Rep. Hwang Gives Keynote at Fairfield Independence Day Celebration

Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post Freelance

On Monday, July 5th, the Fairfield United Veterans Organization held their 117th Annual Independence Day Celebration at Town Hall.

Rep. Tony Hwang provided the keynote address speaking of his personal experiences with the value of the American Dream.

From the Connecticut Post:

State Rep. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, the keynote speaker at the ceremony, used his personal history to illustrate his commitment to the ideals of American liberty.

“As an Asian-American that immigrated to the United States, I have personally seen the American difference of true freedom and opportunity versus other countries, and how much that positive difference has allowed me to pursue and live the American Dream,” he told the gathering.

Hwang said that his parents, in 1949, escaped by boat from mainland China to Taiwan, when the communists led by Mao Zedong overthrew the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek.

“Unfortunately, the democratic government imposed significant martial law on the citizens of Taiwan,” Hwang said. “Economically, options were limited if you were not politically connected or well educated. And my parents had neither and their economic future was limited. Politically, the media was tightly controlled, outspoken advocates and academic figures were blacklisted or jailed, and the school curriculum was heavily controlled. Political freedom to articulate and influence public policy was limited.”

Read more at the Connecticut Post here.