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Case summary-Village de L’Est in New Orleans

Image of New Orleans
Security
Governance
Environment
Livelihood
At the far eastern edge of New Orleans, a Vietnames e American community— Village de L’Est—has gained national attention for their resilience in the face of the environmental, political, economic, and social upheaval that was Hurricane Katrina. The community’s social and historical conn ections to the Catholic Church proved to be a consistent source of directio n. The community is organized around the economic livelihoods specific to their V ietnamese heritage. Exceptional leadership provided invaluable cohesion and stability in the absence of government assistance after the storm. Over time through intergenerational community mobilization and civil disobedience, the community put pressure on authorities and achieved a number of impressive acc omplishments that accelerated rebuilding. These victories reinforced their sense of political empowerment and built new alliances both within the community and to other groups in the city. Village de L’Est became recognized as a political constituency and powerful force in New Orleans. For detailed case study
Note: A dotted circle denotes that this criteria is partially met. A solid circle denotes exemplary performance on the criteria.For a detailed description of the RCHI criteria please visit About RCHI