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. Tran learned fishing from his father after 1975 when living conditions became harsh. In 1979 he escaped Vietnam by boat, with his three younger siblings, to Malaysia but they were rejected. They made it to Indonesia where they stayed until they could contact their grandparents, who had already arrived in the United States. Mr. Tran lived in Alabama from 1980 to 1988 attending high school then working for a bicycle and chair manufacturer. After the company went bankrupt, he moved to New Orleans and learned shrimping from a cousin. He owned his own boat for four years then worked as a captain on other boats. At the time of the interview, Mr. Tran was working as a long-line fisherman catching tuna and had been catching fish for oil spill research for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Scope and Content Note:
He discusses life in Vietnam (war, fishing, escape), refugee camp, life in Alabama, shrimping/fishing in New Orleans, BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, working for NOAA, long line fishing.