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AMERASIAN
CHILD FIND NETWORK, INC.
A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION
MISSION STATEMENT
We are an organization dedicated to assisting Amerasians and their
Father’s reunite. Our services are free to principals searching
for lost family. We are not aligned with any group, governmental
agency or cause. Our Only function is the reunification of
families. Our primary focus is Vietnamese Amerasians, however, we
will assist any child fathered by a member of the United States
Armed Services, or a person working for the U.S. Government
outside of the United States. All funds donated to the Network are
used in direct support of the activities of the Network. This
organization is run by a group of dedicated Non-governmental
volunteers both in and outside the United States.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF AMERASIAN CHILD FIND NETWORK (ACFN)
In 1992 our founder, Brian Hjort, traveled from his family home in
Denmark to visit the Amerasian Camps in Viet Nam. While there he
was approached by an Amerasian for assistance in locating his
American father. Thus Brian began a ten year odyssey. A cause had
been born and with his own money and small donations from friends
he carried on the work. Brian networked with anyone who was
interested in the cause of reuniting Amerasians with their
American father’s and families. He traveled the U.S. by Greyhound
bus in search of father’s and resources. At the same time, in Viet
Nam, Brian’s friend, Hung searched for Amerasians whose father’s
were looking for them. Hung has worked faithfully with Brian for
last ten years.
Without their efforts, this organization could not have functioned
on an effective level. Hung does this work at some personal risk
to himself. In the Spring of 2002 two more people joined Brian in
his efforts: a two-tour Viet Nam Veteran from South Carolina who
served as a Vietnamese Interpreter in Viet Nam; and a seasoned
Investigator working for a Law Enforcement Agency in Southern
California. In August of 2002 a former Private Investigator, who
was on the staff of the the Oregon Education Association as well
as other National Education Association Affiliates for twenty
years, joined the team. In October of 2002 the first woman, an
Assistant Executive at one of Del Webb’s Property’s in Northern
California, joined the team.
In September of 2002 a decision was made to change the name of the
organization from the Amerasian Relief Agency to The Amerasian
Child Find Network. It was also decided to become a non-profit
charitable corporation.
HISTORY OF AMERASIANS IN VIET NAM
Prior to 1962 the only Americans in Viet Nam were the commandos of
WWII and a few journalists. However, in the Spring of 1962,
President Kennedy committed a number of advisors to assist and
train the ARVN forces engaged in battle with the Viet Cong and
their advisors from the North. So began the saga of the Amerasians
of Viet Nam.
With the escalation of the War, so did the population of
Amerasians escalate. Most of the fathers’ were military personnel.
However, many Amerasians were fathered by civilian workers and
other Government personnel. The United States built huge bases from
the Delta to the DMZ and from the coast to the Central Highlands.
There wasn’t any place in Viet Nam that Amerasians couldn’t be
found. Their Mother’s were from every walk of life and every
ethnic group in Viet Nam. Their father’s included General’s to
Privates, U.S. Embassy personnel to civilian construction workers.
Some Amerasian children went home to the United States with their
parents or left during the operation baby lift. Other’s made their
way to the United States, Australia, or France during the boat
exodus. The vast majority however, remained in Viet Nam. For those
that remained, the situation got progressively worse. For example,
when the United States Forces left in 1973, many GI’s had taken
Amerasians under their wing and were providing some level of
support. Some Units had as many as ten Amerasians living and
working in their company areas. Some were lucky enough to be
adopted by their GI mentors. The rest were left to fend for
themselves in a society that saw them as an embarrassment and
third class citizens. Second class status in Vietnamese society
was reserved for the non-ethnic Vietnamese.
1975 brought the end of the American involvement in Southeast Asia
as the last helicopter lifted the United States Ambassador from
the roof of the Embassy. Soon after the reunification of Viet Nam,
the government formed the re-education camps. The Amerasians were
some of the first to go. This was due to their being
disenfranchised by Vietnamese society coupled with their strong
emotional ties to their birth father’s and the U.S. soldiers who
helped them. After their time in the Camps, most were sent to the
new economic zones where they performed farm and construction
work.
When the resettlement program proved to be a huge failure, many of
the Amerasians started to drift back to the population centers.
Upon arriving, they found that the opportunities that were
available to them under the old regime no longer existed for them.
They were no longer eligible for any type of work in the public
sector. They could not own property or business’s. If they were
lucky enough to leave the country, they could never return. In
effect they had been stripped of all rights of citizenship in the
Democratic Peoples Republic of Viet Nam.
In 1983 things started to change for the Amerasian Community in
Viet Nam. A program was established by the United Nations, the
U.S. Government, and the Government of Viet Nam called The Orderly
Departure Program (O.D.P.). This program was helpful however it
was not the streamlined exit program that had been envisioned by
it’s creators. There were accusations of fraud, payoffs and other
forms of corruption. In 1986 the program was ended due to
differences between the United States and Vietnamese government.
Also in 1986 Congress passed the Homecoming Act to assist
Amerasians to immigrate to the United States. With its’ base of
operations in Bangkok and only weekly visits allowed to Ho Chi
Minh City to do interviews, it has been less productive than most
had hoped. The burden of proof is placed on the Amerasians who
seek resettlement in the United States. This is cost prohibitive
for most Amerasians who live outside the city. The Amerasian Child
Find Network assists with the paper work., searches for Fathers
living in the United States, DNA Testing or searches for relatives
of deceased fathers. We also assist Father’s looking for their
Amerasian children in Viet Nam.
STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY
The Amerasian Child Find Network will make every effort to protect
the confidentiality of those for whom we are searching, and on
behalf of those we are searching for. We will only talk to those
who are the subject of a search about the nature of our inquiry.
It is not out intent to cause discord for anyone. If a subject is
not interested in reuniting with the person who is searching for
them, we will ask that person to think about their decision and we
will check back in seven days. If they still are not interested in
contacting the person, then we will not contact them again. No
information on the location will be provided to the person who was
searching. However we will inform the child or father that we have
made contact with the child or father and he has no interest in
reuniting.
HOW YOU CAN ASSIST OUR EFFORTS
We are a non-profit, non-governmental organization totally
dependant on gracious gifts from benefactors both corporate and
individual. The Board of Directors is 100% committed to providing
our services at no fee to our clients who are trying to reunite
with their family members. Our staff is totally comprised of
volunteers.
ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ASSISTANCE
We are looking for help in the areas of grant writing,
investigations, public relations, and media contacts. Veterans who
possess and will forward copies of old orders, morning reports,
unit rosters from Units serving in Viet Nam or any other forms of
assistance that you may believe to be of use to the organization
would be most helpful. You may contact us at Headquarters
assistance@amerasian-childfind.org.
CASE OUTCOMES
Case outcomes vary from case to case based on the amount and
accuracy of the information we receive when filling out your
search form. It is extremely important to give as much information
as possible so we may best assist you in your search. We have had
numerous cases of reunification. However, we have had cases that
have ended with rejection by the parent or child. This does not
happen often. However, it is a possibility that you should be
prepared to accept. The inclusion of our new searchable data base
makes it more effective for those who are looking for their loved
ones. To begin a search, register with the Amerasian Child Find
Network. The ACFN will continue to do investigative search work on
behalf of our clients. The ACFN cannot guarantee the outcome of
any case, however, we will give each case our best effort.
BOOKS ABOUT THE AMERASIAN ISSUE
Bass, Thomas A.; Vietnamerica, the War Comes Home.
DeBonis, Steven; Children of the Enemy, Oral Histories of
Vietnamese Amerasians and their Mother’s.
McKelvey, Robert S.; The Dust of Life, America’s Children
Abandoned in Vietnam.
Nguyen, Kien; The Unwanted.
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