In 1975, North Vietnam violently took over South Vietnam, forcing the country into communism. Because of these events, Vietnamese wanted to leave their country and find security in other countries. Iowa's governor, Robert Ray, reached out a helping hand and invited them to live in Iowa. Many Iowans protested refugees coming to live amongst them. Over 130,000 refugees migrated to the United States, and around 1,400 went to Iowa. Refugees all over the world are now drawn to the humanitarian goodness of Iowans who reached out to the Vietnamese in the 1970s. ​​​​​​​