APAICS | Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies

Honorable Joseph Anh Cao

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Principal
Cao Law Firm

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Anh “Joseph” Cao, 43, is a successful lawyer, an accomplished civic leader and a devoted family man, married to Hieu “ Kate” Haong, a practicing pharmacist. The couple lives with their two daughters, Sophia and Betsy, in the New Orleans East community of Venetian Isles. They are active members of Mary Queen of Vietnam church.

Joseph was born in 1967 Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), where he spent his early childhood during the most turbulent years of the Vietnam War. He still vividly remembers the frightening bomb blasts near his elementary school. As the war drew to a close, Joseph’s dad, an officer with the South Vietnamese Army, was taken prisoner by the Communists. In 1975, Joseph, just 8 years old, escaped to America with two sisters, leaving his mom and five other siblings in Saigon. Joseph was not to see his parents again for 16 years.

Moving in with an uncle in Indiana, Joseph learned English, thrived in school and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in physics from Baylor University in Texas before joining the Society of Jesus in Grand Coteau, Louisiana to study becoming a Jesuit priest. During his first two years as a seminarian, Joseph was sent to various parts of the world to minister to the poor and indigent.

He first arrived in New Orleans in 1992. He left for a year to earn a Master's degree in philosophy at New York’s Fordham University before returning to the Crescent City to teach philosophy and ethics at Loyola University.

As Joseph prepared for the priesthood, his faith was strong, but his confidence in the government's ability to care for those in need weakened by the day. In 1996, following a period of discernment, Joseph ended his six-year quest for the priesthood in a personal crusade for social justice.

Moving to the Washington, D.C. area, he taught high school and became an advocate for refugees—future Americans who embody a can-do spirit and strong work ethic.

In pursuit of justice for all, Joseph moved back to New Orleans and attained a law degree in 2000 from Loyola Law School. He became the in-house legal counsel for Boat People SOS, an organization helping poor Vietnamese and other minorities.

In 2002, Archbishop Alfred Hughes hand-picked the promising young Vietnamese-American attorney and former seminarian to become a member of the National Advisory Council of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, addressing women's rights in the Church, social justice and child abuse; and, after Katrina struck in 2005, the Church’s response to the Hurricane, which destroyed both his house and law office. Joseph Cao and his family moved temporarily to Westwego to begin rebuilding. Like so many others, he battled insurance companies and government bureaucracy to restore his home and business, but while dealing with his own misfortunes, he continued to help others. He led a successful effort on behalf of New Orleans East residents to stop plans for a landfill that would have devastated their community. He helped lead the fight to get electricity and telecommunications restored for returning residents. Outraged by the government foot-dragging and red tape that he saw holding back recovery efforts, Joseph dedicated himself to the effort to build Greater New Orleans.

In 2007, Joseph Cao ran unsuccessfully as an independent for the state House of Representatives, but carried Orleans Parish.

He was elected to serve on the board of the Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corporation, which is responsible for vital programs such as charter schools, medical clinics and retirement centers. He was appointed by Governor Bobby Jindal to help ensure fair voting as a member of the Board of Elections for Orleans Parish. He was elected to lead the Louisiana Republican Party at both the parish and state levels and, later, a delegate to the Republican National Convention.

Joseph Cao has lived through war and disaster, never surrendering his determination to make things better. A teacher of ethics, held in the highest esteem for his dogged pursuit of truth and justice, he was elected on December 8th, 2008 to serve as Representative of Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District.

On January 6th, 2009, Cao was sworn in as the first Vietnamese-American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Congressman Cao served on three House committees: Transportation & Infrastructure; Homeland Security; and Oversight and Government Reform. He was the Deputy Ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee.

Congressman Cao was a member of several caucuses including the Human Rights Caucus, the Asian Pacific American Caucus, the African Partnership for Economic Growth Caucus, and the Caucus on Vietnam, for which he serves as Co-Chairman. Congressman Cao is a founding member of the American Engagement Caucus and was an Executive Committee member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. He continues to serve the interests of the people of Louisiana and the many Vietnamese communities across America. 

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