NEW ORLEANS — Anh "Joseph" Cao was taken from war-ravaged Vietnam as an 8-year-old boy, leaving his parents for the safety and hope of America.
On Sunday, 33 years later, leaders at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in east New Orleans introduced Cao (pronounced GOW), a Republican, as the first Vietnamese American elected to Congress. The congregation stood and applauded.
"Never in my life did I think I could be a future congressman," Cao, 41, said at a victory party Saturday after he beat out nine-term Democratic incumbent William Jefferson. "The American dream is well and alive."
Cao's victory represents not only a stronger voice for Vietnamese in America but payoff for generations of hard work and sacrifice by Vietnamese immigrants, said Luke Nguyen Hungdung, a pastor at the main church in east New Orleans. "The older Vietnamese generation is especially proud to see a Vietnamese enter Congress," he said.
Cao, a newcomer, won the 2nd Congressional District race, 50% to 47%. The win could be the final blow to the political career of Jefferson, who is charged in a 16-count federal bribery and money-laundering indictment. Prosecutors allege Jefferson took more than $500,000 in bribes, including $90,000 that investigators found in his freezer.
"People are innocent until proven guilty," said Faye Leggins, 54, a Democrat who voted for Jefferson on Saturday.
Cao capitalized on low turnout in the mostly black and Democratic district. The election schedule was delayed because of Hurricane Gustav this summer. Only 66,846 people voted Saturday for the general election, compared with 164,000 for the Nov. 4 Democratic runoff, state figures show.
"I think people just ran out of gas a bit," Jefferson said Saturday.
Cao was born in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), the fifth of eight children, as the country's civil war was ramping up, according to his website. Shortly after Saigon was overrun by North Vietnamese troops, he came to the USA with two siblings. His father was in a North Vietnamese prison, and his mother stayed behind to raise five children.
Cao earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Baylor University in Texas. He also has a master's degree in philosophy and a law degree. He and his wife, Hieu "Kate" Hoang, have two daughters, Sophia, 5, and Betsy, 3. His parents now live in New Orleans.
After Hurricane Katrina, Cao, an immigration lawyer, fought the utility companies and helped return power to and rebuild the Vietnamese community.
His victory is still sinking in, spokesman John Tobler said.
"It's still a major adjustment to his life and what he represents not only to the Vietnamese community here but throughout the country," Tobler said.
Contributing: Associated Press
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