Amerasian

The term Amerasian has been used to describe children born to Asian women and American citizens, particularly to U.S. military personnel while they are stationed in different parts of Asia, including Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The term was coined by author Pearl S. Buck, a founder of the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, who dedicated her life to the improvement of the lives of mixed-race children in Asia. Although the original meaning of the term Amerasian is a person born in Asia to a U.S. military father and an Asian mother, the term has also been used, more currently, to describe a person in the United States of mixed Asian and Caucasian ancestry.

The large U.S. military presence in a number of Asian countries since the end of World War II has been a key factor in creating opportunities for G.I.s and local women to meet and potentially develop intimate relationships. The initial cross-cultural encounters occurred in all kinds of places and settings, but especially on and around the military bases. Entertainment establishments catering to American G.I.s such as bars, clubs, and brothels often spring up near bases, and they can become gateways for G.I.s to pursue sexual relationships with local women. There are also many G.I.s who meet local women employed by the military in positions such as interpreters, sales clerks, or waitresses, and fall in love, leading to long-term romantic relationships. Whether their relationships were in good faith or not, unprecedented numbers of interracial liaisons between G.I.s and local women in different parts of Asia consequently gave a rise to the phenomenon of mixed race or Amerasian children.

Many of the Amerasian children are fatherless, and in many cases, they have little or no knowledge of their biological American fathers. These deserted children were often raised by their mothers alone but sometimes had family support from their kin. Under some extreme circumstances, Amerasian children were abandoned by their mothers and by their G.I. fathers, and were placed in orphanages.

Even though Amerasian children's experiences are diverse, they share a similar plight. Historically, they have been marginalized by mainstream society in their home countries because they are stereotypically viewed as the products of illegitimate and exploitative sexual unions between G.I.s and prostitutes. The fatherless Amerasians, particularly those born to African American fathers, face more severe prejudice and discrimination than their Amerasian counterparts whose fathers are Caucasian.

Some believe that Amerasians would be better off if they were raised in multicultural society such as in the United States. Pearl S. Buck, for example, was a pioneer who advocated international adoption and established Welcome House after World War II to find homes for underprivileged [Page 185]children suffering from injustices and discrimination. Through various nonprofit organizations and religious groups, thousands of Amerasians with little future prospects in their home countries have been adopted by American families since the end of the war. However, there are still numerous Amerasians who are subjected to harsh lives in various parts of Asia.