April 30th, 1975

The Fall of Sài Gòn

The Fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975, marked the end of the Vietnam War when the North Vietnamese communist regime captured the capital of South Vietnam, Saigon. To the Vietnamese people who now live outside of Vietnam, it is known as “Ngày Mất Nước,” or “The Day We Lost Our Country.” The Fall of Saigon led to a massive amount of refugees fleeing Vietnam in search of hope and freedom abroad. Countless families were separated and thousands of lives were lost at sea and on land yearning for a better life. Within the next 22 years, more than 1.6 million Vietnamese started their lives from scratch in foreign lands, such as the United States, France, Canada, Germany and Australia. These refugees came to be known as "boat people" as most used boats to flee the oppressive communist regime. Many of our VSA members are their children. Through our annual Black April event we not only commemorate our parents' ultimate sacrifices and struggles to give us a better life, but also share their stories to show the resilience of the Vietnamese people.