BPSOS Hosts Informational Session on Latest Bill to Inform and Assess Needs

Philadelphia, PA – BPSOS-Philadelphia, along with Bo De Buddhist Temple and Hung Vuong Association, will be hosting a forum for Vietnamese Amerasians on the newly introduced “Amerasian Naturalization Act of 2003.” In addition, they will be assessing the needs of the unique community for future programs.

The forum will take place Sunday, November 16, from 1pm to 3pm at the Bo De Buddhist Temple, 1114 S. 13th Street.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren recently introduced the bill to ensure that children born to American servicemen and Vietnamese women in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, commonly referred to as Amerasians, are accorded U.S. citizenship.

BPSOS has launched a rigorous advocacy campaign to raise the national awareness of the plight of these Amerasians. Taking the lead from the headquarters office in Falls Church, many of the branch offices have held community forums to inform their local leaders, including Houston, Adelphi, and Louisville.

The term “Amerasian” was coined as a result of the Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1988, 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.