Ahn `` Joseph '' Cao left Vietnam at 8 in a military transport plane at war 's end . He was sent to the United States, where he lived for several years before returning home and becoming an American citizen. Without parents , he faced language barrier , unfamiliar customs and loneliness . I studied to be a lawyer , and while working as an immigration lawyer in New Orleans , Louisiana , Hurricane Katrina changed my life . He was in New Orleans during Katrina ; decided to run for office to change things .
Ahn `` Joseph '' Cao left Vietnam at 8 in a military transport plane at war 's end . He was sent to the United States, where he lived for several years before returning home and becoming an American citizen. Without parents , he faced language barrier , unfamiliar customs and loneliness . He was in New Orleans during Katrina ; decided to run for office to change things .