2025 marks 50 years since the fall of Saigon, the collapse of the Lao monarchy, and the start of the Khmer Rouge’s brutal regime in Cambodia, leading to the mass evacuation and displacement of communities across Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

These events effectively ended the United States’ military intervention in Southeast Asia and led to the largest resettlement of refugees in American history.

This year is the Southeast Asian American community’s power year, when we are celebrating how far we’ve come by honoring our legacy of strength — and by fighting for a future where all our communities can thrive.

Our roots span seas, our seeds anchored in Southeast Asia tunneling across oceans to break through American soil.

Each individual root is unique, but we are intertwined.

Together, our roots grow a story of love, resilience, and hope, against all odds.