Preserving Vietnamese Culture and Language in Southern Louisiana: Altars as Symbols of Identity

Buddhist prayers said before home altars are similar in their subjects and concerns to those of the Catholic prayers. Many Catholics describe the ritual prayers said in front of the altar as depending on what has happened throughout that day. The Catholic altars are usually in the main room of the house. In the center is a statue or a picture of Jesus, and next to him are statues or pictures of Mary and Joseph. Candles, flowers, and holy water adorn the altar. Some families have other special items on the altar as well, such as a picture of a Vietnamese martyr or a special vial of holy water.

Home altar of Joseph Doan of Abbeville. Photo: Emma Tomingas-Hatch.

Joseph Doan's home altar features holy water, statues, and photos of a Vietnamese Catholic martyr: Troung Buu Diep. To the left is a dried palm frond from Easter and scapulars hang from a statue. The purse holds a rosary and the green and red ribbons are for decoration. Photo: Emma Tomingas-Hatch.

Every day the entire family prays together, usually reciting in unison, and then, in some families, individual prayers are said. Many Vietnamese Catholics pray before bedtime. Thien Tran describes his family's prayer ritual. His family only lights the candles for special occasions, such as a holiday, the anniversary of the death of a family member, or a visit by a priest who comes to the home to say mass. He, his wife, and their three young children gather in the family room before bedtime and sit in front of the altar. His wife then says a prayer, and they all follow. Bac Nguyen, a friend of Thien's from South Vietnam who has lived in Louisiana since 1988, has a similar ritual with his family's altar. They, too, sit together before bedtime and recite a prayer together every night. One difference between Bac's and Thien's ritual is that Bac's family lights the candles every night for their prayer. Joseph Doan's family prayer ritual differs only in that they pray three times a day: once in the morning, once before dinner, and once before bed.

For Tony Bui the items on his Catholic home altar are sacred, especially the statues, pictures, and holy water because these things have been blessed by a priest. He notes how much respect they have for their statues of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. In Abbeville a special statue of Mary is weekly given to a different family to place on their altar. This, in Abbeville, constitutes a special occasion: candles are lit and fresh flowers, traditionally red roses, are bought for the altar. During mass that week the priest says a special prayer for the family possessing the statue. The family makes offerings of wine, bread, and money in church. After mass, the entire community gathers at the family's home and they all pray together in front of the statue. To be selected to temporarily have the statue is a great privilege among the Catholic Vietnamese community in Abbeville.

Many of the Catholics who were interviewed distinguished themselves from the Buddhists in a couple of ways. The first was that it is primarily a Buddhist trait to have an altar in the place of business. Many Catholics adorn their places of business with paintings and statues of Jesus or Mary, but do not have altars. Nonetheless, these items function in a similar way as the Buddhist business altars do, in that they are reminders of beliefs and spirituality. Another distinction between the altar practices of the two religions is that of offerings on the altar. As previously mentioned, the Buddhists traditionally make offerings of food and drink on their altars. Depending on the occasion or on what is available, they usually make it a point to offer something every day. The Catholics, on the other hand, usually "only offer their prayers" as Tony Bui stated. Another distinction that was often made was the issue of incense on the altar. Many Catholics explain that incense was not something they put on their altars, but they were aware that it was a Buddhist tradition to burn incense on the altar. However, some Catholics point out that recently the Vatican made the decision to allow the Vietnamese parishioners to burn incense on their home altars and consequently a few Catholics do currently participate in the tradition of burning incense. The final distinction is bowing. Buddhist traditionally bow from their waist three times in front of their altars, while Catholics simply bow their heads during prayer.

Despite the differences, there are many similarities in the ways that the Catholic and the Buddhist communities in Abbeville, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge keep their culture and religions alive and both seem to have a similar goal of maintaining all of their Vietnamese traditions in Louisiana for generations to come.

Altar items are available from Vinh Phat, a Vietnamese market in Baton Rouge. Photo: Maida Owens.

Incense at Vinh Phat, a Vietnamese market in Baton Rouge. Photo: Maida Owens.

Vinh Phat is a Vietnamese market in Baton Rouge that has fresh produce, food, and dry goods from throughout Asia. Photo: Maida Owens.

Emma Tomingas-Hatch, an independent researcher in Lafayette, Louisiana, received her Masters degree in Folklore from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. This article was prepared as part of the New Populations Project in 2009.