HOUSTON, TX, March 5 — Vietnamese-American survivors of torture in the Houston area will have better access to free legal services aimed at helping them untangle red tape and improve their lives, thanks to a Boat People SOS (BPSOS) initiative recently funded with $20,000 from an organization that wishes to remain anonymous.
“We are extremely grateful to our anonymous benefactor for this support,” said Trish Thao Nguyen, branch manager for BPSOS in Houston. “Thanks to this grant, some 60 Vietnamese-American survivors of torture in the greater Houston area will have improved access to free BPSOS legal services that help them to apply for US citizenship, obtain the related medical disability waiver, and carry out family reunification procedures.”
The funds may also be used to assist torture survivors with the cost of the required mental evaluation for the medical disability waiver. All the legal services will be offered free through the Houston branch of BPSOS, a national Vietnamese-American community-based organization whose mission is to assist Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in their search for a life in dignity and liberty.
Nearly all of Houston’s Vietnamese survivors of torture endured incredible hardships and torment while held in what Vietnam’s communist regime perversely labeled “re-education camps.” In the late 1980s, the US Government’s Humanitarian Operation (HO) resettled some 30,000 camp survivors and 150,000 of their family members to US shores, where they faced still more challenges in rebuilding their lives. An estimated 100,000 Vietnamese settled in the greater Houston area.
“The torture survivors who will benefit from this legal assistance made incredible sacrifices as US allies, for the cause of freedom,” said An-Phong Vo, BPSOS Houston’s staff attorney. “This grant recognizes their sacrifices and will help us meet their needs.”
Boat People SOS (BPSOS) is a Vietnamese-American community-based organization with 15 branch offices across the United States. The nonprofit’s program areas include health awareness, youth mentoring, advocacy, domestic violence, human trafficking, and community development.
The Immigration Service Center of Houston’s BPSOS branch advocates for and assists in the filing of immigration forms, family and fiancée sponsorships, and permanent resident or US citizenship applications. The branch also offers citizenship and ESL programs that help prepare adults for their citizenship test. Other Houston programs include Assistance to Refugee Couples (ARC), the Health Awareness Program for Immigrants (HAPI), Victims of Exploitation and Trafficking Assistance (VETA), the Community Against Domestic Violence (CADV), Disaster Relief and Recovery, and the Road to Independence through Savings and Education (RISE).