A melting pot: Immigrants talk about their love for south Louisiana

Like the wider United States itself, Louisiana’s culture is a great gumbo of people from different parts of the world. Outside influences are everywhere to be seen throughout the state, coloring everything from what we eat to how we speak.

Ahead of July Fourth, we spoke to people who traveled from all corners of the globe to create a life for themselves in south Louisiana. Certain topics kept popping up — different takes on freedom, the friendliness of locals, food, the heat — but everyone had a unique take on what it means to be an immigrant in America.

Yao Zeng — China

When Yao Zeng arrived from China in 1999, her grasp of English was limited to the point of disruption. “I still remember feeling lost in front of the LSU library, unable to ask for directions to the bus stop due to the language barrier,” she recalled.

It was a tough beginning, juggling the competing stresses of an unfamiliar culture, a baby boy and having to look after an elderly relative. Help came in the form of churches — first The Chapel near LSU’s campus, then the University Baptist Church and Catholic Life Center — which gradually helped her find her feet, helping her learn English and getting her acquainted with the culture.

“I will always cherish the support and guidance I received from those churches and compassionate teachers … . These experiences taught me the power of love, which I now strive to pass on to others.”

She subsequently gained a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from LSU and is a keen photographer, heavily involved with community organizations and events. It was hard work, but, ultimately, richly rewarding. “It is through these experiences that I have learned the value of determination, perseverance, and the importance of embracing different cultures.”

Tony Davoren — Ireland

Originally from Wicklow, Ireland, Davoren’s connection to his home in Sunset, just north of Lafayette, came through music.

“I’d met some friends who played Cajun music,” he recalled. “I brought them to Ireland and they invited me to Lafayette. I just loved the scene here — the music, the food, the people. It was just such a nice fit for us.”

A world-class musician, performer and singer, Davoren has toured with Riverdance, been featured on Grammy-winning recordings and, with his wife, continues to run an Irish dance summer camp every year. He loves the space and freedom that living in the Louisiana countryside (which reminds him of the Irish one) provides.

“For me, I love having the freedom to do my own thing,” he said. “I’ve always admired people who have homes in the country, always loved the country life, and I love having that ability to do what you want in your backyard. It’s a freer kind of lifestyle.”

Dave Tubb Duncan — New Zealand

Originally from New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington, with roots in the Wairarapa countryside slightly to the north, Tubb Duncan came to Baton Rouge in 2016 after spending a few years in Asia. “We decided to move back west for a while,” he said. “It turned out to be more than a while.” 

His daily job is in landscaping though, with Louisiana-born wife, Brittany, he also makes colorful shirts with a touch of Kiwi flair under the Jack Duncan banner. Louisiana’s natural sense of enthusiasm and exuberance, in contrast to New Zealand’s more staid approach, appeals. “People here have such a go-getter attitude,” he said. “There’s really something to be said for people with confidence in themselves, and I’ve learned a lot from that. There’s so much cool stuff and opportunity here that we don’t have even in a paradise like New Zealand.”

Though rugby — New Zealand’s national sport — will always be close to his heart, he’s a big LSU fan. “I love football culture,” he said. “Being about to hang around with people here, from all different kinds of backgrounds, and talk football is really cool.”

Albert Wehbe — Lebanon

Wehbe arrived in Louisiana as a 19-year-old in late 1979 to study at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Lebanon’s destructive civil war had begun four years earlier, and Wehbe’s plan was to, as he said, “come here, go to school, stay away from that mess until it calmed down, and then go back.”

It didn’t really work out that way. He soon fell in love with the culture and its people, marrying a local and laying down roots. Lebanon and south Louisiana may seem far apart both geographically and culturally, but Wehbe said there were some keen similarities between the two: Both have a strong emphasis on family, are famously sociable, and have great food.

“Both the Middle East and Louisiana are proud of their food, it’s very flavorful and full-bodied,” he said. “Both cultures love to spice food. Not so much with heat, or hot peppers, but with spices in general. A lot of dishes are similar too.”

Wehbe loves just about everything about Louisiana, except, just maybe, its heat. “Sometimes I wish it was a little cooler,” he said, with a laugh. Don’t we all. 

Laura Siu — Honduras 

Like Wehbe, Laura Siu came to Louisiana for academic reasons, heading to the University of New Orleans on a scholarship from her home country of Honduras. After a bit of a winding academic journey — primarily due to her student visa’s maze of rules and regulations — she received her Green Card after falling in love and marrying a local in 2017. Well and truly settled, she’s now a busy event planner in Baton Rouge.

Unlike some others, adjusting to the Louisiana heat wasn’t much of a stretch given Honduras’ similarly sweltering climate. One definite difference has been in terms of safety: Getting out and about is much safer here.

“In Honduras I wouldn’t go out past 8 p.m., I would have to be careful not to go to the wrong places,” she said. “Here I’m able to have much more freedom.” 

She’s also a big fan of the food — particularly seafood, crawfish and gumbo — and the people. “I love that it’s such a melting pot. You have people from all sorts of different countries and different cultures here.”

Julien Prevost — France

Frenchman Prevost has called Louisiana home for the past 11 years, landing first in Houma before moving north to Baton Rouge. The native French speaker is a language specialist, having gained a master’s degree in teaching French from his hometown university in Lorraine, Northeastern France, and a postgraduate Certificate in Education in French and German.

Currently a French teacher at the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge and a member of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, Prevost said speaking to Louisianian French speakers wasn’t much of a leap. “We understand each other no problem,” he said. “Just a few words are different. It’d be like speaking to some from Quebec — the accent is the most different part, the syntax and grammar are pretty much the same.” 

Prevost loves Louisiana’s food — “it’s really great” — while he also appreciates the year-round sun (his hometown is plunged into gloom for half the year). Like many immigrants, he found the people to be exceptionally friendly and kind. “People are always trying to be very nice here,” he said. “They’re always so welcoming, so pleasant.”