Long Dương
Long arrived in New Orleans in 1975, and has since been involved in the community in a variety of ways, such as being a counselor for St. Joseph Catholic Church since 1977.
After our interview, Long requested that we take a photo with him and the flag of South Vietnam.
A mural at St. Joseph Catholic Church to commemorate 50 years since the Fall of Saigon.
St. Joseph Catholic Cu, the church that Long Dương volunteers at.
Eli Schwartz:
What has your community work with John been over the last however many years?
Long Dương:
I am a counselor for children at the St. Joseph Mission and my group we called Hưng Đạo. And our committee named freedom, another committee named another hero of Vietnam. But named it after a Vietnamese hero. He beat the Mongolians when they come to Vietnam. That's how you got that name. We have Father Tue, he’s the first pastor here. He live on the street right here. We are lucky. We live here. We've been around. We looking for the church because every time we have mass we have to do it on the street at that time. We do it outside. My house right here, I just moved here and before [the church, there was] a place that they sell food. So when they move out, we bought this house, and then church bought next one, so they open by the church, we say give me permission to do the church here. For the people out here we are all Vietnamese, so no problem. And then we bought another house, another house, we open the gate.
Eli Schwartz:
So how long ago did you start doing your counseling work with children?
Long Dương:
For almost 50 years. You know, when he [John-Hoà] talked with them, we decided we need something like that. Some old, some young cannot understand together in the Vietnamese community. But now I think everything solve problem. We work together because we have to let them know about God. We have to let them know about Vietnam because they don’t know anything. We had to show them how we compare good American people, what is good and what is bad.
Long Dương Timeline
April 29, 1975
Long Dương and his family fled Vietnam and settled in a refugee camp in Guam.
December 16, 1975
After initially coming to the United States, John was placed alongside many other Vietnamese refugees in a military base in Arkansas. Eventually, Long Dương and his family moved to New Orleans due to the large catholic and Vietnamese population assembling there.
April 10, 1976
Long Dương’s first job in America was as a cook at a local Vietnamese restaurant. Long Dương has had a passion for cooking his entire life and still cooks for his friends and family frequently!
Summer, 1976
Alongside John-Hoà Nguyễn, Long Dương began to work as a counselor with the Vietnamese Catholic Church in New Orleans. He and John-Hoà Nguyễn have continued this work for nearly 50 years and are still incredibly involved in counseling for Vietnamese youth to this day.
July 8, 1977
Long Dương gets married and begins his life with his wife who also fled Vietnam to America.
1978
Long Dương’s first son was born in 1978.
October 15, 1979
Worked as sandblaster/painter at a local New Orleans shipyard.
September 19, 1989
Long Dương was severely injured while working at the shipyard resulting in him needing surgery and months of rehabilitation.
1990
Long Dương buys his first house in the United States!
1990-Present Day
Along with his wife and children, Long Dương has worked with the New Orleans Vietnamese community as a counselor with the Catholic church. He is incredibly involved and has devoted much of his life towards the development of the church as well as the local community.