and her children could go to public school. The family first settled
in New York, where her oldest son attended Baruch College. He
has since graduated and co-founded a sportswear manufacturer.
Her daughter graduated from New York Institute of Technology in
hospitality management and opened a tea shop in Los Angeles
after the family relocated. There are more Vietnamese in the Los
Angeles area and the schools are better, Nguyen said.
Nguyen’s third child is in a medical magnet program in a high
school in Los Angeles and the fourth is in middle school in
Vietnam. He will relocate to the U.S. for high school next year.
Nguyen and her husband travel between the U.S. and Vietnam,
where they own restaurants and a convention center. She
spreads the word in Vietnam about her immigration experience
and has even been voted president of an EB-5 group there.
Nguyen didn’t know anyone in Los Angeles when the family
moved there, and she has made just a couple of friends. But she
doesn’t feel lonely, she said. Cooking and cleaning for her family
keep her busy.
“During my free time at night, I check my business in Vietnam,”
she added.
21
EB5 INVESTORS M AGAZINE
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
After Nguyen’s youngest son relocates to the U.S. next year, she
plans to begin studying English and move to Orange County,
south of Los Angeles, which has the largest population of
Vietnamese outside Vietnam. The family is eyeing Irvine, which is
known for its excellent school system.
Nguyen and all her family members intend to apply for U.S.
citizenship. Nguyen and her husband will invest in property in the
U.S. and plan to open a restaurant, though New York might lure
them back. After their two younger sons finish high school, the
couple will decide which coast they want to settle on.
“My parents love New York,” said their daughter. Hoang has sold
her L.A. tea shop and is scouting for opportunities in Irvine.
Nguyen hopes to get involved in charity work, which she enjoys in
Vietnam. “That will make her happy,” said her daughter.