We, the undersigned, call upon Apple, Google, and Unicode to recognize and include the flag of the former Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) — the yellow flag with three red stripes — as an emoji, a cultural symbol, and a vital representation of one of the largest refugee diasporas in modern history.

 

🟨 What Is the Republic of Vietnam Flag?


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Republic of Vietnam, known as South Vietnam, existed from 1955 to 1975. Its flag — a yellow field with three horizontal red stripes — was recognized by 87 countries, including the United States, Switzerland, South Korea, Australia, and the Vatican. It was the national symbol of a sovereign, anti-communist republic whose people fought, bled, and died in the Cold War’s most brutal proxy conflict. Though the nation no longer exists on modern maps, its people absolutely do. Today, that flag continues to fly in Vietnamese refugee communities across the United States, Canada, Australia, France, and beyond. It is flown in government-sanctioned parades, in veteran memorials, and over the homes of families who lost everything but their identity.   


🇺🇸 Why Does This Matter?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are over 2.2 million Vietnamese-Americans, many of whom are the children and grandchildren of refugees who fled the communist regime after the Fall of Saigon in 1975. The yellow flag is not a political tool. It is a symbol of freedom, loss, resilience, and identity.
 Vietnamese-American city councils, mayors, and state legislatures from California to Virginia, and recently Illinois, have passed resolutions recognizing and flying the South Vietnamese flag to honor their residents' history.
 Other stateless nations and disputed territories like Palestine, Scotland, and Taiwan have flag emojis. So why not South Vietnam?
 


🧱 Unicode's Current Rule Is a Wall — But Walls Can Be Climbed


Unicode no longer accepts new flag proposals unless the country is: Recognized by the United Nations, and
 has a current ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code.
 That disqualifies South Vietnam — not because its people lack culture or identity, but because it was overtaken by force. So we’re asking Apple and Google to do what Unicode refuses to:

Honor the voices of real people over bureaucratic red tape.

Apple and Google already have the power to create proprietary emoji updates or regional packs. This flag could easily be included the way Apple implemented new Pride flags, disability symbols, or custom icons.  


🤬 What About the Backlash?


Let’s be blunt. Communist hardliners, cyber trolls, and internet bots will cry foul. They’ll claim it’s “divisive,” “obsolete,” or “politically incorrect.” To that, we say: representation isn’t censorship. This is our history, and you can’t erase it just because it makes someone in Hanoi uncomfortable. No one is trying to start a war. We’re asking to preserve the memory of a people who already lost one.   


🕯️ This Is About More Than Just An Emoji
.

This is about: 

 

 

 

 

• Grandparents who died in re-education camps.


 

 

 

 

• Parents who escaped by boat, risking pirates, storms, and starvation.

• Children who grew up never seeing their homeland — only hearing about it in stories.


 

 

 

 

• Veterans who fought for the Republic of Vietnam alongside American allies and were abandoned when the world turned away.


This is about remembering, not rewriting.
 This is about honoring, not harming.  


✊ We Demand:
 Apple and Google to add the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) flag emoji in their regional or cultural emoji keyboards. 
The Unicode Consortium should reconsider its rigid ban on historical flags, or allow platform-based exceptions.
 Respect for the Vietnamese diaspora's right to preserve its identity and history through peaceful, non-political symbols.
 


✍️ Sign This Petition If You:


✅ Are a Vietnamese refugee or a descendant of one.


✅ Believe in freedom of expression.


✅ Stand against cultural erasure.


✅ Know that emojis represent more than geography — they represent people. Together, we will not be erased.
We remember. We exist. And we demand to be seen. 🟨🔴🔴🔴
🇻🇳✖️