Town Hall Meeting Addressed Hardships of a Lost Generation

HOUSTON, TX – Congressman Nick Lampson and the Mayor of Port Arthur, Oscar Ortiz listened as staff members of BPSOS and about 100 Amerasians presented the issues regarding the citizenship of Amerasians. After opening statements by the Congressman and briefings by staff from BPSOS Headquarters and the Houston Branch office, members of the Amerasian community engaged in an emotional dialogue with Rep. Lampson and Mayor Ortiz.

The two hour event took place on Sunday, September 14 at the Ramada Inn of Port Arthur. The meeting was one of the first of its kind since the late 80s to discuss the citizenship of children born to American servicemen in Vietnam during the war. The Amerasian population in the Greater Houston area is second only to that of Orange County, CA. Of those, over half have relocated to the Beaumont-Port Arthur area because of the opportunities in the fishing industry.

Rep. Lampson assured the audience that he and ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee are working on legislation that would address their difficult situation.

“One thing that can help them is raising the level of awareness of their plight. As people understand and feel the emotions, I can’t imagine them not wanting to help,” Lampson said.

The term “Amerasian” was coined as a result of the Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1987, which provided for admission of children born in Vietnam between specified dates to Vietnamese mothers and American fathers, together with their immediate relatives. Despite its popularity, the Act ignored the problems of Amerasians’ citizenship status. Throughout their search for identity, Amerasians have endured poverty, a sense of non-belonging, illiteracy, and mistreatment from the Vietnamese government.