First Vietnamese-American Congressman Shares His Migration Story

The end of the Vietnam War ushered in a wave of Vietnamese refugees to the US, creating enclaves in cities like New Orleans. Joseph Cao joined this community when he was in law school. Now a politician who previously served as the representative for Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, Cao was just 8 years old when he left South Vietnam. He recalls his memories of the war and its aftermath for the Historic New Orleans Collection’s series, NOLA Life Stories.