Culture Explosion. The Port city of New Orleans continues to thrive as a dynamic cultural and economic melting pot

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1 Culture Explosion The Port city of New Orleans continues to thrive as a dynamic cultural and economic melting pot PLUS: Rapid response to Hurricane Isaac, an LME port of choice, Shipper Spotlight & more Port news

2 Culture Explosion New Orleans was founded as an international trade center. Today the Port city continues to thrive as a dynamic cultural and economic melting pot By Autumn Cafiero Giusti Bienville. Bordeaux. Galvez. Spain. The names of New Orleans storied streets hint at the city s international influences. But New Orleans cultural diversity extends far beyond street signs and intersections. As a major U.S. port city, New Orleans has always been an international locale, thriving culturally and economically with diversity. That diversity spans from the city s roots as a French and Spanish colony to century-old trade agreements with Latin America. Immigrants from countries such as Italy, Germany and Greece are among those who also planted early roots in New Orleans and helped shape the city s famous ethnic landscape with their food, festivals and businesses. New Orleans was founded as an international trading city, and that has never changed. This has drawn people here from around the globe for centuries, and their influence can be seen almost everywhere, says Dominik Knoll, CEO of the New Orleans World Trade Center. The WTC of New Orleans was recognized as the first World Trade Center, dating back 10 New Orleans Port Record September/October 2012 PHOTOS BY CHERYL GERBER

3 Facing page: Members of the Nicaraguan Folkloric Ballet Cosmapa parade in the streets of New Orleans. The Hispanic community makes up 7.9 percent of the New Orleans area population. Ethnic supermarkets across the New Orleans metro area specialize in imported products such as Goya, a brand familiar to Hispanics. to 1943, Knoll says. Today, the city s business leaders continue to promote the region as a destination for international commerce and tourism. There are 50 full-time and honorary consulates in New Orleans, ranging from Albania to Venezuela. We re truly one of the world s great international cities, and with our position on the Mississippi River, we re the backbone of the U.S. economy, Knoll says. What sets New Orleans apart from other U.S. cities is that there is no one dominant nationality represented. Instead, there are smatterings of many, all of them making up a dynamic cultural and economic melting pot. Here s a highlight of just a few international influences shaping our cultural climate today and into the future. Latin Parallels It s not an accident that many of New Orleans international residents hail from countries with humid climates, strong culinary traditions and a relaxed outlook on life. All of these things tend to attract people of similar climates, says Darlene Kattan, executive director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana. It s a commonly held belief that Hispanics didn t show up in New Orleans en masse until after Hurricane Katrina to find work in rebuilding efforts, but they have been part of the city for nearly a century. Hondurans make up the largest immigrant denomination in New Orleans, Kattan says. The city is said to be home to the largest Honduran population outside of Honduras itself. Although there is no official breakdown, the U.S. Census hints at New Orleans large Honduran population. Hispanics account for 7.9 percent of the population of metropolitan New Orleans, or about 92,000 people. Of that, 5.1 percent are listed as other Hispanic or Latino. Hondurans and other Hispanic groups started coming to New Orleans a century ago as employees of United Fruit Co. and Standard Fruit Co., which traded tropical fruit grown in Central America. Another wave of Hondurans moved to New Orleans after Hurricane Mitch devastated their country in Many chose the city because they already had relatives here. The Brazilian population in New Orleans has grown over the years, and it s no coincidence that New Orleans culture bears a striking resemblance to that of Brazil, Kattan says. Both regions are predominately Catholic, and both are international tourist destinations for celebrating Carnival. Brazilians say they are drawn to New Orleans for its similarities to their homeland, namely its culture, food, music and attitude toward life. They like the sensuousness here. We slow down our walking in the summertime with the humidity, Kattan says. New Orleans has long had a strong trade relationship with Brazil. David Schulingkamp, president of international customs broker M.G. Maher and New Orleans Honorary General Consul of Brazil, has visited the country more than 50 times since 1983 for trade trips and co-owns a Brazilian company. In the past two decades, Brazil s industrial output has September/October

4 grown, allowing the country to import more Louisiana products such as petroleum, refined chemicals and machinery to support manufacturing, he says. Brazil has really grown in the last 20 years in terms of its wealth, ability to trade both ways and imports and exports, Schulingkamp says. Kattan estimates the overall Hispanic population in New Orleans today is closer to 120,000 to 160,000, adding that there was a low response rate among Hispanics in the 2010 Census. Construction, grocery stores and restaurants may be the most visible Hispanic businesses in New Orleans, but Hispanics are involved in just about every industry, Kattan says. The nation s largest Hispanic-owned accounting firm, Houstonbased MFR, has two offices in New Orleans. And many Hispanics from South America are in New Orleans medical fields. Far East to New Orleans East The Asian community accounts for 2.7 percent of New Orleans residents, making it the next-largest population group after Hispanics. The Vietnamese community accounts for the largest segment of New Orleans Asian population, with 15,991 residents, according the U.S. Census. The Vietnamese came to New Orleans after the fall of Saigon in Many were fishermen who were drawn to the coastal city for the opportunity to continue their livelihood. They started to let people around the country know that New Orleans was the second Vietnam, says Giuseppe Anthony Tran, parish coordinator for Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church in eastern New Orleans. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina dealt a devastating blow to the Vietnamese community, destroying their fishing boats Left: Dong Phuong Oriental Restaurant & Bakery, a 30-year-old bakery with Asian roots and French influence, highlights the influence New Orleans international communities have on the food, culture and business. Above: the official flag of the city of New Orleans bears the classic French fleur de lis. We re truly one of the world s great international cities, and with our position on the Mississippi River, we re the backbone of the U.S. economy. Dominik Knoll, CEO of the New Orleans World Trade Center 12 New Orleans Port Record September/October 2012 LEFT PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER. RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ORLEANS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

5 and sending water up to the rooftops of homes and businesses. Fishermen make up about 60 percent of the Vietnamese community, Tran says. The storm demonstrated the community s resilience, however, with many residents rebuilding and restarting their businesses with little to no government assistance. The community had to tap into that resilience again in 2010, when the BP oil spill devastated the Vietnamese fishermen. The French Connection New Orleans time as a French colony may be long over, but the French continue to have an influence on New Orleans business and culture. In October, Louisiana Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne will lead a delegation of business leaders and educators to Paris and Lyon to sign accords with the French government that promote French language and culture in Louisiana. There are great opportunities for Louisiana businesses in France, and this mission is designed to thank the many French companies which are already doing business in Louisiana, and help establish those really vital first points of contact that can lead to deals that will help both sides, says Knoll of the World Trade Center, which has been helping to promote the mission. The purpose of the trip is to explore the synergies between the burgeoning industries of biotechnology, digital media, water resource management, energy and agriculture in France and Louisiana. The French influence has also extended to New Orleans education landscape, where French immersion schools such as Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orléans and Ecole Bilingue have emerged in recent years. An International Future Business leaders and cultural experts see opportunities for New Orleans to become even more of an international city in the future. New Orleans can expect to see growth in its Chinese population, says Wing Fok, management professor and director of Asia Business Studies for Loyola University New Orleans. Traditionally, the Chinese have gravitated to big cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. But as those cities become more congested, Chinese residents are seeking out smaller cities like New Orleans, Fok says. The economy of China is growing. The Chinese are actively looking for investment opportunities all over the world, Fok says. The widening of the Panama Canal is expected to increase trade potential with the Far East by making it more efficient and less expensive to transport bulk and liquid products, Schulingkamp says. It could also create some opportunities for industrial development in Louisiana from international companies. There has been discussion about Cuba becoming a major transshipment hub for the region as the Panama Canal expansion is completed, Knoll says. New Orleans proximity to Cuba historically made it an appealing trade hub. In the 1920s, New Orleans was Cuba s largest trading partner. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport recently became one of a few U.S. airports that received permission to conduct direct flights to Havana, Cuba. The airport received approval last October from the Cuban government to receive flights from New Orleans. Trade and business officials believe New Orleans will continue to be an attractive location for international businesses. I think New Orleans is going to continue to grow as a container port and as a breakbulk and bulk port, Schulingkamp says. The same can be said for the culture. The personality of the city is very different from the rest of the U.S., and I think people see that when they come here, Kattan says. September/October