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SR 38

A resolution to commemorate April 20-26, 2025, as Black April Memorial Week.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Stephanie Chang and 2 co-sponsors

Designates April 20–26, 2025 as Black April Memorial Week in Michigan to honor Vietnam veterans and Vietnamese refugees and promote education and remembrance.

ADOPTED
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SR 38

Summary — SR 38 (Michigan Senate Resolution No. 38)

Status: Adopted (April 30, 2025)
Title: A resolution to commemorate April 20–26, 2025, as Black April Memorial Week
Sponsors: Senators John Damoose, Veronica Klinefelt Chang, and Adam Geiss (offered by Senators Damoose, Chang and Geiss)

Purpose and intent

SR 38 is a ceremonial (non‑binding) Senate resolution designating April 20–26, 2025 as “Black April Memorial Week” in Michigan. The resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon (April 30, 1975), recognizes the human cost of the Vietnam War, honors Vietnam and Vietnam‑era veterans and Vietnamese refugees, and acknowledges the contributions and assimilation of Vietnamese Americans to U.S. society and Michigan communities.

Key provisions

  • Designates April 20–26, 2025 as Black April Memorial Week in Michigan.
  • Recites historical background and supporting memorial facts, including:
    • April 30, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Saigon’s fall and the start of large-scale Vietnamese exodus.
    • U.S. military toll in the Vietnam War: approximately 58,000 dead and 304,000 wounded of ~2.59 million who served.
    • South Vietnamese military losses: cited as ~275,000 killed (plus civilian casualties).
    • Describes successive waves of refugees:
    • Immediate evacuation after Saigon’s fall (~135,000 sheltered in international refugee camps such as Camp Pendleton, Fort Chaffee, Indiantown Gap).
    • 1977–mid‑1980s “boat people” wave (nearly 800,000 who fled by sea; Red Cross estimate cited of ~300,000 dying at sea).
    • Post‑1985 Orderly Departure Program, 1988 Operation Homecoming (≈80,000 Amerasians admitted), and later Humanitarian Operations (through 1990s).
    • Notes demographic and socioeconomic progress of Vietnamese immigrants (increases in English proficiency, college attainment, home ownership, median income, naturalization).
    • Observes Michigan’s Vietnamese population (cited as 25,276) and the presence of Vietnamese commercial enclaves.
  • Encourages teaching future generations about the war and refugee experience and honors refugees’ sacrifices and contributions.

Who is affected

  • The resolution is primarily symbolic and affects:
    • Vietnam and Vietnam‑era veterans and their families.
    • Vietnamese Americans and Vietnamese refugee communities in Michigan.
    • State and local officials, schools, veterans’ organizations and community groups that may observe the week with commemorations, educational programs, or memorial events.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduced and offered in the Michigan Senate in spring 2025; rules were suspended and the resolution was adopted by the Senate on April 30, 2025.
  • As a Senate resolution, SR 38 carries no legal or fiscal mandates, appropriations, or regulatory changes; its effect is to recognize and promote remembrance, education, and community observances during the designated week.

Potential impact

  • Raises public awareness in Michigan of the historical events surrounding the end of the Vietnam War and subsequent refugee experience.
  • Encourages commemorative activities, educational programming, and community outreach during April 20–26, 2025.
  • Serves as formal state recognition of the sacrifices of veterans and refugees and the contributions of Vietnamese Americans to Michigan’s civic and economic life.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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