Born between Two Worlds - The Forgotten Babies of the War
Ever thought about what it means to exist between two worlds, but belong to neither? Imagine being born as a permanent reminder of war - your very existence is a scar left behind by violence, politics, and abandonment. That’s the reality for thousands of Amerasians, the mixed-race children born to Vietnamese mothers and American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Sounds dramatic, but this isn't some indie film on war with an emotional soundtrack and a touching reunion scene. This is real life, and for these kids, it was brutal. In post-war Vietnam, purity of blood was everything, and these children? They were Bụi đời - the "dust of life." Unwanted, unclaimed, and untouchable. Some were products of fleeting wartime romances, others transactional relationships between soldiers and Vietnamese women struggling to survive, and some… some were conceived in acts of war itself, through assault and coercion. So, what happens to a child when their entire existence is seen as a disgrace?
‘Reinforcing the wall to protect our classrooms' by Phương Quốc Thanh, 14 years old. Việt Nam. no. 141, 6,1969 p. 18. British Library, SU 216(2).
Up to 100,000 Amerasians were born during the Vietnam War, but the numbers are messy - some say 20,000 to 30,000 remained in Vietnam by 1975. Many were thrown into overcrowded orphanages, forced into child labour, or trafficked, while their fathers? Most were back in the U.S., pretending they never existed (UNO Digital Humanities Projects). In 1975, Operation Babylift attempted to airlift thousands of orphans out of South Vietnam. Its first flight crashed, killing 138 people, including 78 children.
It's 1987, and America suddenly decides it has a conscience and passes the Amerasian Homecoming Act, opening the doors to these children - and sometimes their families - for immigration to the U.S. Sounds good on paper, but in reality? It was messy. First off, the law had no DNA testing. That meant that thousands of non-Amerasians scammed their way into the program while actual Amerasians were left behind. Second, let’s talk about the emotional whiplash - after years of being treated like garbage, they were suddenly told, “Hey, you’re American now! Welcome home! ”, but it wasn’t a fairytale ending; home wasn’t exactly welcoming. Most of them did not speak the English language and did not know how to go about in a Western country; and worst of all? Their fathers, American soldiers who loved or abandoned them, were not interested in them at all, many of whom landed in a country that hardly wanted them, struggling with racism, poverty, and shattered identities.
A 1994 study found that 22% of Amerasian men and 18% of women had experienced physical or sexual abuse. And even now, at least 400 Amerasians are still stuck in Vietnam, searching for their American fathers through DNA testing. History loves to erase the uncomfortable bits, but these stories still echo - if you’re listening.
Crying Drops of Blood - Chi D. Pham (Amerasian from Vietnam) If lyrics could be worded to spell out two lines of blood, the kids who have never known love.
It could be written With whiskey sours, this taste Of sadness, the truth in tears. What possible version of poetry Could be used to compare Innocent souls? Smiles? They come to our lips and Burst with our tears, crying Oh Mother! Where are you? Oh Father! Are you Just a breeze?
Who poured these pains over us? Who can understand orphaned Children, the foreigners who fathered us, Diluted our blood and divided us In half. Never have we felt Fully human. Like wandering souls Without relatives, we have No temple, no offering. Ghosts receive respect, we are greeted With hate. People kick us With pity back and forth.
So, before you scroll, think: What would it be like to grow up knowing you were a secret someone tried to forget?
Spread this story, share their voices.
Amerasians in Saigon 1985 & 1987 including Kim Nguyen Christina Firpo’s research reveals how the Vietnamese government actively erased Amerasian children from history, seeing them as symbols of national humiliation rather than war victims (Firpo, 2016). Fast forward to today - Amerasians are still out here trying to get what's theirs. Some are going full activist mode, pushing for reparations and fighting to reconnect with their American roots. Organizations like Amerasians Without Borders are doing the heavy lifting, but the U.S. government? Still hasn't dropped any official apology or set up a memorial. In fact, about 30,000 Amerasians are still searching for their dads, trying to find that closure and identity they’ve been denied. While they’re building supportive communities, that “official” recognition is still a major #missedopportunity.
Time for the U.S. to step up and give these folks the acknowledgment they’ve earned.
History tries to forget them, but we won’t. Because being born in the crossfire of war isn’t a crime. Being abandoned by two nations? That is.
REFERENCES:
Marie Claire. Shocked by reports of Amerasian abuse in Vietnam, U.S. legislators passed the Amerasian Homecoming Act in 1987.
United States Institute of Peace. (n.d.). Children of war: The Vietnam War's forgotten generation.
Chron. An estimated 100,000 Vietnamese Amerasian children were born to U.S. soldiers and Vietnamese mothers during the Vietnam War.
UNO Digital Humanities Projects. Life became even more complicated for Amerasians and their families after the withdrawal of American troops and the Fall of Saigon in 1975.
Smithsonian Magazine. Once shunned by many, Vietnamese Amerasians now celebrate their heritage. Retrieved from
Firpo, C. (2016). The Uprooted: Race, Children, and Imperialism in French Indochina. 1890–1980. University of Hawai'i Press.
McKelvey, R. S. (1999). The Dust of Life: America's Children Abandoned in Vietnam. University of Washington Press.