Throughout history, when there has been an occupying force of military servicemen in a foreign country, relationships inevitably develop between those servicemen and local women from the occupied territories. During the US occupation of Vietnam in the sixties and early seventies, some of these relationships resulted in children of mixed heritage, born to Vietnamese women and their American companions.

What happened next is as complex and varied as the individual circumstances, twists of fate, and other political and nonpolitical factors. Some of these children and their parents never parted, and later immigrated to the US. In other cases US servicemen who fathered these children died in battle or were severely injured at some point during the remainder of their tour of duty, and were never heard from again by the mothers.

A few servicemen left for home and later returned to find their children and the mothers, to help them immigrate to the US. Others completely abandoned their children along with the mothers and never looked back. There are many different stories. When a local girl found herself pregnant with the child of an American serviceman, she was often exiled from her family and community. This exile became particularly more acute after the final departure of US forces from Vietnam and repatriation of the South by the ruling North.

Eventually, years after the war, the existence of these children was acknowledged by the US government, yet, despite government programs designed to allow these American Asian children quick entry into the United States, many are still living throughout Vietnam. Their lives have been difficult in the wake of the absence of their fathers, and the hard lives of their mothers. Because of their lack of basic family structure (mother, father and extended family relationships), in most cases, they do not have the same benefits of social and community support, common to the lives of the average Vietnamese citizen. They are often denied entry into the education system, and therefore, many of them are illiterate.

A large number are homeless, living on the streets, making a living as beggars, or working in the lowest level of Vietnam's labor pool. They are for all practical purposes, indentured slaves, working for basic food, clothing, and shelter. In Vietnam these children can be found on the streets of any city, on farms, wandering the roads, or in small villages.

Though some have been able to make connections within Vietnamese society, and many have benefited from the general kindness of Vietnamese people, and have found a survivable life in Vietnam, most of these American Asian's live in very poor conditions. The true measure of their numbers is unknown.


Description:
The AAHope Foundation, is an organization created by a few concerned American Veteran's and most importantly, by the American Asian community. These children have begun to form their own unique community within Vietnam. Through that community they have found each other, and the listening ears and understanding hearts so essential to human healing and survival.

It has been through this community that they have begun to understand many of the obstacles that they must face to advance their lives to the next level of existence. And it is through this community that they have found new possibilities and friends. This is for many, their first experience of belonging and empowerment. Because of this community they have managed to create relationships with American's interested in helping them find a way home or a better life in Vietnam, and a fresh pool of resources and advise needed to develop new opportunities, so necessary in living full lives.

Most importantly AAHope Foundation is an organization that, whenever possible, maintains a position of neutrality in regard to governmental policies of the US and Vietnam. Its primary focus is to create and maintain a Support Network that is based on a "self help" model, facilitating American Asian children in improving their lives and the lives of their families whether or not they may choose to immigrate to the US or stay in Vietnam. But the key and central focus of AAHope Foundation is in maintaining this growing community of American Asian children in Vietnam and overseas.

Through the AAHope Foundation web-site (in development), critical Information and Communication will be shared. This will hopefully help in linking some children with their fathers through Personal Story Pages. The site will also provide procedural and legal information to children seeking immigration, and help in creating an informed community that will be less susceptible to the scam artists and arrangers who have profited from the plight of the American Asian's.

AAHope Foundation, acts as a clearinghouse for private and corporate funding and donations on behalf of Vietnam's American Asian community. Through AAHope Foundation, volunteer services from attorneys, educators, health care professionals and others, can be directed to the aide of the American Asian community. AAHope Foundation also serves as a responsible agent, representing the American Asian community to the US embassy, the International Office of Migration (IOM) and others.

The AAHope Foundation also runs a unique Sponsorship Program, based on a relationship building, self-help model. This program is designed to link American Asian's and their families to funding organizations, corporate sponsors, individuals, and families worldwide, who want to offer not just traditional financial support, but morale and advisory support. This program seeks to offer American Asian's a sense of connection and belonging to an extended international family providing a variety of assistance, guidance and support on their behalf.