By Neely Tucker
Washington Post Reporter

1). What is VANG and your background and involvement?

VANG is a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization that highlights and celebrates the achievements of Vietnamese American’s contributions to the United States. VANG holds its events every two years which consists of different programs over a three-day span and which culminates in the VANG Golden Torch™ Awards Gala. I currently serve as executive director for the VANG 2009 event which is going to be hosted from May 22-24, 2009 at the prestigious Beverly Hills Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA. 

Professionally, I am a partner at the law firm of Buus, Kim, Kuo & Tran, APC, where I oversee the intellectual property practice. I also serve as the non-profit counsel to VANG.  

2.) Are you surprised that the breakthrough in national political representation for Vietnamese Americans came from such a low-key community? It seems the real energy for this level of political participation comes from larger, more vibrant communities (such in Orange County).

On the surface, it would seem logical that any big political news regarding Vietnamese Americans would derive from California, since Orange County is home to the largest population of Vietnamese Americans in the United States. However, I am not too surprised of the recent news because it really speaks to the fact that Vietnamese Americans are and have been more active in communities outside of California for many years, such as Houston, (San Jose, CA) and the Washington D.C. area. 

In the recent years, we have seen Vietnamese Americans elected as Judges and other top judicial and political positions thus Joseph Cao’s recent victory in the 2nd Congressional District is just another evidence of the progress that Vietnamese Americans are making in being more active in the U.S. political process. 

3.) Did your organization contribute to Mr. Cao’s campaign in any way, financially or otherwise?

Although several of our VANG leaders know Mr. Cao personally, VANG as a non-profit organization does not lend its support in the political arena but we definitely recognize and celebrate this great milestone with Mr. Cao and the Vietnamese American Community as a whole. (good answer!)

4.) Was Mr. Cao a high-profile person in the national Viet-American circles before winning the congressional seat? Was Mr. Cao active in VANG?

Mr. Cao has always been active in the community including his involvement with Boat People S.O.S., (“BPSOS”) which lends assistance to under privileged Vietnamese Americans with issues of social justice and civil/religious rights. Indeed, BPSOS as an organization was an actual recipient of a Golden Torch Award back in 2007 for its humanitarian related work and contributions. However, until his recent campaign victory, we have not known Mr. Cao to be involved in high profile or national issues,   which is what makes his story even more so rewarding and uplifting.  Though Mr. Cao has not previously been involved with VANG, we are definitely reaching out to him to attend and participate at the upcoming VANG 2009 event. 

5.) What, if any, expectations would Vietnamese-Americans outside New Orleans have for Mr. Cao? Is there an expectation that he would be obliged to be a voice all Vietnamese-Americans? Is there an expectation, or hope, for him to take positions on issues in Vietnam?

I think all Vietnamese Americans have to be mindful and put this into perspective, especially this being Joseph Cao’s first term in Congress.  In my opinion, it would be unfair to think that the weight of the Vietnamese American voice rests solely on the shoulders of Mr. Cao. If anything, Mr. Cao represents to all Vietnamese Americans that if we want to see change in our country that we should all take the responsibility in being more active in our communities and the political system in general. Of course, because of his position, there is indeed a hope and anticipation that Mr. Cao will take up the important issues regarding domestic Vietnamese American issues and foreign issues relating to Vietnam. This is new ground for everyone so I am excited to see how things will unfold in the upcoming years. 

6.) Lastly, taking a devil's advocate position: other than some very positive symbolism, what practical difference does it make to Vietnamese Americans across the country to have an elected member of congress who shares their national heritage? Mr. Cao is a first-term congressman, one of 435 members of the house. he'll be obliged to represent the interests of the constituency that elected him, which is predominantly black and impoverished. he'll have to survive several re-elections before he is able to gain enough seniority to gain any real clout in Washington. Given all that, what do you think he'll be able to do for Vietnamese Americans across the country?

I think it’s always important for people to have individuals in important positions that they can relate to and aspire to be. We have the first minority president and now we have our first Vietnamese American Congressman. It’s an amazing time that we are living in and now more than ever, the glass ceilings and limits that once existed are now being erased. 

As I elicited earlier, as a first term congressman, Joseph Cao will of course have his obstacles to face in serving his constituency in Louisiana, and in his very own district.  I believe if Mr. Cao stays true to his elected position and continues to work for his constituents, then he’ll be able to build trust with the community and public. By doing so, when issues close to the Vietnamese American community arises, Mr. Cao will have a greater platform to draw attention to the particular issue at hand and be an advocate for change.  In the meantime, his re-election has already begun and he needs to start delivering on his campaign pledges before he’s able to do anything else.  We recognize that and support him in his endeavors.