There are many talented overseas Vietnamese people who have had great success after moving to live in the USA, and some of them are from Da Nang. 

Mr Nam at his current salon

During the 1960s and 1970s, there were many popular hair salons in Da Nang such as Binh Sau, Ngoc Huong and Le Nam.  The owners of these businesses were from Quang Nam Province’s Dien Ban District which was famous for many traditional crafts including tobacco growing and processing, and weaving. 

Of the popular local salons at that time, the Le Nam Salon on what was then Tran Hung Dao but is now Nguyen Thai Hoc Street had a good reputation in the locality.

Mr Le Tu Nam, the owner of the salon, moved to Houston, Texas in the early 1980s.  With his strong determination, Mr Nam subsequently set up a total of 20 salons named after him in many American cities.  His salons were prestigious places for training hundreds of hairdressers, and he had a growing following of overseas Vietnamese and even American celebrities. 

Mr Nam now only operates one salon in Texas, where he has over 20 trusted employees.  At the age of 86, the strong-willed man always drives to his salon to offer recommendations to his high-end clients about hairstyles suitable for them, as well as to pass on his own very high standards to his employees.

According to its regular customers, the salon is famous for its own special hair curling products.  These leave them with gorgeous locks for many days, even after having a sleep or taking a shower!

Mr Nam remarked that his success has been mainly attributed to his great efforts and good luck.  His children are now prestigious doctors and lawyers in the USA, and Mr Nam and his friends fund numerous charitable activities to help the poor in Da Nang and Quang Nam Province.

Another well-known Vietnamese expat living in the USA is Dr Truong Cong Duc.  He is now a prestigious dental expert in Massachusetts and an experienced lecturer at the Harvard Medical School, the graduate medical school of Harvard University.  He is also a permanent member of the American Dental Association.

Born in Da Nang in 1964, Dr Duc is the 6^th generation descendant of Truong Cong Hy, a scrupulous mandarin during the Tay Son Dynasty and early Nguyen Lords.  Dr Duc first set foot in San Jose in 1981 as a family-sponsored immigrant, and continued pursuing their academic dreams for him there.  In 1989, he gained a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of California, and then worked at the UC Davis Medical Center.  One year later, the talented man was granted a partial scholarship to study at the Harvard Medical School for 4 years.  Also at this prestigious establishment, Dr Duc took a 3-year course for a Doctorate in Endodontics. 

Despite living far from Viet Nam for many years, Dr Duc always has deep sentiments about his hometown.  Every year, he donates money for study encouragement and charitable activities in Da Nang.  He said that memories of the Tet Festival and the beautiful beaches in the city always still lie deep in his memory, and he also shows a keen interest in the city’s progress.