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“Children of the Dust”: How Genetic Genealogy Helped an Amerasian Woman Locate Her G.I. Father

August 16, 2019 by Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 11 Comments

With client permission, we share one woman’s experience of growing up “Amerasian” and the important role genetic genealogy played in helping her locate her G.I. father.

Growing Up Amerasian

When Anni was little, she would often ask about her father, but her mother always gave her the same vague reply, “I met him Taichung, then I had you.” Anni was born in the 1960s – the daughter of a Taiwanese mother and an unknown U.S. serviceman fighting in Vietnam. Anni said she always felt different, realizing early on that she didn’t share the same facial features the other children in her village had, her skin was lighter, her face more “European” than the rest of her family. People in her village were quick to point those differences out as well, often taunting her into tears. Recounting as an adult, Anni said she could tell that her inquiries about her father were painful for her mother to discuss, and she would often shy away or blatantly refuse to talk about him.

Amerasian Amerasian

(top) Anni, around age 3; (bottom) Anni and Lucy

New Beginnings

When Anni was 11 years old, she and her mother immigrated to the United States. They both spoke very little English, but quickly became accustomed to American culture. Lucy eventually married but sadly died of cancer a few years after arriving. She never revealed who Anni’s father was and for the next 40 years, his identity would remain elusive.

The Waiting Game

Not one to ever give up, Anni took several DNA tests in hopes that she might have some close matches to her father’s side of the family – “it had been 50 years after all… someone must have taken a DNA test by then.” But like many other people, Anni only had distant matches, her closest match being a fourth cousin. She had no idea what that meant, or how to decipher how she was related to them, so she enlisted the help of a genetic genealogist.  After reviewing the DNA results, the researcher was able to determine several of the distant matches shared similar surnames in Scotland. In fact, all of Anni’s DNA matches were in Scotland or Ireland. None of them were in the United States! Her mother always said her father was an American soldier, so was she mistaken?

The Research Process

By building out the family trees of each of Anni’s distant DNA matches, our genealogist was able to cross-reference them and found that several people shared a set of ancestors from Glasgow, Scotland. The ancestral couple, John and Jane, had 9 children, but only one of the children emigrated to the United States. Our genealogist then built down the family tree for that line and concluded there were several potential candidates that fit the approximate age of someone who could have been Anni’s father.

Of the potential candidates that were no longer living, military service was examined for any suggestion that they had been stationed near Taiwan. For the remaining living biological father candidates, correspondence was sent inquiring about any military service in Taiwan. One man, John, confirmed that he had been stationed in Taiwan during the appropriate time, but he did not remember Anni’s mother, Lucy. John agreed to submit a DNA sample to confirm the researcher’s hypothesis and six weeks later, test results confirmed that John was indeed Anni’s father. Over the next few months, Anni and her father exchanged correspondence and family photos. She has an adopted brother and a half-sister. Most importantly, Anni finally saw her father’s face for the first time. She was later able to meet John and his wife and see dozens of family photos.

The Background

Amerasian researchAnni’s story is not unique. In 2009, Smithsonian Magazine published a story about children born to Vietnamese mothers and American servicemen. They dubbed them “children of the dust” – children that were orphaned or left behind once the dusts of war settled. During World War II and the Vietnam War, U.S. servicemen were encouraged to R&R [rest and recuperation] in Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Philippines. Local women often worked in bars, massage parlors, and nightclubs around the cities to support their families, often interacting with the men every day for weeks at a time. Sometimes this led to relationships, thus leading to an influx of illegitimate children during these periods of history. The term Amerasian was originally used to describe the children born to an Asian mother and American serviceman father. The total number of Amerasian children born remains unknown.

Legacy Tree has years of experience connecting families by identifying biological fathers and other family members. Although unknown parentage searches can be emotional journeys, they can also be incredibly fulfilling. Contact us today for a free estimate.

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Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher

Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher

Jessica has been doing genealogy research for almost 25 years. She specializes in DNA-related research, Deep South and unknown parentage projects. Her passion to help others find the answers to their family history mysteries has provided her an opportunity to help countless clients all over the world.
Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher

Latest posts by Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher (see all)

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  • “Where Are My Ancestors From?” 5 Tips for Using Migration Patterns in Family History Research - January 16, 2020

Filed Under: Adoption & Genetic Genealogy, Asian Genealogy, Military Service

Previous article: Genealogy Sleuthing Part II: Using Women’s Fashion to Date Old Photos
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Comments

  1. Becky Hild (juanita legal) says

    March 23, 2020 at 9:40 pm

    Who can I use to find family in Germany-Poland We are at a dead end.

    Reply
    • Amber - Legacy Tree Genealogists says

      March 24, 2020 at 6:51 am

      Our team can help! Our professionals are familiar with the border changes that have occurred in this area, as well as with name misspellings that get passed on through generations. They can also track down the city or town of origin of your German ancestors, determine where that location is today, and identify where the records for that place are currently kept. For those areas that don’t have records available online, our onsite agents can visit the location to obtain available documents. Additionally, many areas in this region have great church records! I’ll have a member of our Client Solutions Team reach out to you to discuss project options.

      Reply
  2. Deb says

    March 31, 2020 at 11:03 am

    My husband may have fathered a child in Taiwan in 1974/1975 to a Taiwanese national. All he knows is the name of the mother which is “Ning.” Is there anyway to find out more?

    Reply
    • Amber - Legacy Tree Genealogists says

      April 6, 2020 at 2:24 pm

      Has your husband taken a DNA test? This is a great place to start. If you’d like research assistance, you may request a free quote here. Our team would be happy to help.

      Reply
    • Amber - Legacy Tree Genealogists says

      April 13, 2020 at 7:57 am

      Hi Beb, to get started, we recommend taking a DNA test and then transferring the results to other databases that accept DNA uploads to get your information in as many databases as possible. If you’d like to speak to one of our genetic genealogists about research strategies, you may scheduled a Genealogist-on-Demand™ Virtual DNA Consultation here: https://legacytree.com/consultation. Good luck!

      Reply
  3. Albert Thomas Doss II says

    August 10, 2020 at 1:35 pm

    My Father Supposedly Fathered Children during the Vietnam war and I’m dying to know If this is true and where they might be. How can I locate them? My Father has a Pic of the Women who he was seeing in Vietnam when he was there

    Reply
    • Amber - Legacy Tree Genealogists says

      August 10, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      Hi Albert, a great starting point is to take a DNA test. This article offers some great tips for “casting a wide net” when trying to determine biological relationships: https://www.legacytree.com/blog/7-tips-casting-a-wide-dna-net. Good luck to you!

      Reply
  4. Jenny Mai says

    November 13, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    Hello My Name is Jenny Mai, I have come across this website to see if I can get help with an opportunity to find my Biological Father. I was born in Saigon in Oct. 1974 my father was in the US Army Name Unknown & my mother’s name Vien Mai. I have 3 daughters on which of my curiosity to the unknown has Blue eyes & Blonde hair. I have a few hits on my DNA match to James Nelson & Ernie Chase. But to no avail, I have been unsuccessful PLEASE HELP ME FIND MY BIOLOGICAL FATHER. Thank You so much

    Reply
    • Legacy Tree Genealogists says

      November 16, 2020 at 10:48 am

      Hello Jenny, we would be happy to assist you in identifying your biological father. I will have a member of our Client Solutions team reach out to you shortly.

      Reply
  5. Lorie says

    April 10, 2022 at 10:49 pm

    My father supposedly father a child in Korea.my father has now passed away is there still away to find the child i have no name or pics

    Reply
    • Beth Harrison says

      April 11, 2022 at 11:40 pm

      Thank you for the question, Lorie. This is not an easy question to answer without a bit of research. Our expert researchers would be honored to help you through the process. Please contact our Client Solutions Specialists through the form on our Get in Touch page. They can point you in the right direction and provide a free estimate on research.

      Reply

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