Posted on 02/09/2006 4:14:37 AM PST by quentin
A weeping Kim-Hoan Thi Nguyen kissed her 7-year-old son goodbye at the Ho Chi Minh airport and told him it would be a long time before they would be together again. Little Binh Le boarded the plane and flew off to the States, where his mother hoped he would flourish. It was 1991.
She next saw Le when he visited Vietnam at 12. He cooked her french fries.
He visited again when he was 18 and a recent graduate of Edison High School in Fairfax County. They had a party.
Their next reunion came in December 2004. At his funeral, at Arlington National Cemetery.
Le, a Marine corporal and a Vietnamese citizen, was killed at age 20 while defending his desert base in Iraq. The month after his death, he was awarded U.S. citizenship in a ceremony at which speakers lauded his valor.
Nguyen, who has lived with a friend in Springfield since the funeral, wants to stay. Wracked with guilt that she sent her only child off to a life that was cut short, she wants only to lay flowers on his grave each Sunday. Yet, although parents of immigrants killed in combat are eligible for permanent residency, Nguyen's applications have been denied. (snip)
U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) found their case so compelling that he filed a private bill in Congress last February that would grant permanent residency to Nguyen, Tran, their new spouses and Tran's daughter. But it has been stuck in committee since March. (snip)
[Moran] said he is still pushing the bill, but added: "Any bill that has even a whiff of an immigration-related provision faces a very tough road here in the House." (more ...)
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Owl_Eagle
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
"....comments on Moran make me wonder why he is doing this...."
Thats easy.......huge Vn constituency in his district.
I am unfamiliar with Rep. Moran, but glad to see someone is helping this lady.
Thanks for your kind welcome. This story affected me deeply enough that I wanted to ask for everyone's help.
Thank you kindly!
Thanks to all for the kind words. I truly believe this mother wants nothing more than what she says she wants: to honor her son's memory as she grieves. She asks nothing more from us than this. In my opinion, this is the kind of citizen we should welcome.
Sir, I'm sorry to see such cynicism. Perhaps I am naive, but I think good intentions outweigh the bad in this instance. Thank you for your comments.
Thank you for the beautiful picture. Brought a lump to my throat.
Bill, get that woman to an immigration attorney. Get her paperwork started. Her son has given his life for this country. Mr. Moran can only legislate??? Someone in this womans family must be able to vouch for her and get her set up. This is wrong. Just wrong...
"In my opinion, this is the kind of citizen we should welcome."
I agree. Efforts to honor this fallen Marine and honor his memory by getting his mother US citizenship should trump everything right now.
Do you live in the DC Area? Are you related to the family?
I'd recommend getting some air time on local TV.
BTW, I know Doctor Raoul. He has a heart of gold and is a true patriot.
or any other liberal willing or not to trade places, John Kerry would do fine.
No, I live in Alabama and am not related. My heart just went out to the mother when I read the story this a.m.
Yes, it probably is necessary.
If you understand who Moran is.
Ditto, Star, ditto.
Good job, quentin, and thank you. I hope with all my heart this mother gets some real assistance. To that end, I will be sending prayers her way. Thank you again.
Do you have a bill number on this?
My mistake. Of course you are correct. Thanks for pointing that out! :)
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