Vietnamese in New Orleans

Vietnamese shops in East New Orleans' "Versailles"

As of 2012 Greater New Orleans has over 14,000 Vietnamese Americans and other people of Vietnamese origins.[1]

History

Large waves of Vietnamese arrived in New Orleans beginning around 1975 after the Fall of Saigon.[1] One reason why many Vietnamese settled in New Orleans was because of the climate similar to that of Vietnam. In addition, many Vietnamese fleeing were Catholic,[2] and Catholic Charities brought them specifically to New Orleans.[1] The first groups settled in Section 8 properties in the Versailles area of New Orleans East. In later periods Vietnamese settlements spread to other communities,[3] such as West Bank, Algiers, Avondale,[2] and other areas of New Orleans East as well as the City of Gretna.[3]

The New Orleans East section was flooded by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Sara Roahen, the author of Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table, wrote that the Vietnamese had been accustomed to hardship and therefore were not as devastated by the effects of the storm, and that of the groups in the flooded zones the Vietnamese had "rallied" the fastest.[4]

Organizations

Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans (VAYLA-NO) is an area organization for youth.[5]

Media

S. Leo Chiang directed the 2009 television documentary A Village Called Versailles, co-produced by the Independent Television Service and Walking Iris Films. The project was in cooperation with the Center for Asian American Media.[6] The film discusses Vietnamese-American life in New Orleans.[7]

Religion

Many Vietnamese living in Versailles are Roman Catholics. Mary Queen of Vietnam, a Vietnamese Catholic church, is in the center of the community.[8]

Cuisine

Thomas Beller of T+L Magazine stated that the use of baguettes and influences from France are the similarities between the cuisine of New Orleans and Vietnamese cuisine.[3]

Vietnamese restaurants opened in Vietnamese communities in New Orleans East and the West Bank after 1975. After the first immigrant generation arrived, many opened seafood and Chinese American restaurants out of the belief that they were more likely to succeed compared to Vietnamese restaurants. By 2014 Vietnamese restaurants had opened outside of Vietnamese communities, such as in the East Bank of New Orleans. The owners of these newer restaurants were born and/or raised in the United States.[9]

In New Orleans banh mi are called "Vietnamese poboys".[1] Crystal hot sauce is served with pho in New Orleans restaurants. Crawfish became a common element with both the native New Orleans cuisine and the Vietnamese cuisine. Elizabeth M. Williams, author of New Orleans: A Food Biography, wrote that "there is little need for Asian Cajun restaurants" due to the fact that "spicy crawfish boils are so easy to find in New Orleans".[10]

Williams wrote that many Vietnamese easily learned how to make king cakes since baguettes are a part of Vietnamese cuisine.[1] Many New Orleans-area restaurants have two soups of the day, with one being a gumbo and the other being a pho.[10] The pickled vegetables seen in banh mi are now available as fillings for po boys in traditional po boy restaurants.[1] Many New Orleans restaurants also have chayote (mirliton) spring rolls.[10]

Recreation

The Vietnamese New Year (Tet) is celebrated in New Orleans East.[11]

Notable residents

References

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Williams, Elizabeth M. New Orleans: A Food Biography (Big City Food Biographies). AltaMira Press, December 19, 2012. ISBN 0759121389, 9780759121386. p. 78.
  2. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Beller, Thomas. "New Orleans's Best Vietnamese Restaurants." T+L Magazine. May 2012. Retrieved on August 5, 2014. Print title: "Saigon on the Bayou"
  3. ↑ Roahen, Sara. Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table. W. W. Norton & Company, April 20, 2009. ISBN 0393335372, 9780393335378. p. 178.
  4. ↑ Ravitz, Jessica. "Vietnamese fishermen in Gulf fight to not get lost in translation" (Archive). CNN. June 24, 2010. Retrieved on August 3, 2014.
  5. ↑ Aguilar-San Juan, Karin. "Vietnamese Americans." In: The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Social History (Oxford Encyclopedias of American History). Oxford University Press, June 7, 2012. ISBN 0199743363, 9780199743360. p. 466.
  6. ↑ Tran, p. 73.
  7. ↑ Tran, p. 74.
  8. ↑ Grundfeld, David. "5 new restaurants usher in next era for Vietnamese cuisine in New Orleans." The Times-Picayune. March 6, 2014. Retrieved on August 4, 2014.
  9. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Williams, Elizabeth M. New Orleans: A Food Biography (Big City Food Biographies). AltaMira Press, December 19, 2012. ISBN 0759121389, 9780759121386. p. 79.
  10. ↑ Waddington, Chris. "New Orleans East rings in Vietnamese New Year with dragon dancers, noodle soup and folk songs." The Times Picayune. January 29, 2014. Updated February 7, 2014. Retrieved on August 4, 2014.

External links