1st Vietnamese-American Elected to House

The first Vietnamese-American elected to the House says he hopes his win will push more young people to become politically active. Anh "Joseph" Cao says his win shows that "really anything can happen." The Republican defeated nine-term Democratic Rep. William Jefferson in the mostly African-American and heavily Democratic New Orleans-area district. Jefferson had been expected to win a 10th term but he has been battling scandals and a federal indictment for the past three years. Cao came to the U.S. at the age of 8 after his family fled Vietnam as it fell to communists.

"When I [was] 9 years old, I received a letter from my father while he was in the re-education camp," Cao said. "He told me to study hard, to work hard and to give back to your country and to your community. So I hope to do that in Congress."