Des Moines to memorialize former governor and Southeast Asian refugees he welcomed

The Iowa Asian Alliance announced on Sept. 26 a landmark project in Des Moines to honor former Gov. Robert D. Ray and the Southeast Asian families who began resettling in the city 50 years ago. The multi-year initiative, called LegaSEA 50, will transform Robert D. Ray Drive into a living memorial lined with trees, stories, photos and cultural symbols.

Organizers say the site, described as a “living classroom,” will stand as a lasting tribute to the refugees who built new lives in Iowa and the leader who opened the state’s doors. Fifty trees will be planted, with 10 dedicated to each of the five resettled communities: Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Tai Dam and Vietnamese.

Ray established the Governor’s Task Force for Indochinese Resettlement in 1975 after President Gerald Ford urged states to assist refugees. Reflecting on his decision, Ray once said, “I didn’t think we could just sit here idly and say, ‘Let those people die’. We wouldn’t want the rest of the world to say that about us if we were in the same situation … Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.”