New Orleans Vietnamese - how have you been so successful in your efforts to re-build?

Question

What's going on in New Orleans, that has caused the Vietnamese community to be so successful in their rebuilding efforts while other communities seem to be doing nothing except taking the government handouts and complaining that they haven't been treated fairly?

I was unaware that this was going on until I saw a snippet of a news program about the thriving re-built Vietnamese communities. The story hinted that the difference is that they were willing to get in there and do the nasty cleanup and rebuild their homes themselves vs. waiting for the government to fix it for them.

What's the real story? Anyone from NO have any thoughts/ comments on that? Are there other communities that have been really successful at rebuilding? What percentage of the city has been rebuilt at this point?

Answer 1

I know nothing of New Orleans except what I see on T.V. I do however know a bit about the Vietnamese and how they are very communal. Our next door neighbors are from Laos. They are the cleanest, hard working people I have ever met. Family and community are everything to them. They came here to our country and turned right in and went to work to build a better life for themselves. I'm from the Central Valley in Ca. we have the biggest New Year celebration in the country here every year. It is amazing how they love our Country and also keep their own traditions. I also saw that news story and was not a bit surprised to hear how they turned in and helped each other to rebuild. That's what they do here, for example, a family here lost everything in a house fire. The Hmong community turned right in and helped rebuild the house and in no time it was done. They are very honorable people and take care of their own, they consider all as family. I hate it when people talk bad about them, they are great neighbors. Sure there are some who are not, that's the same with any race. I personally never saw such hard workers in my life. We could all learn from them. My prayers go out to all the people who have suffered from Katrina.

Answer 2

I lived in New Orleans for 30 years. The Vietnamese community around there has always been very industrious. They came there with absolutely nothing. They started small vegetable farms and then began selling their produce in the markets. They acquired small boats and began fishing. They started other businesses. Families worked together as a singular unit. They saved every extra penny so they could make their businesses even more successful. I admire them a great deal. And it doesn't surprise me at all they they are doing well in their effort to rebuild.

Answer 3

I was actually born and raised in this community but moved away after college. My parents still live there. I was actually pretty proud of my hometown after this aired on Dateline. I think its post-war mentality that motivated them rebuild as much as they could. When they came over from Vietnam, they came with nothing but their faith in God. After the storm, they were just glad to be alive. Rebuilding their homes was just 2nd nature to them by now.

As for other communities, my parents tell me that the Hispanic population has now grown in numbers and business are popping all over the place to cater to Hispanics. Back then when I was growing up, you were either Vietnamese or African American.