Yen Ngoc Do

Đỗ Ngọc Yến was a prominent Vietnamese journalist, known for founding Nhật báo Người Việt, the oldest and largest Vietnamese newspaper outside of Vietnam. He played a significant role in establishing the Little Saigon area in Orange County, California. Yen was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, and was one of five children. His father was a tailor who supported the Viet Minh in the fight for national independence against the French. His mother was a devout Catholic. Yen began his journalism career while still in school and became the editor of his school's newspaper. He was expelled for anti-government activities and had to self-educate, only obtaining his high school diploma at the age of 22. During his university years, he became a representative in the Student Executive Board and organized protests to overthrow General Nguyen Khanh in 1964. Yen started working with the International Voluntary Service (IVS), a US charity organization, and organized student volunteers to help IVS distribute food to flood victims in Central Vietnam. From 1964, Yen wrote for various newspapers and magazines, and from the 1970s, he collaborated with many foreign journalists in Vietnam. Politically, Yen opposed both colonialism and communism, believing that only the US had the power to counter communism. On April 26, 1975, he and his family left Vietnam and were later resettled in the US. He established Nhật báo Người Việt in late 1978, initially as a weekly and then as a daily from 1985, with the aim of providing truthful news about Vietnam and the refugee community overseas. He also acted as a mediator conveying the perspectives of Vietnamese refugees to the American public through the media. The newspaper's headquarters became a gathering place for writers and artists. In the 21st century, Yen suffered from diabetes and kidney failure, requiring weekly dialysis. He passed away on August 17, 2006, in Fountain Valley, California.