Vietnamese and Latino communities could be more at risk 

Some Vietnamese at risk without translations

BY BETH MUSGRAVE

Sun Herald

GULFPORT - (KRT) - A Vietnamese man who spent five days in a wrecked fishing boat before being saved told rescuers he did not understand the evacuation 
orders issued before Hurricane Katrina.And not knowing how to get help nearly killed both men, rescuers said. 

Many fear that without translated information the area's largest non-English speakers - the Vietnamese and Latino communities - could be more at risk 
than their English-speaking neighbors to a litany of health problems - from carbon-monoxide poisoning from generators to skin rashes and gastrointestinal 
problems from drinking unclean water.

"It's disconcerting that there isn't any infrastructure to offer Vietnamese/English translation to reassure these Vietnamese people," said 
Tuyet A. Ngoc Tran, an editor at Viettouch.com, a Web site based in New York and San Jose, Calif., which has been following the coverage of the Vietnamese 
community affected by Katrina. "Someone should pay attention to these people because they have no advocates."

The Vietnamese man was found with a second Vietnamese man in the Lakeshore community in Hancock County. The two men - severely dehydrated and 
malnourished - had sought refuge in the boat after the storm, rescuers said.

The identities of both men were not released by authorities. One was 38 and had recently moved to the area from Kansas City, Mo., and spoke English.
The other, between 35 and 40, did not seem to understand English and was in a catatonic state. 

"They had made no attempt to seek medical attention," said Dr. David Jaslow, an emergency room doctor attached to the Pennsylvania rescue unit that found the two men. Jaslow said the man from Kansas City told him that he did not understand the evacuation orders and never expected to be saved or treated.
Jaslow said the man was surprised that he was given medical attention. 


Tran said that many poorer Vietnamese are hesitant to go to a doctor because they cannot afford it. 
Adam Nguyen had not heard about the two Vietnamese men but he had heard that a second hurricane was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico and heading to Biloxi.
Nguyen, a 13-year-old seventh-grade student, was struggling to translate information for his grandparents and other Vietnamese adults living at the 
Chua Van Duc Buddhist temple on a debris-littered East Biloxi street. Aid in the form of water, food and clothes has poured in. But information has not. 

After being reassured that there was no hurricane, Nguyen issued a plea: "Please send out information in Vietnamese. Send it really soon."

Nguyen is living at the temple with his grandparents. He and his grandmother evacuated to Florida. But his 69-year-old grandfather did not. He escaped 
the storm by emptying a 5-gallon water jug, stuffing it into his shirt and using it as a flotation device after his First Street home collapsed. The jug
now rests on the side of the temple's porch.

So far, only local and international media outlets have provided information in Vietnamese and Spanish. 

WLOX-TV has translated and broadcast some information updates and stories in Spanish and Vietnamese, said Renee Johnson, the station's Internet producer.
One of the station's reporters - Trang Pham Bui - speaks Vietnamese and has been translating some news reports since the storm began, Johnson said. The 
station has also issued some public service announcements in Spanish, Johnson said.

But more information could be available in both Spanish and Vietnamese soon. 

Vincent Creel, the spokesman for the city of Biloxi, said the city had not issued evacuation orders in any language but English, but said the city was 
going to start issuing new releases in Spanish and Vietnamese.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will have Vietnamese and Spanish-speaking community support workers in the area soon, said Tom Hegele, spokesman 
for FEMA.

"We've got some flyers and brochures that are in Spanish and we're trying to distribute them now," Hegele said. Hegele said they're trying to get the 
same information translated into Vietnamese. But Hegele said there are people who are from Vietnam who speak other languages than Vietnamese, which 
complicates the translation process, he said.

"They'll hopefully be in the area in the next several days," Hegele said, of the community support staff. 

Nguyen, 13, and Tuong Do, 10, who is also living at the shelter, were also hungry for other information - like when school will be back in session.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want to go back to school," Do said. "I'm bored here. I'd rather be doing homework."