The Good Governor: Robert Ray and the Indochinese Refugees of Iowa

The Good Governor: Robert Ray and the Indochinese Refugees of Iowa
ISBN-10
1476628882
ISBN-13
9781476628882
Category
History
Pages
244
Language
English
Published
2017-05-26
Publisher
McFarland
Author
Matthew R. Walsh

Description

 After the Americans withdrew from the Vietnam War, their Indochinese allies faced imprisonment, torture and death under communist regimes. The Tai Dam, an ethnic group from northern Vietnam, campaigned for sanctuary, writing letters to 30 U.S. governors in 1975. Only Robert D. Ray of Iowa agreed to help. Ray created an agency to relocate the Tai Dam, advocated for the greater admission of “boat people” fleeing Vietnam, launched a Cambodian relief program that generated $540,000, and lobbied for the Refugee Act of 1980. Interviews with 30+ refugees and officials inform this study, which also chronicles how the Tai Dam adapted to life in the Midwest and the Iowans’ divided response.

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