More than three decades ago, Vietnamese refugees began to settle
in Versailles, a then-isolated community in eastern New Orleans.
By the early 2000s, this working-class enclave was home to 8,000
residents. But although the community had accomplished material
successes, it remained divided between older immigrants and
American-born youth. Many Versailles residents felt like
perpetual outsiders in greater New Orleans, ignored by the local
government. A Village Called Versailles is the incredible story
of this little-known, tight-knit community in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina. When the storm devastated New Orleans in
August 2005, Versailles residents rebuilt their neighborhood
faster than any other damaged neighborhood in the city, only to
find themselves threatened by a new toxic landfill slated to
open just two miles away. Forced out of Vietnam by the war 30
years ago, many residents felt their homes were being taken away
from them once again. By January 2006, more than half of the
neighborhood has been