American City Chronicles: New Orleans – The First Stop

II truly value my travel experiences. I understand and experience with all senses, immersing myself in a manner that books cannot completely convey. As a Vietnamese student studying in the USA, this is my second visit to the country. My first trip was before the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2015 to 2017. Returning now, post-pandemic, there isn’t as much excitement as before, but it offers me the opportunity to revisit familiar places and reflect on how they have changed. In this travel blog post, you’ll find my own narrative as a foodie and a PhD student in education policy.

In 2024, we traveled to Turkey and Japan, returned to Vietnam, and explored various cities across the USA, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Milwaukee, Chicago, and others. However, in this blog, I would like to focus on three cities that particularly fascinated me. Each of the chosen cities has a rich history of Vietnamese immigration. As someone interested in the stories of migration and assimilation within Vietnamese communities, I am eager to learn from the locals and understand their experiences.

So now, let the journey begin with New Orleans.

This is a brilliant video that explains the maps that lay the foundation of New Orleans history. It encourages me to look at things in maps and grids and compare things with the old and new in what is called the "palimpsest."

New Orleans' diverse cultural landscape is deeply rooted in its complex history, shaped by successive colonial powers and significant demographic shifts. Founded by the French in 1718, the city was later ceded to Spain, briefly returned to France, and finally sold to the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Throughout its early history, New Orleans served as a major center for slave trading, particularly in the lower South. The city's demographics and culture were profoundly influenced by the aftermath of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804). In 1809-10, an influx of Haitian refugees nearly doubled New Orleans' population, bringing a diverse mix of whites, free people of African descent, and enslaved individuals. This migration significantly altered the city's social fabric, with almost two-thirds of New Orleans' residents being Black by 1810. The resulting blend of European, African, and Caribbean influences fostered a unique Creole identity. The substantial presence of free people of color in New Orleans contributed to a strong foundation for Black cultural expression and political voice, shaping the city's distinctive character and setting the stage for its rich cultural heritage.

The Plessy v. Ferguson case, originating in New Orleans in 1892, was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that established the "separate but equal" doctrine. The Plessy decision was not overturned until 1954, when the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," effectively ending the legal basis for segregation in public school. In 1960, at the age of six, Ruby Bridges became the first African American child to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South, specifically William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Her brave actions came in the wake of the Brown v. Board of Education decision and represented a crucial step in the long process of dismantling the "separate but equal" system that Plessy v. Ferguson had established decades earlier

Musically, New Orleans' African heritage is most prominently displayed through jazz, which originated in the city's African American communities. The genre emerged from a complex interplay of musical traditions, including African rhythms, European harmonies, and Caribbean influences. Congo Square, a historic site where enslaved Africans gathered to perform music and dance, played a crucial role in preserving and evolving these musical traditions. Culinarily, African influences are evident in iconic dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice. These dishes reflect the culinary techniques and ingredients brought by enslaved Africans, demonstrating how food became a medium of cultural preservation and innovation. Religious practices in New Orleans also bear significant African imprints, particularly through Voodoo traditions. Brought by enslaved people from West Africa, Voodoo represents a syncretic spiritual practice that blends African religious beliefs with Catholic elements.

Not only rich African culture, New Orleans also has a strong imprint of the Vietnamese communities. The Vietnamese in New Orleans also show an interesting assimilated blend with the current cultural fabric of the city. The Vietnamese community's settlement in New Orleans followed the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Drawn by a subtropical climate reminiscent of their homeland, proximity to water for fishing, and a strong Catholic community, they established roots. Vietnamese-Cajun marriages and cultural exchanges generated innovative hybrid experiences, most notably in culinary traditions. The emergence of Vietnamese-Cajun cuisine represents a profound example of cultural fusion, with dishes like crawfish boils seasoned with Vietnamese spices and garlic butter symbolizing the community's creative integration. Dong Phuong Bakery emerged as a cultural landmark, blending Vietnamese and French culinary traditions. We didn't have a chance to visit the Versailles area of the Vietnamese communities, but we tried Banh Mi with po'boy shrimp, which is super interesting.

If you want to hear more stories about the communities, you can visit the Viet Chronicle from the Historical New Orleans Collection. Please listen with sympathy, as history can be viewed from different perspectives. These narratives offer diverse perspectives on the community's experiences and challenges, encouraging readers to empathize and understand history from multiple viewpoints.

Finally, one of the highlights of New Orleans was our visit to the National WWII Museum. My husband was especially enthralled, spending three hours immersed in the D-Day section of the museum. Afterward, we watched Saving Private Ryan (1998), which I highly recommend for anyone who would like to see D-Day in motion picture. For us, it was an enhanced view after a day at the museum; everything came with more depth.

The section that interested me the most is where the United States employed propaganda to advocate for its involvement in WWII. From Liberty Bonds and consumer practices to the daily pro-war bulletins, the US government exemplified the power of media and public persuasion. Personally, it made me reflect on the pervasive influence of media in our own lives today and how messages are crafted to guide public sentiment. The exhibits reminded me of a wartime propaganda workshop I attended in Madison last year, particularly regarding French-Vietnamese narratives. The French portrayal of wars often emphasized glory and featured heroic generals, while the Vietnamese perspective depicted the conflicts as brutal and devastating of the Vietnamese men and women. This contrast highlighted how propaganda is always a part of the political game, regardless of the time period or political regimes involved.

Other random facts in New Orleans

1. During our adventures in the city, we hopped on the iconic streetcar, gliding through lively streets and soaking in the sights and sounds. Interestingly, Tennessee Williams was inspired by the “rattletrap streetcar” that traveled down Bourbon and up Royal Street, leading to his play, A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).

   
   

2. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which destroyed most of New Orleans' public schools, Louisiana overhauled the education system by converting nearly all public schools into charter schools, creating the nation’s first all-charter district. On August 6, 2024, the Leah Chase School opened as the first traditional public school since Katrina, marking the end of the all-charter model. While these reforms have led to improvements in graduation and college attendance rates, ongoing debates remain about the overall effectiveness of charter schools compared to traditional public schools. Although, on average, the quality of charter schools has increased, they vary in quality. Without a standardized system, we can't guarantee quality just by having charter schools.

   John Oliver is always great at breaking down social issues with depth and humor. I would recommend watching this video to understand the nuances of the effectiveness of charter schools.

3. And finally, please enjoy some snapshots of New Orleans taken by my husband, Giang Pham.

   
   

   

   Jazz Walk of Fame

   

   Street car in New Orleans

   
   

   

   Faulkner House Books

   
   

   

   Jazz vibing