Nguoi Viet Daily News
Nguoi Viet Daily News, Inc. (Vietnamese: Nhật báo Người Việt) is the first, oldest, and largest daily newspaper published in Vietnamese outside of mainland Vietnam. The story of the newspaper is an American Dream success story. The newspaper was established by husband and wife Yen Ngoc Do and Loan La Do in 1978, three years after escaping the Vietnam War with their family. Yen had served as a journalist during the Vietnam War, and wrote for such prestigious outlets as the Rand Corporation based in California. Loan had risen to become a well-known English school teacher after graduating from college. During the Vietnam War, Yen and Loan were one of the few married Vietnamese couples who were each fluent in English, and could readily communicate across the spectrum of individuals - Vietnamese, American, and others - involved in fighting the communists. Therefore, they garnered a vast following from people who were hungry for the news. The name of their newspaper người Việt symbolizes Vietnamese people".[1]
 Người Việt Daily News Head Quarter | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Print, Digital, Online, Video, Social Media |
| Owner(s) | ESOP |
| Founder(s) | Đỗ Ngọc Yến |
| Publisher | Đỗ Quý Toàn |
| Founded | December 15, 1978 |
| Language | (in Vietnamese and English) |
| Headquarters | Westminster, California |
| Circulation | 9,956 (July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016) - Verified Audit Circulation |
| Sister newspapers | Saigon Nhỏ (Little Saigon News) |
| Website | http://www.nguoi-viet.com/ |
Nguoi Viet Daily News began as a weekly four-page newspaper.[2] The first issue, dated December 15, 1978, was printed in the couple's garage in Orange County, California, with the assistance of their entire family consisting of four extremely young children. Just as the story of the newspaper is an American Dream success story - the story of entrepreneurship (especially made famous by California garages) started in Southern California long before the rise of Silicon Valley. The Do family's blood, sweat, and tears catalyzed and financed the initial press run of 2,000 copies with $4,000 of their own life savings from their Vietnam War escape.
The first edition of "Nguoi Viet Daily News" was a four-page publication, printed and distributed on December 15, 1978, in San Diego, California. After operating as a weekly for some time, the publication became "Nguoi Viet Daily News, Inc." in 1985. By founding the newspaper, Yen and Loan were instrumental in helping to establish all of Little Saigon in Southern California. Their newspaper served as the flagship of the economically vibrant community and is, today, the heart of the largest Vietnamese population outside of the country of Vietnam. The headquarters of "Nguoi Viet Daily News, Inc" is now located in Westminster, Orange County. (In fact, the company became such a success that other newer and smaller entities copied its name - since it was a household word - for their own non-media businesses).
Today, the company boasts multiple facets, subsidiaries, and various publications, with the original seminal publication claiming a daily circulation of 20,000+ copies (Verified Audit Circulation). Copies of "Nguoi Viet Daily News" can be found throughout the marketplace and, in particular, most ethnic communities, and online, in bookstores, at newspaper vending machines, and Vietnamese retail venues throughout the world plus via home-delivery to residences everywhere ">{cite web|"LAT 2019-03-21">Do, Anh (March 21, 2019). "In the world famous hub of Little Saigon, Orange County, this newspaper has been giving a community a voice for 40+ years". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-04-02.</ref>
"Nguoi Viet Daily News, Inc." and its founders, Yen and Loan Do, were displayed in a permanent exhibit at the historic Newseum located in Washington, D.C., and the company is responsible for various journalism endowments and scholarships.
Yen died in 2006. Loan is retired, and serves as an informal advisor to the company. Their adult children are spread across the continent, with their eldest, Anh Đỗ, an acclaimed journalist in her own right, serving in leadership capacities on many media boards and organizations, and carrying on her parents' legacy in the Golden State.
References
- "Yen Do and the Story of Nguoi Viet Daily News". maxreading.
- Do, Anh (March 21, 2019). "In Little Saigon, this newspaper has been giving a community a voice for 40 years". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-04-02.