“Your vision of the future inspires us all to be better and to do better to change our world.” - Frances Hesselbein, Former CEO of Girl Scouts of America and President of Leader to Leader Institute
"We support BPSOS’s efforts to develop leaders who are dedicated to helping their communities at home and the disadvantaged in Vietnam." - East Meets West Foundation
“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." - Kim Delevett, Southwest Airlines
On Saturday, July 2, 2011, BPSOS honored U.S. Senator John McCain, U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, Hollywood actress and humanitarian Tippi Hedren, and BPSOS founders at its 30-year anniversary gala dinner at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. The organization also laid out its vision for the next decade, shifting its focus from direct services to leadership development and advocacy, with a focus on developing the next corps of leaders in all three sectors and building sustainable civic institutions for the community. Click here for event photos.
The awards were presented in recognition of the recipients’ exemplary leadership and significant contributions to the Vietnamese American community stretching from the Vietnam War era to present days.
Spirit of Liberty Award: Senator John McCain. The award was given in recognition of the Senator’s military service during the Vietnam War, his courage and perseverance during his five-year imprisonment and torture by the North Vietnamese, his ongoing exemplary service to America as a citizen and politician, and his championing the resettlement of “re-education” camp survivors and Amerasians from Vietnam. Senator McCain played a key role in championing the passage of the Humanitarian Operation (HO) program, the “McCain Amendment”, and the Amerasian Homecoming Act, significant legislations that allowed over a hundred thousand Vietnamese who had suffered under Communist regime to achieve liberty and dignity in the US.
Spirit of Liberty Award: Congressman Christopher Smith. The award was in recognition of his tireless and successful efforts to stop the forced repatriation of tens of thousands of Vietnamese boat people in 1995. His legislative initiative led to the creation of the Resettlement Opportunity for Vietnamese Returnees (ROVR), which has resettled of over 18,000 former boat people after their repatriation to Vietnam. This program was later extended to resettle close to 2,000 former boat people stranded in the Philippines. One of the most effective champions for international human rights, Congressman Smith has been a staunch champion for freedom and democracy in Vietnam for a decade and a half. He also co-founded and co-chaired the Vietnam Congressional Caucus.
Service of Humanity Award: Actress/Humanitarian Ms. Tippi Hedren. Hedren has participated in rescue-at-sea missions during the height of the boat people exodus. Later, her volunteer work as International Relief Coordinator for “Food For The Hungry” Project for four years brought her to support and provide career guidance to a nucleus of 20 Vietnamese refugee women who fled from a war-torn country in the aftermath as it fell to the communists. Ms. Hedren arranged for them to receive job training as manicurists. These women quickly learned the new job skills and sought after the nail industry with Hedren’s compassionate support. The pioneering work of that initial group of 20 set the foundation for a thriving beauty service industry. Currently, there are some 30,000 manicuring shops in the U.S. operated by Vietnamese Americans – a significant entrepreneurial success for the large population of Vietnamese newcomers to support their families and send their children to school.
Community Legacy Award: Twenty Founders of BPSOS were recognized for their outstanding services and contributions toward organization’s mission. Without their personal sacrifice, solid determination, long-term dedication and commitment, the organization would not be where it is today. Honorees include notable names such as Prof. Nguyen Huu Xuong (California), media leaders Duong Phuc and Vu Thanh Thuy (Texas), and Prof. Nguyen Ngoc Bich (Virginia) among others.
The gala also featured a roster of inspiring speakers, with former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Viet Dinh delivering the keynote address, Ambassador Grover Joseph Rees (retired), Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, and Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Executive Director of BPSOS.
Riding on the momentum and raw energy from the National Leadership Summit which had taken place earlier that day, scores of supporters in the audience pledged over $22,000 to support “500 in 5 Years,” a national leadership development project launched by BPSOS in partnership with Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP), the East Meets West Foundation, and The Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (uNAVSA).
Over 440 guests, coming from some 20 states across the country, joined the celebration.