Ref: Mungkin menarik untuk dilihat (49 menit), click
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeracorrespondent/2012/10/201210101123347249.html
Al Jazeera Correspondent
So Close So Far Away
Cath Turner examines the consequences of 'Operation Babylift' at the end
of the Vietnam war.
Al Jazeera Correspondent Last Modified: 12 Oct 2012 04:29
inShare11
'Operation Babylift' was one of the defining events of the Vietnam War
and its legacy will continue for many years. The world is unlikely to ever see
anything like it again.
It was at the end of the war in 1975, when under 'Operation Babylift'
thousands of Vietnamese children were removed from the country and put up for
adoption across the Western world.
Al Jazeera's Cath Turner was one of those children - an Asian child
growing up in white Australia.
In this episode of Al Jazeera Correspondent, Cath returns to her native
and adopted homeland to explore the psychological effects of transnational
adoption on these Vietnamese babies.
Taken from their homeland they became a very small minority in their
adopted countries in a very obvious way.
Correspondent's view: Juggling two families
By Cath Turner
I have always known I had an unusual start to life. But like everyone
else, I have no memory of my first few years.
I do not remember anything about Vietnam. So I have always felt a bit
detached from that part of my life. I have always talked about it like it was
my cousin's experience or someone I vaguely know.
When I pitched my story for the Al Jazeera Correspondent series, it was
from a reporter's point of view. I wanted to draw attention to the short and
long-term effects of adoption; of what happens when a child is moved to a
foreign country and placed with a family that looks completely different.
I wanted to talk about identity, belonging, racism and multiculturalism.
It seemed like a story that people around the world would relate to, and
Al Jazeera the perfect place to tell it. My editors agreed.
But as we got closer to the first day of filming, I started to realise
how personal it was going to be.
Al Jazeera's viewers know me as New York correspondent. I am comfortable
looking into the lens of a camera and talking about the United Nations, the New
York Stock Exchange, the latest technology news or the economy.
But that does not mean you know anything about my family, my childhood or
where I grew up.
This documentary was going to change all that. I was going to lay myself
bare in front of the camera, relive some of the most difficult moments of my
life and open myself up to judgement.
But I also came to realise that it would be a journey of self-discovery
and reflection; of resilience and success. And so I forged ahead, knowing that
I am - and have always been - surrounded by an abundance of love and support.
It has been a very cathartic experience.
Ever since I found my birth mother in 2003, I have been constantly
juggling two families.
Most people assume my Vietnamese family was the perfect end to a
fairytale - and in many ways it has been. I have been able to answer many
questions that have plagued me my whole life - about my birth father, my DNA,
my heritage.
But it has also come with some difficulties.
I grew up with my Australian family and identify most strongly with them.
But I now have a Vietnamese family who wants to connect with me and would love
nothing more than for me to move back to Ho Chi Minh City and start a family.
I always try to make sure no one in either family feels neglected,
abandoned or unloved. And I know I am very lucky to have two families who
accept, respect and genuinely like each other.
But this documentary is about much more than just me. I am only one tiny
piece of 'Operation Babylift'. My producer, cameraman and I met many people who
have been directly and indirectly affected by it. And we barely scratched the
surface.
The more people we spoke to, the more we realised how multi-layered, how
widespread and how devastating the effects of 'Operation Babylift' really are.
And for the vast majority of them, there is no resolution or closure in
sight. Scarce records and paperwork combined with the fog of war make it next
to impossible to find the answers so many are looking for.
Thousands of Vietnamese children were removed from their homeland and
have no way of tracing their bloodline or finding out their true identity. Some
do not want to know; others are desperate to fill in the blanks.
Thousands of Vietnamese parents have no idea what happened to their sons
and daughters, given up to the 'Babylift'. They may never know. They can only
hope their child is still alive and happy. And dream of a reunion.
The story of 'Operation Babylift' has been told many times over the last
37 years. And I believe it will continue to be told, as the repercussions of
such a dramatic event continue to ripple through generations to come.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
