Mr. Dac Truong is a Vietnamese-American shrimper living in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Truong was born on May 8, 1954, in Rach Gia, South Vietnam. His father was a fisherman, head captain, and carpenter who built his own boat. Mr. Truong was his co-captain. In 1982 Mr. Truong escaped Vietnam with his family, navigating to Malaysia as captain on a friend’s boat. They were later transferred to a camp in the Philippines where he learned some English. In 1984 Mr. Truong and his family finally made it to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where they lived for three years. In 1987 he moved his family to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and began fishing the Gulf waters. He is married to Lam Le, and together they have six children and nine grandchildren.

Scope and Content Note:
He discusses being born in Rach Gia, South Vietnam; fishing with father in Vietnam; surviving Hurricane Katrina on boat in Back Bay; navigating boat escape from Vietnam; refugee camps in Malaysia and Philippines; learning English in camp; living in Ft. Smith, Arkansas for 3 years; moving to Gulf Coast to fish, 1987; impact of oil spill on fishing industry and shrimp harvest; unfair oil spill recovery process; love of fishing.