11/29/02

LC021129

VAL ZAVALA>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

JESS MARLOW>> HIS FATHER WAS A VIETNAM VET. HE IS HALF AMERICAN, HALF VIETNAMESE. NOW THIS YOUNG MAN IS IN AMERICA HOPING TO FIND THE FATHER HE NEVER KNEW.

SON THAN CHAU>> JUST NOW I THINK I AM HIM, WE ARE THE SAME BLOOD. HE IS MY FATHER, I AM HIS SON. THAT'S WHY I WANT TO LOOK FOR HIM, TO KNOW WHO IS MY FATHER.

VAL>> THE REMARKABLE STORY OF SON THAN CHAU, COMING UP NEXT ON THE BEST OF LIFE AND TIMES.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTH FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT, A PARTNER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

VAL>> GOOD EVENING, I'M VAL ZAVALA.

JESS>> AND I'M JESS MARLOW. WELCOME TO THE BEST OF LIFE AND TIMES.

TONIGHT WE BRING YOU ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE DOCUMENTARIES PRODUCED HERE AT LIFE AND TIMES. IT IS THE STORY OF A YOUNG AMERASIAN IN SEARCH OF HIS FATHER, A VIETNAM VET.

VAL>> DURING THE VIETNAM WAR, NEARLY 100,000 CHILDREN WERE BORN TO AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND VIETNAMESE WOMEN. THESE CHILDREN WERE OFTEN CASTAWAYS, CALLED "DUST OF LIFE" IN VIETNAMESE, BUT THEY ARE BY BIRTH AMERICAN CITIZENS AND ABOUT 6,000 OF THEM IMMIGRATED TO THE U.S. THIS IS THE STORY OF ONE AMERASIAN NAMED SON THAN CHAU. HE CAME BY HIMSELF WITHOUT KNOWING A WORD OF ENGLISH AND ONLY A FEW FUZZY CLUES AS TO WHO HIS FATHER WAS. THIS IS HIS STORY AS IT UNFOLDED OVER THREE YEARS.

SON THAN CHAU>> THIS IS A LETTER WHEN I JUST LEFT MY MOM AND CAME TO THE PHILIPPINES...AFTER ABOUT ONE MONTH, I RECEIVED THIS LETTER FROM MY MOM.

MOTHER [INTERPRETED]>> "MAY 15, 1989. DEAR SON, I JUST RECEIVED YOUR LETTER YESTERDAY. I AM SO HAPPY TO KNOW YOU ARRIVED SAFELY TO THE PHILIPPINE REFUGEE CAMP AND HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE AND TO GO TO SCHOOL. I HOPE YOU WILL GET AN INTERVIEW TO FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR FATHER. WHATEVER THE RESULTS, PLEASE REMEMBER TO WRITE AND TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS AND THE WHOLE STORY. I HOPE YOU WILL SEE YOUR FATHER SOON. MOTHER. P.S. YOUR FATHER'S NAME IS HAYPRESS OR HYPRESS."

SON THAN CHAU>> MY MOTHER SAID MY FATHER IS NICE PEOPLE. HE IS VERY QUIET. HE TRIED TO DO ANYTHING TO LOVE HER. AFTER THAT, THEY ARE UNDERSTAND TOGETHER, THEY FEEL LOVE TOGETHER, AND THEN THEY MARRY. BUT HE IS AN AMERICAN SOLDIER. HE CAN ONLY SERVE IN VIETNAM ONE YEAR. HE MUST RETURN TO AMERICA. BUT HE ALWAYS DON'T WANT TO LEAVE. HE ALWAYS WANT TO LIVE WITH MY MOM. AND WHEN MY MOM SENT HIM OFF AT THE AIRPORT, THEY CRIED TOO MUCH. BECAUSE MY MOM SAID SHE THINKS HE IS GOOD PEOPLE, HE IS VERY MUCH THE SAME AS YOU. THAT'S WHY I THINK HE IS MY FATHER, I AM HIS SON, WE ARE THE SAME BLOOD. THAT'S WHY I WANT TO LOOK FOR HIM.

MARY PAYNE NGUYEN>> WELL, YOU KNOW THAT WE NEED A PLAN. WE GOT A FEW PICTURES AND LETTERS AND ADDRESSES AND THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAD. YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MORE NEWER INFORMATION?

SON THAN CHAU>> WHEN MY FATHER LEFT VIETNAM, ANY INFORMATION ABOUT HIMSELF HE LEFT FOR MY MOM TO KEEP, BUT AFTER 1975 THE COMMUNIST CAME AND SHE GOT NERVOUS AND SHE BURNED EVERYTHING.

MARY PAYNE NGUYEN>> WHEN YOUR MOTHER TOLD YOU THE NAME OF YOUR FATHER, HOW DID SHE SAY HIS NAME?

SON THAN CHAU>> SHE SAID HIS NAME'S HIPRESS.

MARY PAYNE NGUYEN>> OKAY. HIPRESS.

SON THAN CHAU>> HIPRESS.

MARY PAYNE NGUYEN>> YOU SEE, IT'S A VIETNAMESE SOUND, WHICH IS IN BETWEEN TO AMERICAN SOUNDS, WHICH COULD BE HAPRESS OR HIPRESS OR HAYPRESS. IT COULD BE SPELLED ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS...

VIETNAM IS A PATRILINEAL SOCIETY. PEOPLE ARE JUDGED BY THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE LINE OF THEIR FATHER. NOT HAVING HAD A FATHER GROWING UP, IT HAS BEEN A BIG, BIG PROBLEM. NEVER HAVING SEEN YOUR FATHER IS ANOTHER BIG, BIG PROBLEM. SON DOESN'T WANT ANYTHING FROM HIS FATHER OTHER THAN TO SEE HIS FACE, TO KNOW WHO HE IS, TO KNOW WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE, TO ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THERE IS A PERSON THAT IS HIS FATHER WHICH WILL ALLOW SON TO KNOW WHO HE IS HIMSELF. THE MORE HE TALKS ABOUT HIS FATHER, THE MORE HE UNDERSTANDS SOME REAL EMOTIONAL FEELINGS THAT HE HAS WITH THIS MAN THAT HE'S NEVER MET.

SON THAN CHAU>> I DON'T KNOW...BUT I THINK WHEN I SEE HIM, FIRST THING, I THINK I CRY. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY WHAT I'LL DO, BUT I'LL CRY THE FIRST TIME I SEE HIM.

SOMEBODY TOLD ME, OH, IN AMERICA, THEY ARE VERY INTELLIGENT. THEY HAVE THE COMPUTER OR SOMETHING. YOU CAN SHOW THEM A PICTURE OR A NAME, THEY USE THE COMPUTER -- EASY TO LOOK FOR YOUR FATHER. BUT AFTER I CAME TO AMERICA, I KNOW IT'S TOO HARD TO LOOK FOR HIM.

MARY PAYNE NGUYEN>> AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY BIG COUNTRY WITH FIFTY STATES AND MORE THAN 200 MILLION PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE AND, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S NO CENTRALIZED WAY OF FINDING PEOPLE UNLESS YOU HAVE REAL SPECIFIC INFORMATION LIKE A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. DO YOU KNOW THAT LESS THAN THREE PERCENT OF AMERASIANS WHO COME TO THE UNITED STATES ARE EVER ABLE TO MEET THEIR FATHER? AND EVEN SOME OF THOSE IN THE THREE PERCENT, THE FATHER IS NOT READY TO MAKE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR CHILDREN.

I WOULD VENTURE TO GUESS THAT, OUT OF TWO MILLION AMERICANS WHO WERE THERE, THERE WOULD BE LEAST 50,000 LOVE STORIES, IF NOT MORE. THERE WAS A LOT OF NORMAL LIFE THAT WENT ON IN VIETNAM, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS WAR. PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE, PEOPLE HAD CHILDREN, PEOPLE GOT MARRIED, PEOPLE DIED. A LOT OF GI'S, A LOT OF VETERANS, THAT PERHAPS WOULD HAVE PURSUED BRINGING THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES OVER HAD TO FORGET THAT IDEA.

WE DID NOT DO WELL IN VIETNAM. WE LEFT IN SHAME, FRANKLY. WE DIDN'T WIN IN VIETNAM. IT CREATED A LOT OF CONFUSION FOR AMERICAN VETERANS AND THOSE WHO HAVE MADE IT TO THIS POINT HAD TO FORGET EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID OR SAW IN VIETNAM IN ORDER TO MAKE IT HERE AND IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT ALL THE THINGS ABOUT HAVING TO PUT BEHIND YOU WHAT YOU DID IN VIETNAM TO SURVIVE HERE WOULD TAKE SOME TIME. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT HE HASN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT OR IT'S POSSIBLE HE'S HAD NIGHTMARES ALL THESE YEARS. HE MAY NOT REMEMBER ENOUGH DETAILS TO EVEN START LOOKING OR MAYBE HE DOES AND HE DOESN'T KNOW THAT HE DOES. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

SON THAN CHAU>> I LIVE HERE ALONE. NOW I HAVE TO GO TO WORK AND GET THE MONEY. I SAVE THE MONEY. I SEND TO MY FAMILY IN VIETNAM. I THINK NOW MY JOB IS ONLY FIVE DOLLARS PER HOUR. I USUALLY SEND TO MY MOM $200 FOR EVERY MONTH. THE MONEY I SEND TO MY FAMILY TO BUY AIRPLANE TICKETS TO LEAVE VIETNAM TO COME HERE. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I AM VERY LONELY I MISS THEM VERY MUCH AND THEY ARE TOO. THEY MISS ME VERY MUCH. THAT'S WHY I WANT TO TRY TO HELP THEM TO LEAVE VIETNAM TO COME HERE. WE WILL LIVE TOGETHER. THEY ARE TOO...THEY WANT TO COME HERE TO LIVE WITH ME. THEY TRY ANY WAY TO LEAVE VIETNAM TO COME HERE.

TOO MANY HERE. OVER FIFTY LETTERS MY MOM SENT TO ME. MY FAMILY, WE HAVE THE SPECIAL LOVE...I THINK MAYBE WE ARE...VERY SPECIAL LOVE. THAT'S WHY I NOW LIVE HERE. I LIVE HERE ALONE, THAT'S WHY I LIKE MY MOM SEND THE LETTER TO ME.

MOTHER [INTERPRETED]>> "OCTOBER 31, 1991. MY AMERICAN SON, I LOOK AT YOUR PICTURES AND YOUR FACE IS WRINKLED FROM THE WORRIES. I SEE THAT YOU ARE GETTING OLDER BECAUSE OF YOUR PROBLEMS. DON'T BE UPSET, MY SON. I KNOW THAT YOU CARE FOR ME AND I WILL TRY NOT TO THINK OF THE SAD PARTING AND DREAM ABOUT THE DAY I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN. MOTHER."

MARY PAYNE NGUYEN>> WHY ARE AMERASIANS IMPORTANT? AMERASIANS ARE AMERICANS. IT IS THE LAW IN THIS COUNTRY THAT ANY CHILD BORN TO AN AMERICAN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IS AN AMERICAN. IT'S A BIRTHRIGHT. AND THESE CHILDREN ARE AMERICANS WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LIVE IN CONDITIONS THAT MOST OF US WOULD NOT ALLOW OUR PET ANIMALS TO LIVE IN FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES.

NOW BASICALLY WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE IF SOMETHING MATERIALIZES. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF HOPE, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW, AND DON'T GIVE UP.

SON THAN CHAU>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT...I ONLY THINK I'M NOT LUCKY LIKE SOMEBODY ELSE. THEY KNOW THEIR FATHER, OR THEY HAVE A FATHER. I DON'T HAVE A FATHER. I'M NOT LUCKY LIKE SOME PEOPLE.

[TWO YEARS LATER]

JOSEPH LOVE>> HE'S GONE FROM A LITTLE CRY-CRY MOUSE TO A YOUNG MAN NOW. I MEAN, HE'S GOT HIS FAMILY WITH HIM. HE'S WORKING. HE'S VERY AMBITIOUS, VERY AMBITIOUS. AND WHEN HE FINDS HIS FATHER, IT'S GOING TO GIVE HIM HIS IDENTITY WITH FINDING HIS FATHER. HE DOESN'T WANT TO MOVE IN WITH HIM, HE DOESN'T WANT TO MOVE NEXT DOOR, HE JUST WANTS TO KNOW HIM.

I WAS GOING CRAZY AT HOME WATCHING A LOT OF TELEVISION AND I SAW A PIECE ON AMERASIANS AT ST. ANSELM AND I THOUGHT MAYBE I COULD GO OVER THERE AND TUTOR. THAT'S HOW I MET SON. I KNEW SON FOR FOUR MONTHS BEFORE I FOUND OUT THAT HE'S THE ONE THAT I SAW ON TELEVISION. (LAUGHTER)

IF THERE'S A THOUSAND MEN THERE WHO BEGIN WITH HIPRESS OR HI ANYTHING, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO CONTACT ALL OF THEM.

SON THAN CHAU>> MR. JOE, HE HAS FREE TIME. HE KNOWS ABOUT AMERASIANS, HE FEELS LOVE ABOUT AMERASIANS. THEY DON'T HAVE NO FATHER, NO MOTHER, NO ENGLISH. THAT'S WHY HE TRIED TO GET INTO "FATHER SEARCH". BUT THE FIRST THING HE WANTS TO DO IN THAT JOB, HE WANTS TO FIND OUT WHO IS MY DAD FIRST.

JOSEPH LOVE>> I'VE GOT EVERY DIRECTORY FOR EVERY YEAR THAT WE WERE IN VIETNAM FOR THE ARMY AND THE AIR FORCE, OF EVERY UNIT, WITH A DATABASE OF 4.5 MILLION NAMES. I'VE GOT THE NAMES OF EVERY MAN THAT WAS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, NO MATTER WHERE HE WAS. NO MATTER WHERE HE WAS IN THE WORLD, HE'S IN THAT DATABASE. THE WHOLE THING IS, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO PULL HIM OUT OF IT?

SON THAN CHAU>> HE LEFT ME TWENTY-SIX YEARS NOW, A LOT OF THINGS CHANGED TOO. MAYBE HE FORGOT ABOUT BABY IN VIETNAM, YOU KNOW, BUT --

JOSEPH LOVE>> -- I THINK WHEN YOU FIND HIM, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT HE TRIED VERY, VERY HARD TO GET BACK TO VIETNAM. MANY OF THEM DID, MANY OF THEM.

WE HAVE "I KNEW SOMEDAY YOU WOULD CALL" TO "DO I HAVE A SON OR A DAUGHTER?" TO "WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING ME?" (LAUGHTER) "DON'T DO THIS TO ME", "PLEASE LET ME OFF THE HOOK. I HAVE A WHOLE NEW FAMILY." THE WHOLE GAMUT.

FOR A FATHER TO THROW A CHILD AWAY, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL IT, THROWING THEM AWAY, IT'S HEARTBREAKING. SON IS LUCKY. HE'S ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES. HIS MOTHER KEPT HIM, NURTURED HIM, RAISED HIM. AT THAT TIME, MANY, MANY MOTHERS BURNED EVERYTHING THEY HAD PERTAINING TO THE FATHER. SOME OF THEM GAVE THE CHILDREN AWAY. SOME OF THE WENT INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE AND THAT'S WHAT SON'S MOTHER DID. BUT SHE KEPT SOME INFORMATION AND THAT'S WHAT'S HELPING US IN OUR SEARCH NOW.

MOTHER [INTERPRETED]>> HIS FATHER, HE REALLY LOVED ME. WHEN HE WENT TO AMERICA, I COULD NOT GO WITH HIM. MAYBE IF I GO TO AMERICA, HE'S BUTTERFLY, HE LEAVES ME. THEN I AM IN AMERICA. I KNOW NOTHING AND CANNOT RETURN TO VIETNAM, SO I COULD NOT GO WITH HIM. MAYBE NOW HE HAS A WIFE, HE HAS A FAMILY, HE HAS CHILDREN. I DON'T WANT HIM. I WANT TO FIND HIM FOR THE CHILDREN. I WANT SON TO SEE FATHER, FATHER TO SEE SON.

JOSEPH LOVE>> TODAY HE'S WORKING AT THE MED-FLY PROJECT OVER IN LOS ALAMITOS. HE'S DOING VERY, VERY WELL. HE'S A VERY HARD WORKER. I MEAN, HE IS A STAND-UP WORKER. HE'S A DISBURSER'S AIDE, WHICH IS A VERY RESPONSIBLE JOB, AND HE LIKES IT.

SON THAN CHAU>> MR. JOE, HE IS MY FRIEND. HE KNEW THAT JOB FIRST. HE WANT TO GET ME INTO THAT JOB. USUALLY, I WORK ABOUT TEN OR ELEVEN HOURS A DAY. I LEAVE HOME AT SIX IN THE MORNING, START AT SEVEN. SOMETIMES I COME HOME AT EIGHT OR NINE AT NIGHT. REALLY I LOVE OVERTIME WORK VERY MUCH BECAUSE NOW I NEED MONEY. NOW I'M WORKING THERE, THEY PAY ABOUT $8.90 AN HOUR, REGULAR, EVERY TWO WEEKS, I GET MAYBE ABOUT $600. I THINK I NEED MORE MONEY TO DO SOMETHING ELSE FOR MY FUTURE.

[IN 1993, SON MADE A VISIT TO HIS HOMELAND]

SON THAN CHAU>> THE LAST SUMMER, MY MOM SAID, SON, YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO VIETNAM TO VISIT RELATIVES, NEIGHBORS AND OLD FRIENDS. MANY PEOPLE THEY TALK ABOUT YOU. ALWAYS THEY WANT TO SEE YOU GO BACK TO VISIT THEM. AND SOME OF MY FRIENDS, THEY TALK ABOUT THAT TOO. THEY SAY, SON, THAT GIRL, SHE IS A VERY GOOD GIRL. SHE NEVER THINKS ABOUT BOYFRIEND, ALWAYS SHE WANTS TO LEARN NEW THINGS. SHE WANTS TO STAY HOME, TAKE CARE FOR BROTHER, SISTER, FOR FAMILY. REALLY I THINK SHE IS A VERY GOOD WOMAN. I LOVE HER VERY MUCH.

I AND HER, WE HAVE VERY THE SAME IDEA. SHE IS A VERY QUIET GIRL, I AM A QUIET MAN. WE TALK VERY SOFTLY, WE TRY TO TALK NICE THINGS. I JUST MET HER THERE AND I LEFT HER THERE UNTIL NOW SHE GET PREGNANT. I THINK SHE CRY, CRY SO MANY TIMES. SOMETIMES SHE FEELS VERY BAD ABOUT WHY AM I MARRIED BUT HUSBAND LIVES AWAY. AND ME TOO, I FEEL VERY TERRIBLE ABOUT THAT, BUT WE HAVE TO SUFFER THAT. SHE JUST GAVE BIRTH A MONTH AGO, BUT MY BABY LOOKS VERY, VERY HEALTHY. REALLY, VERY CUTE BABY. AND I'M WORKING IN MEDFLY, AND IN TWO MORE MONTHS, I'LL FINISH THERE. I'LL GO BACK TO VIETNAM AND SEE MY BABY TOO.

I'VE BEEN HERE FOUR YEARS, BUT REALLY VIETNAM, SOME THINGS I LIKE VERY MUCH. I KEEP THAT. SOME THINGS REALLY NOT TOO GOOD. I LEAVE IT. I TRY TO GET SOME MORE ROOM IN MY HEAD. I GET SOME MORE NEW THINGS IN THIS COUNTRY.

JOSEPH LOVE>> I TOLD YOU A LONG, LONG TIME AGO. YOUR MOTHER'S COUNTRY WAS VERY GOOD FOR YOU. YOUR MOTHER'S COUNTRY TAUGHT YOU TO SURVIVE. NOW YOU'RE IN YOUR FATHER'S COUNTRY AND YOU LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT HIS WAYS.

HE'S JUST LIKE A SON TO ME. WE GET ALONG GREAT. IN FACT, THAT'S HOW I BECAME HIS MENTOR. IF HE USES MY NAME, HE ALWAYS USES THE HONORIFIC "MR. JOE", BUT MOST OF THE TIME, THE WHOLE FAMILY CALLS ME "TEACHER". IT'S NOT WHAT I DO. IT'S MY RANK. IT'S ABOUT THAT FAR ABOVE FATHER. IT'S AN HONOR. IT'S QUITE AN HONOR. I'M VERY PROUD TO BE CALLED "TEACHER".

GOT GREAT NEWS FROM WASHINGTON. THAT GUY I TOLD YOU WAS SEARCHING THE NATIONAL DATABASE CAME UP WITH A NAME. EVERYTHING FITS. DATE OF BIRTH. RANK. THE BRANCH OF SERVICE THAT HE WAS IN. NOW WE'LL PULL HIS PERSONNEL RECORDS AND WE'LL CHECK IT IF HE WAS AT DAN SON WIT AT THAT TIME, WE'LL BE GETTING A CALL.

I CALLED THE FELLOW IN WASHINGTON AND I TOLD YOU WE HAD FOUR NAMES WE WERE GOING TO CHECK AND I CHECKED WITH HIM YESTERDAY AND HE GOT BACK TO ME. THE NAMES WERE CLOSE, THE BIRTH DATES WERE CLOSE, THE TIME IN SERVICE WAS RIGHT, BUT ONE OF THE FELLOWS WAS AT BIN UA, ANOTHER ONE WAS A PHU CAT, ANOTHER ONE DIDN'T SERVE IN VIETNAM. HE WAS IN THAILAND. SO WE STRUCK OUT WITH ALL OF THEM, BUT WE STILL HAVE OTHERS TO CHECK. WE DON'T GIVE UP.

SON THAN CHAU>> I HAVE MOM, I NEVER HAVE FATHER. I DON'T HAVE TOO MANY BROTHERS OR SISTERS. MAYBE I FEEL LIKE MY FAMILY STILL FEELS LONELY, YOU KNOW, FOR SOMETHING. THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK, TO KNOW WHO IS MY FATHER.

MOTHER>> HIS NAME IS HIPRET.

SON THAN CHAU>> SAY THAT AGAIN, PLEASE.

MOTHER>> HIPRET. NO -S.

SON THAN CHAU>> HIPRET, LIKE H-I-P OR MAYBE H-I-E-B, HIPRET, OR HIEBRET.

JOSEPH LOVE>> THAT GIVES US A WHOLE NEW WAY TO GO, WHOLE NEW WAY TO GO. WE'LL HIT THAT DATABASE AGAIN. WE GOT 4.5 MILLION NAMES TO LOOK THROUGH AGAIN. (LAUGHTER)

SON THAN CHAU>> I CAN'T TELL IT NOW, BUT WHEN I FIND MY FATHER, I HAVE TO LOOK AT HIM FIRST. IF HE LOVES ME, I WILL LOVE HIM. BUT IF HE THINKS MAYBE I BRING SOME TROUBLE TO HIM, HE IS THAT KIND OF MAN, MAYBE I FORGET ABOUT HIM. I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT MY FATHER NO MORE.

JESS>> A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THIS PROGRAM AIRED IN 1994. SON THAN CHAU'S WIFE AND CHILD JOINED HIM IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY NOW HAVE A SECOND CHILD. HE HAS STARTED AND SOLD TWO BUSINESSES, MOVED TO ILLINOIS, THEN INDIANA. HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE CURRENTLY VISITING IN-LAWS IN VIETNAM WHERE HE'S HELPING THEM TO BUY LAND TO OPEN A SMALL HOTEL. HE PLANS TO RETURN TO AMERICA AND START YET ANOTHER BUSINESS SOMEWHERE ON THE WEST COAST. HIS MOTHER STILL LIVES IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA.

VAL>> AS FOR JOSEPH LOVE, HE IS RETIRED AND LIVING IN SOUTH DAKOTA. HE STILL WORKS TO UNITE AMERASIAN CHILDREN WITH THEIR FATHERS AND HE HAS IDENTIFIED THE UNIT THAT SON THAN CHAU'S FATHER FOUGHT IN, BUT THEY HAVE YET TO LOCATE HIS DAD.

JESS>> THAT'S OUR PROGRAM FOR THIS EVENING. TOMORROW WE'LL BE BACK LIVE WITH AN ALL NEW LIFE AND TIMES.

VAL>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING THIS EDITION OF THE BEST OF LIFE AND TIMES. HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTH FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT, A PARTNER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

TO REACH US AT LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT, CALL 323-953-5555. SEND US AN E-MAIL TO LIFEANDTIMES@KCET.ORG OR LOG ONTO OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.KCET.ORG TO SEND MESSAGES OR DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPTS OF TONIGHT’S PROGRAM.