Immigrant Carries Out Values on the Job

* Nhu-Hao T. Duong, 49

Occupation: Refugee coordinator for the county Social Services Agency

Organization: Works with a variety of nonprofit groups throughout Southern California.

An immigrant herself, Nhu-Hao T. Duong is familiar with the new experiences and challenges that face newcomers to the United States.

Her job is to make things a little easier for them.

Duong, 49, is refugee coordinator for the County Social Services Agency but her commitment to helping refugees extends far beyond her paid position.

She serves on the board of Refugee Women in Development, a national organization that offers programs to combat family violence and encourage women’s leadership training.

On a local level, she has done volunteer work with various agencies that serve the disabled, including the Dayle McIntosh Center.

“My first job when I came to the United States was as a housekeeper (and) teacher’s aide in a school for autistic children in Sacramento,” Duong said. “It was my first contact with the disabled and I was very impressed with the opportunities this country gives to people with disabilities.”

Duong’s primary volunteer work, though, comes in the form of advice. She has helped both the Girl Scouts and YWCA design programs that are culturally sensitive to the needs of Asian children. She has also served on an advisory committee for South Coast Repertory, urging officials to offer programs that appeal to Asians.

Duong’s advice has extended to law enforcement as well, aiding the county’s Human Relations Commission in producing a widely distributed training video for police working in the Asian community.

“The Asian community was not working with police in investigating violence,” Duong said. “This lack of collaboration probably has responsibility from both sides. The Asian community did not come forth and the police didn’t approach them right.”

Duong also serves as something of an “on-call volunteer” for nonprofit groups throughout Southern California, offering opinions on new concepts and programs. In addition to her knowledge about the Asian community, her previous job with California Community Foundation left her with plenty of know-how about how to get grants.

Originally from Vietnam, Duong has lived in Irvine since 1980. Before settling in Orange County, she spent five years moving around the United States with her husband while he went through the internship and training necessary to become a board-certified physician in the United States.

She attributes her volunteer work to her Vietnamese heritage, French education and American experiences.

“The Vietnamese culture gives me love and security, the skill to deal with people. The French culture gives me appreciation for the arts, music and history. And the American culture gives me a social conscience,” Duong said. “The reason I’m doing all this volunteer work and feeling good about the job I’m doing is I’m carrying out the values of the social conscience. That’s my reward.”