LOS ANGELES--A Vietnamese immigrant who sold her home to help pay for a float in the famed Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day says she did it to thank America for taking care of her as a refugee 24 years ago.

"This has been my dream since 1977," Madalenna Lai said. "The first time I saw the Rose Parade I thought it was so beautiful that I told myself, one day I will do a float to say, "Thank you, America."

The theme of the float, which Lai said is the first Rose Parade entry from Southern California's large Vietnamese community, is "Thank You America and the World."

She sold her home and used $40,000 of the proceeds toward building the float and paying entry fees. She lived at her beauty parlor for six months while the float was built and until her daughter helped her buy another house.

Associated Press, December 28, 2001

+++ harrumphed, Thank America for bombing Vietnam?

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