What People Are Saying

“Your vision of the future inspires us all to be better and to do better to change our world.” - Former Girl Scouts of America CEO and President of Leader to Leader Institute Frances Hesselbein

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“From disaster relief efforts in the Gulf Coast to leadership development at the national level, BPSOS is making a positive and long-lasting impact on our community. Southwest values our partnership and is honored to support BPSOS’ 30–Year Anniversary Gala and National Summit of Vietnamese American Leaders.” - Southwest Airlines, "Leadership Development" Gold Sponsor

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"East Meets West Foundation would like to congratulate Boat People SOS on 30 years of serving the Vietnamese American community. We support BPSOS’s efforts to develop leaders who are dedicated to helping their communities at home and the disadvantaged in Vietnam. As the foundation for learning, healing, and heath, East Meets West believes that empowering future Vietnamese American leaders in various professions is essential to the continued development of overseas Vietnamese. We applaud BPSOS’s efforts and support their service to the Vietnamese American community." – East Meets West Foundation

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"Boat People SOS [has] welcomed Vietnamese asylum seekers fleeing reeducation camps, harassment, and religious persecution, labor violations and other human rights abuses." - Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ)

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“During our younger days as college students, we have participated and learned much from BPSOS. We are very happy to see that BPSOS has grown into a strong national community organization with many international initiatives to assist Vietnamese people, ranging from social services to refugee protection. During the past 30 years, BPSOS has helped tens of thousands of Vietnamese so that we have the opportunity to enjoy our freedoms and pursue happiness here in America.” - Former California Assemblyman Van Tran

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"I have been deeply moved by the stories of Vietnamese torture survivors and re-education camp survivors. I commend Boat People SOS for ... the effort to promote access to health, mental health, and support services, ... to bring together Vietnamese trauma survivors and seniors to identify their own needs and work with the support of scholars, issue experts, and service providers to develop a joint action plan to address those needs. It is an honor to provide service to people who have led heroic lives and suffered greatly." - Kelly Ryan, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (PRM)

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"Boat People SOS's task is one of the more challenging: to work with insular, often isolated, Vietnamese communities. An estimated 50,000 Vietnamese live along the Gulf Coast, including 'boat people' who settled in the area after fleeing Southeast Asia in the 1970s and '80s." - The Washington Post

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"BPSOS did not only write its own organizational success story but also made many great contributions to the development of the Vietnamese American community during the past 30 years, such as its successful advocacy efforts in United States Congress to permit 18,000 repatriated Vietnamese refugees into the U.S. via ROVR program and to re-open the H.O. program, its work on anti-human trafficking, refugee, and welfare reform issues, and many others." - Lan Q. Nguyen, Esq., Garden Grove Unified School District Board Member

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"The Leadership Council applauds the efforts of Boat People SOS to address the needs of the Vietnamese Gulf Coast community." - The Leadership Council on Human Rights

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“BPSOS has the resources and the people with the language skills to help many of the Vietnamese-Americans [affected by the Oil Spill] here.” - Congressman Joseph Cao

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“I applaud the great works of community organizations like Boat People SOS in assisting the Vietnamese American fishermen and families who need help. We highly value their inputs and contributions.” - Kenneth Feinberg, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Claims Administrator