Yearly Archives: 2001

Transforming Cultures / Shifting Boundaries (30 Nov – 2 Dec 2001)

30 November-2 December 2001, QLD

Transforming Cultures / Shifting Boundaries: Asian Diasporas and Identities in Australia and Beyond

cccs.uq.edu.au/?page=16095

The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2001 Virtually Vietnamese/Australian Adoptees: Cultural Con/fusion/tributions to Australian Culture written by Anh Nguyen (MA, Harvard University) made with the assistance of Australian Vietnamese adoptees. Presented by I.Williams on behalf of A. Nguyen who had to return to the US after events in September 2001. Special thank you to Anh Nguyen for her efforts in promoting the adopted Vietnamese experience.

Operation Babylift Remembered by AACC (18 Oct 2001)

African American Cultural Council (AACC) of Virginia Beach
356 Dodge Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23452, (757)557-9724
Fax:(757)363-0994 fmoody@norfolk.cmr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: October 11, 2001
Contact: Freddi E. Moody
(757) 557-9724

OPERATION BABYLIFT REMEMBERED

The African American Cultural Council of Virginia (AACC) is proud to invite you to cover its 5th annual Salute to Minorities in the Military during FLEET WEEK. Nationally prominent figures, including Congressman William Delahunt of Massachusetts, as well as local dignitaries, have been invited to participate in this important event on October 18, 2001 at 6:30p.m. at Grand Affairs in Virginia Beach, VA.

The ceremonies will honor women and minorities in the US Armed Forces, but this year will pay special tribute to Asian Americans. In particular, we will honor the people involved in the heroic effort which brought 2,700 Vietnamese children to our country after the fall of Saigon a quarter century ago, as well as the adoptees themselves, their American parents, and the dedicated individuals who keep the memory of this extraordinary event alive and educate the public about its significance.

Freddi E. Moody, president and co-founder of AACC says, “The price of freedom has never been cheap,the events of yesterday’s wars and the events of September 11th, proves that. But Operation Babylift transformed American society and succeeded in weaving the threads of America’s quilt into a beautiful garment of many vibrant, pulsating living colors. A rainbow quilt made of Ameriasians and Vietnamese children brought onto our shores to become a vital part of Americas fabrics through the families who adopted them.”

“The importance of Operation Babylift transcended what most people observed,” explains Jennifer Nguyen Noone, who was an infant when she flew to the United States during this historic mission. “The rescuing and nurturing of Vietnamese adoptees became a means of healing and reconciliation for both the United States and Vietnam.”

Jennifer’s mother, Lana Noone, will be among those who will receive an award for her activism on this issue. Other invited recipients will include Congressman Delahunt, whose daughter was part of the same rescue operation; Shirley Peck Barnes,author of “The War Cradle: Vietnam’s Children of War”; Sister Susan McDonald, a nurse who treated some of the children for two years in a Vietnam orphanage; Phil Wise, a medic of the ill-fated C5A and Bud Traynor, the pilot of the fated plane. Some of the Vietnamese adoptees themselves also will be honored. As will some of the survivors from the fatal crash of the Galaxy C5A plane that took off from Saigon April 4,1975; 154 people died in that accident, including children, military personnel, nurses and volunteers. This was the first plane authorized by President Ford to rescue these children.

“This tribute deserves attention for many reasons: It highlights a historic event that’s far more significant than most people realize; it underscores the critical role that adoptees, especially thoseborn in other countries, play in the historic reshaping of the American family;and, coming at a time when people feel particular gratitude and respect for the military, it honors the men and women who have always been there when it mattered most,” said Adam Pertman, author of “Adoption Nation: How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming America.” Pertman will be one of our speakers on October 18.

There will be a special preview screening at the Salute of PRECIOUS CARGO, a documentary which follows adoptees from Vietnam in search of their history and culture in their homeland. And the public can meet authors of the WAR CRADLE and ADOPTION NATION, at a book signing on Oct.18, Walden Bookstore, noon – 1:30pm, MacArthur Centre Mall in Norfolk, VA.

Inclusive in the FLEET WEEK activities will be the AACC FESTIVAL of PRIDE Multi-Cultural Unity Concerts on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, October 13 and 14 at the 24th Street Stage. The highlights of this event will be the US Navy Sea Cadets opening ceremony on Saturday and the Sunday tribute to the USO.Tribute performers will include the Army Continental Band, Navy’s Atlantic Fleet Band, and the Princess Anne High School choir.

Tickets for the Awards Ceremony and Dinner are $35.00 advance and $15.00 military/veterans and may be purchased through TICKETMASTER or MWR offices.

For further information or to arrange interviews, either for advance stories or at the ceremony, please contact:

Freddi E. Moody,regarding the event itself. 757-557-9724, 757-434-0821 or femoody@juno.com

Adam Pertman, for adoption information. 617-332-8944.

 

INTERESTED IN PLACING AN AD IN THE SOUVENIR PROGRAM? CALL 757-213-2154.

 

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(Ms.) Freddi E. Moody, President
African American Cultural Council of Virginia Beach

Adopted Vietnamese Australians – VIC (1 July 2001)

Organiser: Jennifer Szetho, Director, Adopted Vietnamese Australians (AVA), a branch of Adopted Vietnamese International (AVI)

Speakers:

Jennifer Szetho (AVA) and Indigo Williams (AVI) introduced their own history and perspectives on adoption and why they are involved with community activities that support networking for adopted Vietnamese people.

Ty Andre, a Vietnamese orphan with polio who lived in the Sancta Maria orphanage in Gia Dinh from 1954 to 1975 until he left for Australia with the Operation Babylift children. Author of “On My Brother’s Shoulder”, featuring a forward written by Australian actor Jack Thompson, a long time friend of Mr Andre’s. Mr Andre is also directed the 55 minute VHS documentary “Return to the Mekong” in 1997.

Nola Wunderle, mother of two adopted daughters and author of “Katya’s Story”. Mrs Wunderle successfully helped her Taiwanese and Vietnamese daughters find birth relatives in their birth countries under remarkable circumstances.

Sarah Armstrong, director of the Post Adoptive Resource Centre in Sydney, NSW. Discussing a new book called “The Colour of Difference”, a collection of over thirty inter-country adopted individuals common experiences was illustrated by some readings of people who have been adopted from Vietnam to Caucasian families.

Activities:

Identity maps of paper clippings to illustrate adoptee self images was one of the highlights with volunteers winning “Colloquial Vietnamese Language Guides” by The Lonely Planet Group. Parents and partners were able to discuss their own experiences with social workers specialising in adoption in a separate session.

Participants:

Over fifty people attended the event that included adopted Vietnamese from South Australia, NSW and VIC, parents and social workers.

ICASN Social Night (25 June 2001)

The Intercountry Adoptee Support Network (ICASN) held a social night at Philippe’s Foote in Sydney’s Rocks, June 2001. Attended by adoptees from Pakistan, Korea, Indigenous Australia and Vietnam the night was organised by ICASN Manager Lynelle Beveridge. AVI has continually been assisted by the invaluable network ICASN has built and its rich membership of Vietnamese and other inter-country adoptees and was delighted to be invited.

AVI trip to Hanoi & Saigon (Jan 2001)

Adopted Vietnamese International (AVI) trip to Hanoi and Saigon

Adopted Vietnamese Participants:

  • Kelly Jackson, PR, Vietnamese Adoptee Network (VAN), Seattle, USA
  • Chris Brownlee, Co-Director, VAN, Seattle, USA
  • Brent Kurkowski, Minneapolis, USA
  • John Ryder, Portland, USA
  • Andrea Lee, Chicago, USA
  • Indigo Williams, Director, AVI, Sydney, Australia

Parents:

  • Kris Lee, Ann Arbor, USA
  • Annette Williams, Sydney, Australia

Other:

  • James Ward, Vincent Fairfax Scholar, Indigenous Australian, Perth Australia

Meetings:

  • Cultural Affairs Office, US Embassy, Hanoi
  • South East Asian Children Assistance Program (SEACAP), Saigon
  • Holt Adoption Orphanage, Saigon
  • General Round Table – Session 1: Adoptees Session 2: Adoptees & Parents, Saigon
  • Vietnam Women’s Forum, Saigon

Trip Objective:

The objective of the trip in January was to create an informal tour for adopted Vietnamese individuals and their parents to explore Vietnamese culture and landscape together, to undertake independent searches for records on surviving birth relatives and then to contribute ideas and feedback at a one-day forum.

Obstacles:

The trip was planned from June 2000 but the final registration deadline extended to October 2000. TheTet Festival is in the high season and flights were overbooked and at highest cost. Accommodation and other reservations were also heavily booked at this time. It is also a week-long holiday so many organisations such as embassies were closed in the second half of the trip.

Sponsorship had been sort from several different places but eventually, due to the heavily booked period, did not eventuate. The setting up of a trip with delegates based in Australia and the US and the main administration in Vietnam was also difficult. The trip exceeded cost planning and some important lessons were learnt about how over-priced some services can be when booking tours and meals without the benefit of local knowledge and familiarity with Vietnamese local prices.

Entry into Vietnam:

All delegates arranged Visas from their local embassies and there was no trouble in entering Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Language:

None of the participants spoke Vietnamese and an English-speaking tour guide was hired for the duration of the trip. In Hanoi this was a distinct advantage but in Saigon, the majority of businesses and hotels have English-speaking staff and the local tourism has many local shop owners speaking adequate English and Japanese while older residents in both cities spoke fluent French.

Currency:

The exchange of dong to the US dollar was around 14,000 dong to $US1 or $AUD2. Money exchanges were available at airports and in the main hotels but locals would readily accept US dollars.

Safety:

In Saigon the tourism attracts pickpockets and some bag snatching from thieves riding motorbikes so it is wise to secure valuables discreetly.