Rockport's Vietnamese community
The city of Rockport has a distinct population of Vietnamese Americans who came to the United States around the time of the Vietnam War.
Long Nguyen has been the owner of Fulton Harbor Bait Stand for 15 years. It's a job that brings him memories of his childhood in Vietnam.
"I love the water. Fishing is in my blood." he said. "My parents, we had a boat out there too. We fishing, I went with them when we were younger."
Long and his family were among many Vietnamese refugees who migrated to the Gulf Coast and took advantage of opportunities within the shrimping industry.
"Back in 1975, we were the first one here." Long explained.
Over the years, Rockport's shrimping industry gradually declined. Long believes its decline was a result of Vietnamese Americans finding other businesses to pursue, like nail salons. However, the skills Long acquired and his interest in the sea have been passed down to his children. Long has three sons and one daughter. His son works in fields related to the water.
Like father, like son
"When I was growing up I worked with my dad a lot. Shrimping and concrete work and I liked being in the water more than I liked concrete." chuckled Joshua Nguyen, Long's eldest son.
Joshua currently teaches a unique subject at Rockport-Fulton High School. A couple of years ago, he launched the school's Maritime Program.The RFISD Maritime program of study introduces students to the occupations and education opportunities related to operating water vessels, maintenance procedures, maritime navigational aids, plus maritime traffic controls, and communications equipment to ensure conformance with federal safety regulations. The program is designed to give students a head start in their careers.
"I can be excited for them and with them. Like, I know that I've succeeded and that measure of success is where I find my, "This is what I want to do." he explained.
His passion for teaching grew in the military. Joshua served in the United States Coast Guard for 15 years. He was a machinery technician. He fixed boats and anything else the military needed in the deep.
"I made it to chief before I retired," he added.
His favorite part about both of his careers was being able to help others who were dipping their toes in uncharted waters.
"I loved bringing my subordinates up and getting them through the ranks and I became passionate about it. It was fun. Being able to teach somebody something new is always exciting, and the pathways to get there are always different. When I retired, I was trying to figure out what to do, then teaching presented itself and it pretty much was a no-brainer. It was something I enjoyed doing and I wanted to see if I could continue doing that with the high school."
Although Joshua's ability to lead young adults comes from his military experience, he believes his father's work ethic also helped him succeed.
"My dad went through a lot to get where he is now and where he is helped my brothers and I and my sister get to where we are at currently. Even now, anything I can do in the shop, my dad could come in here and say why don't you just do it like this and take 10 steps out of it. So, I have a lot of respect for both of my parents. For me, it's a time to reflect on where they came from, how they got here." Joshua said.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Michelle Lorenzo at michelle.lorenzo@kristv.com
