Meet Henry Vo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Henry Vo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Henry, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
I think this is one of the most poignant questions in existence, but also one of the most important to ask. Happiness is so subjective, therefore, it’s already hard to really give a precise answer, on top of everyone’s mental health nowadays, it’s an even harder question to answer. Most people are unsure of how to even answer it. For a long time, I didn’t understand what the question was actually asking. I always tried to give super pretentious answers such as, “happiness is dependent on your state of mind and whether you’re truly at peace with yourself.” That answer is fine and dandy, but it doesn’t really mean anything. I only gave that answer because I wasn’t sure what happiness was or what even made me happy. Now that I’m older and have more life experience, happiness, to me, are the little things in life. Things that make you reflect back and think “Gosh, I’m lucky to be here.” Laughter amongst friends is one of the simplest forms of happiness. When I can just relax with my friends and one of us will randomly crack the dumbest jokes but also one of the funniest things we’ve ever heard that day. Whenever I see my mom’s smile, it makes everything I do worth it. At the end of the day she’s literally just a girl, even if she’s in her 50s, she has sacrificed so much for us and when she smiles it shows me her immense love, gratitude, and how proud she is of her kids. Other things that makes me happy are the smell of fresh cut grass, when my clients get an approval, hearing my dogs’ footsteps following me around the house, and fresh warm laundry straight out the dryer.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the founder and managing attorney at The Vo Firm, a law firm specializing in immigration law, which officially launched in 2025. I’ve been practicing immigration law for the last 2 years. Immigration was always something that I was passionate about, having grown up in a predominantly immigrant community. I came to the U.S., along with my parents, when I was 3 years old from Vietnam. My mom received a visa through the Amerasian program and the government settled us in Alief where we lived with like 7 other families in a small one-bedroom apartment until each family worked to make enough to move out and get their own unit. My childhood was filled with immigrants from all over the world, Vietnam, Nigeria, China, Mexico, etc. Learning about everyone’s cultures and their stories shaped the trajectory of my life. I was constantly surrounded and immersed myself into these different cultures and understanding the people and languages and customs. This is what America should be.

My family also went through our own immigration journey. After we came to the U.S., through my mom’s Amerasian status, we received our green cards. After about 10 years, my parents both became naturalized after passing the citizenship tests. I was able to become naturalized with them as I was a minor. At the time, I just thought having a citizenship meant more freedom to travel and more rights, and all those are still true, but I couldn’t comprehend the difficult journey my parents had to go through. Navigating the immigration system is hard and challenging, that’s because it’s meant to be. It’s a long and arduous journey to get to citizenship. I didn’t know that then, but it’s clear to me now how valuable immigration attorneys are. My parents were both able to get their citizenship thanks to an immigration attorney who helped our family.

Now, I’m proud to say I am able to provide the same assistance and guide people through their own journey. I love attending USCIS interviews with my clients. It might take 3 hours just sitting in the lobby, but it’s an opportunity to get to know my clients on a deeper level. Talking to them about their immigration journey takes me back to the kid living in Alief listening to other people’s immigration journeys. Since starting my firm, I’ve been able to provide immigration services with care, compassion, and clarity. Most clients don’t understand the immigration process, which is why they hire me, and it is important to include the clients and explain to them in layman’s terms so they could understand and feel as though they are working on this journey together. I’ve worked at firms that just gives clients the runaround and clients are left still feeling confused but scared to ask questions. I don’t want that with my clients. It isn’t just another dollar sign. It’s building a future, together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Houston is amazing because of the diversity we have to offer. America is often described as a “melting pot” but Houston is truly what encapsulates a true melting pot. Houston is definitely top 3 in food. You can find any authentic cuisine here and it’ll be ten times better than anywhere else. The entire street of Bellaire, from Hwy 6 to the loop, has some of the best foods ever. If you want to go out for a drink, bar hopping in midtown or Main St. are both really fun. A nice picnic at Hermann Park and then exploring the different museums. I think downtown is kind of underrated, which is silly considering it’s downtown, but most people are thinking of the traffic and the homelessness but there are a lot of hidden gems in downtown. There’s this delicious mom and pop burger joint I used to frequent when I was interning downtown by the courthouses. I can’t remember the name or know if it’s still even open but it had a car wheel hanging on the sign.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Definitely my friends and family. I’m someone who always has to have a second, third, fourth, etc. opinion. Especially when I’m unsure about something I always have to ask other’s for their pros/cons. Quitting my full time job at my last firm was one of the scariest decisions I’ve ever made. Losing that steady income is a terrifying feeling, I’m especially terrified of being poor. But I also knew I wasn’t being respected and my clients weren’t being treated how they deserve to be treated by management. I asked the people closest to me and got their opinions on all my worries and everything I wanted to achieve and they gave me the pros and cons for both sides. Ultimately, everyone was supportive of my decision and encouraged me to take that risk. Some even had to physically push me off the ledge, but I’m grateful for that, now. Starting my own business has always been a goal of mine since I was a teenager. What the business entails, I had no idea yet, I just knew I had to eventually be my own boss. And with the support and encouragement of the ones who I love and hold dear to me, I took that risk.

Website: https://www.thevofirm.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevofirm/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevofirm/

Image Credits
Katelyn Ngan