This morning (April 25), the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee held a meeting and honored overseas Vietnamese who have made many contributions to the construction and development of the city on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).

Chairwoman of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City - Ms. Vu Thi Huynh Mai shared that during his lifetime, Uncle Ho always paid special attention to overseas Vietnamese, because they are a part of "the flesh and blood of the homeland". Currently, there are about 6 million overseas Vietnamese living, working and studying in 130 countries and territories, of which about 3 million overseas Vietnamese have connections with Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Ms. Mai, over the past 50 years, Ho Chi Minh City’s economy has developed remarkably, maintaining its leading position in the country. To achieve these results, the city has had important contributions from overseas Vietnamese.

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Mr. Luong Xuan Hoa (4th from left) and Ms. Jeanne Huynh (2nd from right) received certificates of merit from the Committee of Overseas Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City for their contributions to the construction and development of the city.

Since the country was reunified, the Vietnamese community abroad has had practical activities for the cause of innovation and development of the country through repatriation, visiting relatives, investing in business, production, sending remittances... During this period, many organizations and clubs were established, many conferences took place to promote overseas Vietnamese resources.

In recent years, Ho Chi Minh City has received many contributions from experts, intellectuals and overseas businessmen on issues related to development orientation.

Deep affection of children far from home

Mr. Luong Xuan Hoa - an overseas Vietnamese in Thailand, member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Udon Thani - shared his honor when visiting Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion of the whole country celebrating the 50th anniversary of national reunification. According to Mr. Hoa, during the two resistance wars of the country, overseas Vietnamese in Thailand contributed not only money but also blood.

"In the 1970s, we organized fake weddings and fake engagements to collect money to send to our compatriots in the South. We are very proud that during the two resistance wars, overseas Vietnamese in Thailand contributed a large amount of material resources, making a small contribution to the cause of national reunification," Mr. Hoa recalled. "Today, the Vietnamese community in Thailand is always proud to be descendants of Uncle Ho and grateful to the Party and the Government of Vietnam."

Mr. Hoa said that the Vietnamese community in Udon Thani province is estimated to have about 1,600 families with 15,000 people, with stable economic conditions. Most of them make a living from business, and their legal status has been recognized by the Thai government.

In some large markets of Udon Thani province, there are many Vietnamese people doing business, forming Vietnamese markets with strong Vietnamese national identity. At the same time, these markets are a bridge for cultural exchange, expanding friendship between the overseas Vietnamese community and the Thai people.

"In Udon Thani province, we are even more proud to have the first Vietnamese neighborhood in the world - Vietnam Town" - Mr. Hoa shared.

Vietnam Town is currently a street with an administrative sign of Lane 2, Srisuk Street, Udon Thani City. In October 2017, after holding the position of Chairman of the Vietnamese Association of Udon Thani Province, Mr. Luong Xuan Hoa started to have the idea of ​​establishing a Vietnamese Food Street. This is a place where Vietnamese people meet, speak Vietnamese, eat Vietnamese food and discuss Vietnamese affairs. The landscape and architecture are like streets in Vietnam with paintings of the One Pillar Pagoda, famous landscapes, and Vietnamese cultural beauty.

After 1 year of establishment, Pho Viet Nam has always received enthusiastic support from Thai authorities, overseas Vietnamese and local people.

Ms. Jeanne Huynh (a French expatriate) confided that she left her homeland more than 70 years ago and has been settling in Vietnam for 9 months.

"In 1992, when I first got off Noi Bai airport, I couldn't help but feel moved because I saw many people living in simple houses. Now, people's houses are very spacious, everything has changed a lot. I can't help but think about the great contributions of so many people who sacrificed so that today we have a completely independent and peaceful country," she said emotionally.

Currently, Ms. Jeanne Huynh is the President of the Association of Retired People and Social Security Development - a social and charitable organization established in France since 1994, gathering mainly retirees and volunteers interested in Vietnam. The first people to establish the association were also retired agricultural engineers.

Returning to their homeland, the association’s agricultural engineers help many farmers in the South increase rice productivity and improve their lives. The association also sponsors and sponsors domestic students in difficult circumstances. Each year, the association supports 3 primary schools and 5 universities with a total of 15,000 euros, and awards scholarships to more than 100 students.

Ms. Jeanne Huynh proudly shared that many students supported by the association have become successful, some of them have established careers in the US and Japan.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khang-chien-chong-my-kieu-bao-lam-dam-cuoi-gia-lay-tien-mung-gui-ve-mien-nam-2394853.html