Children of the Enemy

When U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam, they left behind thousands of young children fathered by American soldiers. The new regime regarded the Amerasians as children of the enemy and ostracized them from Vietnamese society.

   The U.S. government passed the Homecoming Act of 1988, finally facilitating immigration of Amerasians to the United States. Most who have emigrated faced difficulty adjusting to a new culture and only about 2 percent have been reunited with their fathers. Revealing and often poignant, the 38 interviews here give voice to the struggle that Amerasians and their mothers faced in their homeland."A welcome introduction to one group of Indochinese refugees that hitherto have not received the attention they deserved”--Choice; “compelling...important for gaining an understanding of the backgrounds of Amerasions and their mothers”--MultiCultural Review; “the author...conducted over a hundred interviews with Amerasians and their mothers in 1991 and 1992”--Asian and Pacific Migration Journal.

   When U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam, they left behind thousands of young children fathered by American soldiers. The new regime regarded the Amerasians as children of the enemy and ostracized them from Vietnamese society.

   The U.S. government passed the Homecoming Act of 1988, finally facilitating immigration of Amerasians to the United States. Most who have emigrated faced difficulty adjusting to a new culture and only about 2 percent have been reunited with their fathers. Revealing and often poignant, the 38 interviews here give voice to the struggle that Amerasians and their mothers faced in their homeland.