"T. Ho & Family/ Knoxville"

First generation Americans always have had to depend more on their wits and scrappiness than have their descendants. So it's not surprising then that their paths to success make for some remarkably inspirational business stories.

In our first look at some of Tennessee's most successful immigrants, we tell some of these stories. Hailing from such places as Vietnam, Cuba and Iran- we seem to be blessed with talented folks who fled politically repressed nations- our immigrants have brought with them ample amounts of pluck and knowledge. While several that we profile began their American odysseys washing dishes and pumping gas, many brought with them technical skills that immediately boosted our economy and standard of living.

Tennessee is lucky that these productive souls chose the Volunteer State as the field on which to play the American game of capitalism. Their successes contribute to the vitality of the state and are wonderful inspirations for those of us whose ancestors had the moxie to leave their home nations and settle in Tennessee.

June 2005

Knoxville restaurateur Thanh "T" Ho and his wife, On Dang, escaped Communist-controlled Vietnam in 1979 on a fishing boat with their six children. They reached the Philippines after 11 days at sea. Following a 14-month stint at a refugee camp, the family came to East Tennessee, sponsored by T. Ho's brother.

Ho learned to speak English and got a college degree. After five years working as an electronic technician, he and his wife opened a carry-out Vietnamese eatery. T. Ho's restaurant opened the following year in 1987. To this day, it remains the only Vietnamese restaurant in Knoxville.

In 1996, two of Ho's sons, Thuc and Thoai ("Ty"), immigrants themselves, opened a food processing plant in nearby Powell with the idea of making, packaging and distributing their family's locally famous egg rolls. Today, T. Ho Foods sell their product to food suppliers and restaurants chains across the Southeast. The brothers also have a fast-growing custom food processing operation, making everything from wing sauce to dressings to gourmet appetizers for clients like O' Charley's, the Tennessee Titans and Green Hills Grille.

-Kevin Kennedy, Paige Orr, Drew Ruble and Alexei Smirnov
Immigrant Initiative