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ORAL HISTORY
Linh Garza
Dong Phuong Bakery
Linh Garza was born in Sóc Trăng, Vietnam and grew up in New Orleans East. Linh was six months old when her family arrived in the U.S. after fleeing their home in the wake of the Vietnam War. Growing up in the close–knit Vietnamese community Versailles, Linh found her second home at Dong Phuong Bakery after her parents, De Van and Huong Tran, took over the business in 1982. Mrs. Garza resides in Dallas, TX with her husband, Ruben, and daughter, Miya.
After the passing of her father in 2004 and her brother, Trung, in 2010, Linh became increasingly involved in the family business. The mastermind behind a “war plan” that allows Dong Phuong to turn out 60,000 king cakes in one Carnival Season, she has expanded and modernized business systems to keep up with ever–increasing demand. While thrilled by the success of Dong Phuong king cakes, Linh remains invested in preserving traditional family recipes from China and Vietnam. Recently, she has been promoting the popular mooncakes that are consumed during the Mid–Autumn Festival, a 3,000 year old holiday which originates from China and is widely celebrated throughout Asia.
