stars and individuals helping to shape and defend the future of America.

Hung Nguyen, NCVA President, states, “For the past 30 years, Vietnamese American contributions are often forgotten because Vietnamese Americans are mostly referenced in terms of a war. More than reminders of a war, we are a refugee community that has built new homes in a country of opportunities.”

The Vietnamese American community is no longer a community with a tragic history. It is a community rich in culture and heritage. Vietnamese Americans are modern-day pilgrims in a land of opportunities.

-30-

Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese Americans in a plural but united America –  e pluribus unum – by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil liberties.  (www.ncvaonline.org)