ROUSES_JulyAug2019_Magazine

Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians and other Southeast Asians make up about one-third of the residents living in and around Bayou La Batre, Alabama.​

higher median household income than the whole of the country and are among the nation’s most culturally assimilated immigrant groups. After the catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Katrina, Vietnamese communities in New Orleans led the rebuilding efforts. The hurricane was particularly harmful to the Vietnamese — many of their boats and houses were erased from the face of the Earth, and many lacked insurance. Six weeks after Katrina, residents of the Vietnamese community of Versailles, in the

heavily damaged New Orleans East area, picked up hammers and began rebuilding. The city took notice. Still, there were setbacks. When the city attempted to open a toxic landfill in Versailles, the community rallied and fought back, first staging protests and then filing lawsuits. (Ultimately, protests won the day.) Another significant setback in recent years was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which pumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, devastating the local

seafood and restaurant industries. The community has been slow to recover. Still, this led many in the Vietnamese community to find their voices in the political arena. The first Vietnamese American elected to Congress was Joseph Cao, who repre- sented Louisiana’s 2nd congressional district from 2009 to 2011. The multiple indignities and stumbling blocks following Katrina and the oil spill required mobiliza- tion and action, and youths descended on Washington, D.C., in 2010 to advocate on behalf of fishermen whose livelihoods were harmed by the oil spill, and by the frustrating, foot-dragging way in which BP was attempting to clean up its mess. And yet the Vietnamese community and its vibrant traditions and heritage survive, and the story of Vietnamese immigrants to the United States is ongoing. Vietnamese- Cajun cuisine in particular has experienced rapid growth across the United States, influencing chefs in Seattle and New York City. The resilience of the Vietnamese people, their effervescent and beautiful culture, and their growing strength as a community and as a political force, together tell precisely the sort of American story that only its immigrants could write.

Asia, L’Auberge Casino Resort, Lake Charles "This gem isn’t hidden so much as hidden in plain sight — it’s in one of the biggest casinos in Lake Charles. My tried-and-true is the Bun Bo Hue, which is a spicy Vietnamese soup made with beef shanks and Vietnamese pork sausage, but there are just so many choices. There’s even a sushi bar. Chef Vu hand-makes the nigiri, maki and sashimi right in front of you. The Rock-N-Roll is my everything. " - Brittney, Marketing

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JULY•AUGUST 2019