An International Struggle


Afro-Amerasians

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Gonzalez, David. "For Afro-Amerasians, Tangled Emotions." New York Times, November 16, 1992, Sec. B, p. 1, 2.

When the United States involved itself in Vietnam, one inevitable result was that children were born to Vietnamese women by American servicemen. Amerasians, as they are called, often faced prejudices within Vietnam, but it could often be twice as hard for children born to African-American servicemen (Afro-Amerasians). This article recalls the racism that many Afro-Amerasians faced in Vietnam and the economic troubles they faced upon immigrating to the United States. Many of them had low self-esteem or a "self-hatred" as a result of years of isolation and hostility in Vietnam. Many felt more secure in the diversity of New York City but often held their own prejudices against African-Americans. Said one, "I feel ashamed that my mother was with a black man, and now I have to carry that. I wish I were a white Amerasian."


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