Kristin Tu and her daughter Jazmin.
Photo: Craig Abraham
Australian Adoptee Searches for Her Vietnamese Birth ParentsKirsti Tu was the first Vietnamese baby approved for adoption in Australia. She has no memory of her first 13 months as an orphan. She grew up in a loving family in Glen Waverley. Yet, as she entered adulthood, she always wondered about her heritage.
While studying nursing at university, Ms Tu, 33, did night courses in the Vietnamese language and immersed herself in the ethnic culture of Footscray.
"I looked Asian and I wanted to know more about that side of me," she said.
She completed her quest four years ago when she went to Ho Chi Minh City - formerly Saigon - to search for her biological parents.
Her story resonates with those of many children adopted from overseas. If they lack information about their family history, these individuals can be plagued by anxiety and low self-esteem.
Some may even turn to drugs and alcohol for solace, a seminar was told yesterday.
A Lack of IdentitySocial worker Lynette Toohey, from the International Social Service group, said many children who did not know their family history lacked confidence.
"Many people identified a sense of being different, of being alien, of something missing, just realising they're not complete," she said.
The feeling of lacking an identity can affect an adoptee's relationships and work performance, Ms Toohey said.
The number of Australians adopting children from overseas has steadily grown since the first arrived in 1974.
In 2003-04, Australians adopted 370 children from overseas.
Last year, International Social Service handled 394 cases of Australians trying to trace their families in more than 50 countries.
The country from which most children come is Britain, followed by Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea.
In one case, it took 12 years to find a woman's relative in Thailand.
Finding Their RootsSocial worker Anjali Prabhu said many people started searching for their families in their 20s.
"A trigger is often when people are having their own children," she said.
"In most situations, every person has an intense need to know their roots. It does make a difference."
While some want to know their medical history, many people express a desire to know who they look like.
Simply returning to their country of birth could also be beneficial, Ms Prabhu said. "(It's) just going to a country and seeing thousands of people who look like you," she said.
Most people are overwhelmed when they are able to locate their families but reunions do not always meet expectations.
Ms Tu, a mother herself, found no trace of her natural family during a month-long search. But she did come back with something valuable.
"I saw a lot of poverty over there and I realised I was really lucky. You can't miss something you never had," she said.
Reprinted with permission from The Times-Picayune.
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