Thi Luong was born and raised in Vietnam, where she has a background in both English and computer software. She moved to Portland in 2004 with the hope of providing her son with more opportunities. Upon arriving, Luong initially lived in Northeast Portland with her father, who immigrated to the United States in 1991. During her first year in Portland, Luong worked in a nail salon while also attending Portland Community College (PCC.) After receiving a degree in Computer Application and Office Systems, Luong found work with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) as a family engagement specialist. Luong still works at IRCO, where she contracts with Portland Public Schools (PPS) to provide support to Vietnamese families.

The interview begins with Thi Luong outlining both her arrival and education in Portland. She goes on to discuss how her son, who was ten years old when they moved to Portland, experienced his time in Portland Public Schools. Afterwards, Luong talks about her career path in the United States and how she came to work at IRCO. Luong explains that language barriers, cultural differences, and a lack of opportunities often makes adjusting to life in the United States difficult for Vietnamese immigrants. From there, she talks about some of the strengths and challenges of the Vietnamese American community in Oregon how more funding could improve social services for immigrants.