“I realize Vietnamese want to be associated with success. They are ashamed of being poor. They avoid debt. Why would they stay in touch with us?” said Charlie Duong, 55, who became homeless after depression left him unable to work as a manicurist.
Now, they bed down on sidewalks or in alleys along Bolsa Avenue and other thoroughfares. They number about 20, which locals say is an increase since the pandemic started.Oliver Nguyen, 28, lives on the streets of Little Saigon and hopes to make it as a singer.
Tran, the homeless man outside the fruit shop, said Vietnamese church groups sometimes stop by with food. But, he said, “they really can’t devote much time to changing our lives.” Tran says he hides from some of the workers, who “always ask the same questions.” He is wary of getting “mixed up” with the government.Food stamps, however, are a welcome supplement for Tran and some of Little Saigon’s other homeless people. Their favorite day of the month is when they receive the payments and can stock up on jasmine rice, fish sauce and salt.
Councilman Tai Do, who as a Long Beach police officer has worked for years with street populations, said the city needs to offer housing and mental health assistance, even if some people won’t accept help. One day at around 1 p.m., he stepped out of his shelter, quickly pulling on pants and donning his ever-present cowboy hat.
On vacation in Vietnam, he dated several women, he said, leading his wife to divorce him. He lost custody of his son and relocated to Kansas City, Mo., to work on a meat assembly line, he said. “You would think that family members take them in — no questions asked — but actually, that’s not the case,” Banh said.“I’m not here for judgment,” she told one resident, Tam Nguyen. “I’m here to listen. Please tell me what emergencies you have, and we’ll try to help.”
Often, his bedroom is a beat-up chocolate-colored Honda. He cuts his own hair, repairs discarded bikes to resell, washes cars and sweeps the pavement outside shops for pocket change.
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