Conclusion

2015: Tung Nguyen and Merrie Li—siblings born in Vietnam who reconnected in the United States in the 1980s—mourned the passing of their Vietnamese mother and puzzled over the discovery that the American man whom Tung believed was his father was not. A large group of Amerasians organized by Jimmy Miller gathered in Seattle for an annual celebration, reflection, and call to political action. During the festive evening of dancing and dining, they honored their successes, paid tribute to Vietnam veterans, and recommitted to helping those who remained in Vietnam. Adoptee Tiffany Chi Goodson, who spent one year in Hanoi, where she taught English and yoga, hosted monthly music events, and served street youth under the auspices of the nonprofit Blue Children’s Foundation, relocated to South Africa with and soon married Chris, a fellow volunteer and traveler whom she met in Southeast Asia. “Operation Babylift: Perspectives and Legacies,” an exhibit documenting and inviting exchanges on the subjects of adoption and the airlifts, opened in San Francisco’s Presidio. The bilingual, interactive space featured artifacts from Operation Babylift, text panels interpreting key events, a set of dialogues that paired adoptees with Presidio volunteers, and notecards—each asking a question such as “What conversation do you want to begin?” “What memories or stories do you want to share?” and “What question do you have about Operation Babylift?”—for visitors to complete and display on a peg-filled wall. National and regional media outlets used the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam to explore the recollections of aging veterans and the status of Vietnamese communities stretching from Philadelphia and Houston to San Jose and Garden Grove, California. The coverage not only replayed familiar themes of exile, anti-Communism, despair, and courageous adaptation but also noted the waning poignancy of the war and shifting priorities among American-born Vietnamese....