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| Press Release (April 27, 2005) |
Loc Nam Nguyen Honored in the Media and the Community
The long-time director of the Immigration and Refugee Department of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc., Mr. Loc Nam Nguyen,
has been selected by The Orange County Register (April 25, 2004) as one of "Thirty to Watch, Leaders Of The Future,"
representing the success and promise of Vietnamese-American community. The newspaper is celebrating the accomplishments of
Vietnamese-Americans during the past thirty years and, once again, Mr. Nguyen was honored for his community service.
In addition to receiving this local distinction, on May 2, 2005, Mr. Nguyen will travel to Washington, D.C. to accept
a Golden Torch Award from the Viet Heritage Society at the Vietnamese American National Gala (VANG) which recognizes three
decades of progress and achievements made by Vietnamese Americans. The event celebrates
the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and is organized in May of each year. In 2004, the organization honored Catholic Charities USA
for its public service and community contributions.
Mr. Nguyen, a former refugee from Vietnam currently heading the Immigration and Refugee Department for Catholic Charities of Los
Angeles, has worked at the agency for 30 years. His department assists about 10,000 refugees and immigrants every year.
Mr. Nguyen and his staff at Catholic Charities collaborate with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS), formerly known
as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The collaboration resulted in the establishment of an outreach program
that began in 1996 and is considered "one of the greatest achievements of the department." This program has assisted over 40,000 immigrants
in becoming U.S. citizens (85% of this group are Hispanic and were granted permanent resident status through the amnesty program in 1983).
In 2003, Mr. Nguyen received an award from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services for
his outstanding advocacy efforts.
Nguyen's life was the subject of an independent film, Green Dragon, based on his experiences as a refugee in America 30 years ago.
While in the camp, Nguyen wrote a song called "Farewell Saigon" that became an
international hit within the Vietnamese community. He also works as a broadcaster, hosting a public education activities television show which is aired weekly on KSCI-International Channel.
While commenting on his recent honors, Mr. Nguyen stated: "I am very pleased and honored to receive this recognition on
behalf of all of you at Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, and my colleagues in immigration and refugee resettlement services throughout the country. I want to tell you how much I truly appreciate being a part of
the hard work and dedication each of you contributes to our agency."
This year, the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon has been commemorated in a wide range of events. The First Southeast Asian Gala of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles was held on April 10, 2005 in Los Angeles, to honor the accomplishments and contributions of Indochinese refugees in the U.S., after thirty years of resettlement. If you are interested in further information about Vietnamese American National Gala, please visit the website of www.vangusa.org.
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