Boat People SOS
About Boat People SOS
Founded in 1980 by Vietnamese American academicians and boat people themselves, Boat People SOS operates from Falls Church, VA as a national Vietnamese American community organization with a powerful mission: to empower, organize, and equip Vietnamese individuals and communities in their pursuit of liberty and dignity. The organization's remarkable history includes rescue-at-sea missions in the 1980s that saved over 25,000 Vietnamese boat people from the high seas and defended their refugee rights in first-asylum countries. Over three decades, Boat People SOS has expanded its impact to assist more than 35,000 Vietnamese individuals affected by persecution or trafficking across approximately 20 countries, touching the lives of one in every ten Vietnamese Americans. What began as an emergency rescue operation evolved into a comprehensive community organization that now serves immigrants, refugees, trafficking victims, disadvantaged students, and survivors of violence throughout the United States and internationally. Today, Boat People SOS has come full circle by expanding its international initiatives to protect Vietnamese asylum seekers in neighboring countries and combat human rights violations. The organization's refugee-led model ensures that those who have experienced persecution directly shape the services and advocacy that benefit their communities.