LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month comes to a close, we here at Spectrum News 1 are telling important stories of Asian Americans who live in the Bluegrass State.
Quyet La, District Value Officer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District, proudly talks about his Asian culture and the many challenges and sacrifices his parents went through to live the American dream.
“Coming to America is an opportunity to serve and find home, find a place of peace,” explains La.
Seeking better opportunities in America, La and his family emigrated from Vietnam to the United States in the winter of 1992 after his father served in the Vietnam War.
“Because he had served in the South Vietnam Army fighting alongside the American forces during the Vietnam War and then subsequently being captured,” said La.
La, who was born in Vietnam, moved to the U.S. when he was five-years-old says he was so thankful for the opportunity he felt he had to serve.
“When I think about my dad and his history of what he’s done, of what he’s endured, there’s always an inclination to serve the best that I could,” explains La.
The duPont Manual High School and University of Louisville graduate is now the District Value Officer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District, where he’s been for 15 years.
“We want to make sure that we’re delivering a project, the best project to the public and the military, ensuring that we get the most bang for the buck for our projects,” suggests La.
Following his deployment in Afghanistan in 2016, he received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Supporting the Global War on Terrorism.
He also was deployed over seven months in the weeks following the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, Irma and Maria as field engineer and resident engineer to support disaster relief.
“A significant number of Asian Americans along the way have the desire to give back and to be a part of the U.S. Military,” said La.
Beyond raising awareness around the history of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S., he believes it’s important to emphasize listening over talking.
“If we care about somebody, we’ll come to learn a little more about them, their differences, what makes them unique, and from that sense of care and love you come to understand them better,” suggests La.
For “Q”, the month long observance serves as a message of inclusion and he says through empathy we can bridge racial divides.
“By ourselves we can accomplish something, but in order to accomplish anything great in life we have to do it together and in order to do it together, diversity is necessary,” explains La.
Diversity of two countries, brought together to Kentucky for this family striving for the American dream.
La is currently overseeing several projects across the Bluegrass State in his role at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including the Van Voorhis Elementary School at Fort Knox and Lexington’s USDA Forge Animal Production Research Lab.