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.
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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