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Newsmedia
The Amerasians issue are NOT on the top 10 list of issues that hit the newsmedia " Most Important" stories. Actually besides few local based stories and the " Once a Year" Fall of Saigon stories,then silence are the main news.
Haite, Irak, revolutions,hunger there are reasons enough to write about, and the forgotten kids from USA, had become ghost of the past.
Its an sad reality, that is very hard to change. Father Founded tries hard to raise the matter in US and internationally, but its an uphill battle, with very few victories.
Most of time, it is empty promises, closed doors or rude comments. The few gains are mostly related to events, where Amerasians based in USA have located a father and it had been mention in the local newspaper or TV station. It never got though that local stuff,and it dies out as soon as the people read or saw the news.
Only the articles made in Vietnam, made an difference,in terms of reaching out the people, special Amerasians left behind in Vietnam, and it gave them hope and happiness to see that their people are not forgotten by the world.
Its our dream that the wall of silence will fall,and the American newsmedia again stand up for those without voice, and tell the American people what really happend to their kids in Vietnam.
The only way to raise the voice in the newsmedia, are for the normal people,to contact their local newsmedia and had them to do the story. As more local based newsmedia that do the story as bigger chance to change the issue, and help those amerasians still in vietnam.
For any Newsmedia that wanted to help,then please go on our " Contact " page, your help means an difference.
Javier & Tanit's Amerasian photo project
Javier & Tanit are 2 wonderfull photo journalist from Spain.They went to Vietnam in 2010, to do their photo project about the remaing amerasians, living there.
They ended making an realistic photo project, showing without any filters, hows 3 amerasians ( Name known by Father Founded ). No comments needed for the photos, just look at the faces and image it could be you, living in no mans land, with no fatherland.
Civilian companies in Vietnam
Contract workers, non combattent, state department many names for those that went to Vietnam,during the war. Father Founded continue to recive cases from Amerasians,looking for their fathers,that did civilian work,eather related to American companies,the US goverment or as civilian contract worker,serving the US military. For most of those cases,then its an mission impossible to locate an father,without really good informations. Contra the US military, there are no records of those that went to Vietnam, as civilians. Many of those companies,doesn't exist today,they had been closed down, merged or simply split up in so many smaller companies,and those old records are long gone. Father Founded, are working on the idea making an page where all the cases related to civilians in Vietnam, can be added. Below here are an list of some of the companies we had been reciving cases on:
RMK-BRJ (Raymond Morrison Knudsen Brown,Root and Jones)
Shell
Manhatten Chase Bank
Dyncorp
Ford
Philco
General Electric
Johnson, Drake and Piper
AT&T
DOD ( Department of defence)
USAID
Lear Siegler
Children of U.S. Military Around the World
Father Founded had received several cases of children living in Europe who are searching for their American birth father. If you fall into this category, please submit a search request.
Father Founded welcome you to the last update in 2011. The year had passed by like an rocket, leaving an tail of broken dreams, lost hopes and dead fathers but also happiness and an feeling for an better future.
So how was 2011 really for us working with amerasians ? That the question, that is hard to answer.
The Vietnam war are long gone and so are the life of many Vietnam veterans too. What the war didn't do to them, time did. Slowly but steady they die out,one by one, something we can't change.
So dies by age,some by sickness related to Vietnam and others again to life related issues. The clock are ticking down.
To many times we get the messages that the father had passed away, and an " Hard to understand" family eather rejected the idea that an loving but dead father had an child abroad or simply are very angry that it might been the truth and the whole picture of an honest family man are falling apart.
Amerasians are paying the price for past events in Vietnam and USA. No matter if they are living in USA or are still in Vietnam,they still stir up emotions among people. Its like an forgotten war that keeps coming back and keep hurting those been part of it.
Amerasians are still in Vietnam, my last trip in april 2011 show it in all ways. An sad sight, seing those old friends just living for survival not for happiness or for something better.
Vietnam might be an country with an more tolerant view towards " The Children of dust", but its still not home and it won't ever be.
We all getting older, us that had been part of the issue and the amerasians that been living though it. It takes an lot of energy to survive and do it all life.
Vietnam veterans as an group hadn't show much effort in look for their own children in Vietnam, assisting in the search for other fathers or in general to been an part of healing the past. It seems like hitting an wall of silence, when we ask for help to look for an lost father, sad that old sence of brotherhood are robbing the chance to reunite an lost father with hes child.
Amerasians are still leaving Vietnam,not like an river but here and there amerasians are pulling out, leaving for their fatherland. But there will always be someone left, forgotten by their people and left from the past.
Heros of 2011
Like 2010, when Father Founded first time nominated an hero of the year,then we did the same for 2011.So what's an hero for Father Founded ? An hero for us, are an person that are ready to help others in need regarding the cost, means and outcome. An person that don't look for any personal gains, in terms of money, power or popularity.
For me it had been difficult to find person/people that fit those ideals. Why ? Well in an time of economic hardship, realityshows and 15 minuts of fame, then there not an big selections left.
Unusally 3 people had been selected as heros of 2011. Those are 3 dedicated people, that in their own way had made an diffence in the life of the amerasians and for Father Founded.
James"Jim" Copeland
James are the only Vietnam vet with an amerasian daugther, that took up the responsibility as an father and as an citizen of the world.
Father Founded first touch with James came early 2011, when he asked for help in look for hes lost amerasian child, he fathered in Bien Hoa,Vietnam during hes time of duty.
Hes search took us to Vietnam, where we did an hardcore search, an search that ended back in USA, with the happy meeting of hes daugther Tiffany.
James is an very special person, he never forgot the child left behind in Vietnam neather did he gave up looking for her, no lies, excuses or other reasons for doing nothing. In the end in paid up in meeting the one child he missed most in hes life.
But behind the sun lies the shadow. The price of an new member of the family, had been huge. Part of hes own family went against him, due to the lack of under standing past events, in Vietnam. Not accepting the fact that an father cares for hes child, they took on an revenge rampage, trying to destroy the spirit of hope and love between father and child.
But as an old soldier James had withstand the pressure and an good relations
ship had have eveloped between him and hes new family.
Besides fighting for hes child, james offer the best help for other amerasians and for Father Founded, been part in Tv shows, newspapers and internet based newsmedia he had told the world hes personal story.
Had more Vietnam vets the same guts as James, to look for their lost kids, then our work would be much easier. Father Founded own James a lot for hes courage and open heart. For info on James life then look on " James" Jim" Copeland's case".
Vietnam "Recover the past" 2011
Once in an year, we try to head for Vietnam. We collect all the incoming cases from amerasians,that needs out help there, and from Vietnam vets that need to look for their lost kids too.
This time we had an bunch of amerasian cases and one Vietnam vets looking for hes child in Bien Hoa.
So back on the old battlezone and ready to rock it !!! For an week, we had to cover an area from Ho Chi Minh City, to Ben Tre and up to Bien Hoa.
Its not an easy task for 2 men, in the 40'ties, sitting on an motorbike down the way to Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and My Tho but we made it and met several new amerasians, and clear signal that amerasians are still in Vietnam.
In Ho Chi Minh City some new amerasians turned up and we had meetings with old amerasian friends too, happy to see them but sad to see them in Vietnam and not in USA.
The main drive for this trip to Vietnam, was James" jim" Copeland's case. He was looking for hes amerasian child in Bien Hoa, and Father Founded decided to take the case.
James case we an groundbreaking example in how to locate an lost child, of an Vietnam vets, inside Vietnam. Armed with an handdraw map ,old photos, informations and some luck we then headed for Bien Hoa and James place of duty.
Asking questions, compare an handmade map with local peoples information, based on events that happend 40 years ago are really pure luck, madness and hard work. But 2 days and the combinations of those 3 things took us to james daugther Tiffany, she had already left for USA.
Now James and his daugther had met and the circle been closed, so for us in Father Founded, the trip had been succesfull in terms of making an difference.
Cases update:
2011 had seen fewer amerasian cases, from Vietnam. With an declined Amerasian community and with those left in Vietnam, had almost no info,mostly just gave up and moved on with their life.
Fewer Amerasians in USA are hitting the application button for search for their fathers too,mostly had little or no info and many just moved on too, with their life.
Some Vietnam vets turned up too, in looking for their lost child, but its almost nothing and it doesn't really make an different, when it come to the amount of Amerasians looking for their fathers.
Many more relatives of Vietnam vets are turning up, wondering what happend to the child that their father,brother or uncle made in Vietnam. Its an positive sign that the family are looking for the relative in Vietnam.
Besides that we had amerasian cases from Philipines too, since Father Founded are steadly moving their search work to the Philipines, where many amerasians too are looking for their lost fathers.
Its hard to locate an lost person, and even harder to have the person admit having an child in an foreign country. An other hard to denied point of view, are that more and more of the father had passed away, so its mostly dealing with the family of the father.
Finding people are not an easy task,its demanding but also worthy job and every person find alive and small victory for mankind.
Amerasian cases Vietnam: 9
Amerasian cases USA: 9
Father searching for amerasian child: 11
Anyone looking for: 9
Amerasian cases Philipines: 7
Solved cases: 6
International Amerasian news
Amerasians are not only in Vietnam, they are spread all over in Asia, countries like Philippines,Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Laos. Amerasians have moved to countries like France, Australia and Germany.
Father Founded had started to move in to those countries, trying to assist amerasians there to find their fathers too. So we add in what ever news that exist special related to Father Founded, country by country.
Philippines:
Amerasians had existed in Philippines for more than 100 years, created following the first Americans who came to liberate the country from the Spanish colonialism, up though World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam and to the cold war. In 1992, the largest overseas U.S. Navy Base, Subic Bay in Olongapo City, and Clark Air Force Base in Angeles City were evacuated due to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. U.S. military forces have not returned nor dealt with the estimated 50,000 Amerasians left behind. Like Amerasians in Vietnam, Amerasians in the Philipines are poor and have little opportunity to be treated equally as the rest of the population. They often live on the streets, lack education and opportunity, perform hard labour and are treated as second class citizens.
Interest in Philippino Amerasians especially in the United States has been minimal but as groups of Amerasians form and support each other, they have reached out to organizations like Father Founded, asking for help. Father Founded had been helping Philippino Amerasians for an while, on and off doing a few cases here and there, but in 2021 FF's efforts increased significantly and in two years almost 200 DNA kits have been sent to Amerasians in the Philippines.
France:
France used to be the colonial mother of Vietnam, it occupied the country for almost 70 years. The French lifestyle and culture are still to been seen in Vietnam today, speciel though the food and churches.
But France also host an Amerasian community, they came after the fall of Saigon in 1975. They came to France, with their adopted parents. The amerasians were adopted or stolen from orphanages, had new papers and the taken to France.
Now growing up, they start to ask about their own past. Who are we ? Why are we in France ? What happend to our real parents ? Some try to look up their mothers in Vietnam and others their American fathers.
Now Father Founded, starts to join with the amerasians of France, in their search for their lost fathers and past and we hope that together we can reclaim the past.
More on Father Founded and the French amerasians:
Amerasians in France ( English )
Amerasians in France ( French )
Amerasians in France, submit your case
The newsmedia
The power of the newsmedia are as strong as the goverment or military. They are able to change peoples mind and heart, by their words and articles.
But the newsmedia had been very silent, when it comes to cover the amerasian issue. It seems like other sad stories are taken the space, and the amerasians are way down on the news hit list.
Frustating are special the American newsmedia, in their lack off interest in their own kids left behind around the old military bases.
So many empty promises, lies and waste of time from tv stations and news papers in USA.
No one knows what the future brings, but the fight for attention getting more rough. We can only tell the people to support the amerasians and Father Founded, by contacting their local newsmedia and had them cover the issue.
Below here are some links of the newsmedia that covered the amerasians:
Final words
2011 are coming to an end, and soon 2012 will arrive. Father Founded would like to thank all those people, that helped us and the amerasians in this year, regarding what they did. We hope that people will turned up in 2012, and continue to help them amerasians and Father Founded.
Let 2012 be the year that brings the amerasians "Home", no matter if they lives in Vietnam, Philipines or any other asian countries. Let 2012, make more amerasians to find their lost fathers, so they too can feel the happines of having an loving, caring father.
Finally we wish everyone an Merry X-mas and an Happy New Year to every amerasian, Vietnam vet, Vietnamese, American and anyone that cares for the amerasians and their life.
Sincerely
Brian Hjort
Founder of Father Founded
Tribute
Father Founded, would like to pay tribute to Clint W Haines,who had recent passed away. Clint was an Vietnam veteran and also looking for hes Amerasian child.
Clint had spend a lot of time assisting amerasians looking for their fathers,and he been known and loved for hes work.
Health was against Clint, he fought the best to make it, but lost the final batlle. Clint you taugth me a lot, even I only meet you once in Vietnam, then we had an funny meeting. You reminded me about how world suppose to be, where people help people,without borders.
Clint take care old buddy, I know you had peace now
Brian Hjort, Father Founded
Cases Updated
In the year passing and this year, we had already recived many new cases, from several different people, Amerasians to Vietnam veterans to relatives and friends.
For Father Founded it just show that the issue are still well alive,and will keep continue,as long someone promote it.
Amerasian USA 2011, 29 cases
Amerasian Vietnam 2011, 17 cases
Father searching for amerasian child 2011, 3 cases
Other 2011, 3 cases
Anyone looking for 2011, 2 cases
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