Khong Tran is a Vietnamese-American shrimper living in New Orleans. Mr. Khong Tran was born, one of nine children, on September 23, 1955, in Kien Giang Province, South Vietnam. He began fishing and shrimping with his father at the age of ten. His mother sold their catch at the local markets. In 1978 Mr. Tran escaped Vietnam by boat with friends to avoid being drafted to fight in Cambodia. He escaped with thirty to forty people toward Thailand and three months later made it to Hawaii, where he lived for one year before moving to New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1980. Mr.

Thieu Tran is a Vietnamese-American tuna fisherman living in New Orleans. Tran was born, one of eleven children, in 1960 in Vung Tau, South Vietnam. His parents sent him to live in a seminary during the Vietnam War, returning home in 1974. Mr. Tran’s father was a fisherman and also joined the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese Army) providing security for their town. Mr. Tran’s mother helped sell the fish catch when it came in. Mr.