From the Far East to New Orleans East

Vietnamese refugees holding a copy of the boat that carried them to freedom

For many Vietnamese immigrants in the mid-70s, New Orleans tropical climate felt like home.

Tet Festival at Mary, Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans East

Escaping the incoming Communist regime at the end of the Vietnam War, many Vietnamese fled to America in the mid-1970s, and quite a large number settled in Louisiana. Recent figures put the Louisiana Vietnamese population at 25,000, with the majority living throughout the New Orleans area.

Why New Orleans of all places? For one, the sub-tropical climate and proximity to water appealed to the refugees who felt most comfortable moving to an environment that reminded them of home. Also, many of those fleeing were Catholic, and both New Orleans and national Catholic charities were spearheading efforts to help newcomers find jobs and housing in the city. Word got out among Vietnamese refugees that family and friends were settling in New Orleans, making it an even more enticing destination.

The Vietnamese settled in the newer, suburban parts of the city, particularly in New Orleans East but also in parts of Algiers, Avondale, and other places on the West Bank. Rents were cheap and the housing run-down, but the presence of the industrious Vietnamese community has since revitalized these areas.

Upon arriving, the immigrants took whatever work they could find, in factories, in the service industry, or by doing odd jobs. As they became more established, many opened small businesses like restaurants, grocery stores, beauty and nail salons, and gift shops. Others moved to places like Grand Isle and Empire in Plaquemines Parish to take up the fishing and shrimping trades they knew at home.

The children of the first Vietnamese immigrants have grown up in New Orleans, filling the enrollments at local schools and universities and integrating themselves into the greater city. But all generations of the Vietnamese community remain bonded by language, shared experiences, and the close family ties valued by their culture. Unlike other young adults who often move away when they reach adulthood, the young Vietnamese-Americans of New Orleans frequently prefer to stay close to home in order to be near their parents and extended families.

The cohesiveness and resilience of New Orleans’ Vietnamese was proven after Hurricane Katrina decimated much of New Orleans East, including the large Vietnamese neighborhood called Versailles. The Vietnamese were among the first to return to begin rebuilding their neighborhoods, giving momentum to rebuilding efforts in the East and the rest of the city. Many Vietnamese feel the experience has brought the community even closer together.

Falling in January or February, the biggest Vietnamese celebration is the lunar new year holiday called Tet, similar to the Chinese New Year. At the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church on Dwyer Blvd., a three-day fair open to the public features food, carnival games, dragon dances, concerts, and other performances.