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The Philippines' forgotten generation
BBC ^ | 20 May 2014 | Staff

Posted on 05/22/2014 4:26:02 AM PDT by csvset

The United States military is set to return to the Philippines 22 years after being evicted. The imminent arrival of US forces has renewed focus on the thousands of "Amerasians" fathered by US military personnel. Aya Lowe went in search of this forgotten generation.

Mary-Jane Stephens lives in a gritty one-room house with her three children and three grandchildren. Two sprawling mattresses pushed together make up the sleeping area, while one stove, sofa and TV make up the rest of the household. Continue reading the main story Philippines Direct branding graphic

From selling peanuts to making a mint Your pictures: Philippines Linda Yueh: After the storm Philippines Direct

She "worked the bars" in the red-light district that grew up around the major US military bases north of Manila established following World War Two.

She now dedicates her time to taking care of the grandchildren. Her children don't earn much, but they keep the family in food and water.

In the more than two decades that the bases were operating, hundreds of thousands of US servicemen were stationed at the naval and air force facilities or passed through on their way to conflicts in the region such as the Vietnam and Korean Wars. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote Ashley Descalier

People deny you work simply because of the colour of your skin”

Ashley Descalier Amerasian

Many struck up relationships with local women, many of whom, like Mary-Jane, struck up relationships with Americans.

"When you meet them, they make you believe it's love and that it's going to last forever, but then they just leave," the 41-year-old says.

Each of her children has a different father. Each one was a US serviceman.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: amerasians; blasians; philippines
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There are now an estimated quarter of a million Amerasians in the Philippines who can trace their heritage back to US servicemen, a relationship that now stretches back several generations.

It wasn't me. Never made it to the PI during my time in the Navy.

1 posted on 05/22/2014 4:26:02 AM PDT by csvset
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To: csvset

African American fathers left their families behind? Who knew?


2 posted on 05/22/2014 4:35:59 AM PDT by larryjohnson (USAF(Ret))
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To: larryjohnson
I'm sure it was just black guys.

I did notice this from te story though, Each of her children has a different father.

Once she went black she never went back?

3 posted on 05/22/2014 4:42:46 AM PDT by csvset
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To: larryjohnson

Not to say that they all were black Americans, but this article did nothing to lay the blame to the Philippine government for allowing and even supporting places like Angeles City. BBC just takes another swipe at all Americans.

I did not serve or even pass through PI. I saw a version of Angeles City in the southern area of Teheran that was nicknamed “Camel Town” by the US contingent but the locals translation for it was “New City”. Everyone knew it was there and what it was. You could smell it outside of the walls.


4 posted on 05/22/2014 4:43:39 AM PDT by mazda77
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To: mazda77

My time in the Far East was spent (primarily) in Korea, and you saw the same thing there, although many of the Korean girls were expert at bilking American service members for cash and merchandise, then kicking them to the curb when they were about to PCS.

One of the NCOs who worked for me “fell in love” with a Korean “juicy girl” who lived in the local bar district. He even wrangled permission to move off base (fairly rare in those days) and set up housekeeping with his girl friend. Over the next few months, he spent thousands on furniture, appliances and clothing, in preparation for her move to the U.S. when he rotated to Fort Meade. About a month before his PCS date, she announced that everything was off, and she was keeping all of the “presents.”

In another case, I sat on the court martial panel for a young one-striper who was sent to Korea fresh out of tech school. During his first week in-country, he met a juicy who promised her undying love. Not surprisingly, she had sick relatives and need financial help. So, the airman started bouncing checks all over base to support his girl friend. By the time he was court-martialed, he had written over $5K in bad checks and his military career was ruined. He got a BCD, two months in an Army brig, and a ticket home—all before his 20th birthday.

A good friend of mine was also stationed in Korea at the same time—he had the same job at Osan that I held at Kunsan. He told me that a senior NCO working for him decided to have a little blow-out bash before heading back to his wife and kids in the states. He took $9K in advance pay and 10 days leave in-country before heading home. The NCO—a MSgt—blew the entire wad on a hotel room, booze and an endless parade of hookers that passed through his suite. God knows what he took home to his wife—besides an empty wallet.

I’m hardly a prude, but I can say I never made it to the local bar district during my time in Korea. For that, I can partially thank my predecessor. He spent most of his tour chasing Korean girls and playing intramural sports, so that meant I had to work 14-16 hours a day fixing everything he left undone. But there were many airmen like my predecessor; you could find them at the same place every day at 5 pm—waiting to catch the bus to “A Town” and the evening’s activities.


5 posted on 05/22/2014 5:03:33 AM PDT by ExNewsExSpook
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To: csvset
From the article: Most of us didn't get to meet our fathers. And now that the bases are coming back, thousands of Filipino-Amerasians are expected to be born."

I've got a great idea! Rather then moan about the illegitimate children that will be born, how about keeping your legs closed until there is a ring on your finger!

It may be unfair but that's how life works. If you act like a slut, you get treated like a slut.

6 posted on 05/22/2014 5:07:52 AM PDT by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: larryjohnson
African American fathers left their families behind? Who knew?

C'mon....are you saying that white guys would never have done that?

7 posted on 05/22/2014 5:16:19 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Rat Party Policy:Lie,Deny,Refuse To Comply)
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To: John O
Rather then moan about the illegitimate children that will be born, how about keeping your legs closed until there is a ring on your finger!

I've seen it written that it takes two to tango.Legs closed AND zipper up.

8 posted on 05/22/2014 5:18:05 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Rat Party Policy:Lie,Deny,Refuse To Comply)
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To: John O

“But he said he LOVES me”

Keeping your legs together doesn’t help the cash flow.


9 posted on 05/22/2014 5:23:08 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: csvset
Each of her children has a different father.

Why, it's almost as if she chose, over and over again, to engage in sexual relationships with American military men.

10 posted on 05/22/2014 5:26:15 AM PDT by Tax-chick (You say I'm insane ... I say you're afraid.)
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To: csvset

And this, dear libertarians, is why prostitution should be illegal. Children have a natural right to have a father. If you violate that child’s natural right, you belong in jail.


11 posted on 05/22/2014 5:26:46 AM PDT by ALPAPilot
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To: csvset
Many struck up relationships with local women, many of whom, like Mary-Jane, struck up relationships with Americans.

But some of them struck up relationships with local women who DIDN'T strike up relationships with Americans? Or what?

Who writes this garble, cats?

12 posted on 05/22/2014 5:29:22 AM PDT by Tax-chick (You say I'm insane ... I say you're afraid.)
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To: csvset

Happened in Germany too.


13 posted on 05/22/2014 5:34:39 AM PDT by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: ExNewsExSpook

Proudly never crossed the bridge in Subic.


14 posted on 05/22/2014 5:36:11 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: Tax-chick
Whole lot of strucking up going on around in here.

British cats.

Wot? Ey !

15 posted on 05/22/2014 5:36:26 AM PDT by csvset
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To: csvset

I’ll bet he’s fathered some fine looking kittens!


16 posted on 05/22/2014 5:37:27 AM PDT by Tax-chick (You say I'm insane ... I say you're afraid.)
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To: Resolute Conservative

I crossed the bridge to join the Olongopo Jaycees

I made many friends in the business community there


17 posted on 05/22/2014 5:41:41 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... History is a process, not an event)
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To: ALPAPilot
And this, dear libertarians, is why prostitution should be illegal. Children have a natural right to have a father. If you violate that child’s natural right, you belong in jail.

Moronic. There is no such "right", in law or in religion. Just your own baseless feel-good opinion.

Hint: To be a Right, it must be enforceable by government. Exactly how do you propose forcing parenthood on someone when a fatherless or motherless child (death, abandonment, unknown DNA source, etc) comes forward to exercise this "right"?

18 posted on 05/22/2014 5:46:50 AM PDT by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: csvset
There are now an estimated quarter of a million Amerasians in the Philippines who can trace their heritage back to US servicemen, a relationship that now stretches back several generations.

And they say that like its a bad thing . . ?

19 posted on 05/22/2014 5:51:37 AM PDT by ßuddaßudd (>> F U B O << "What the hell kind of country is this if I can only hate a man if he's white?")
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To: ALPAPilot
And this, dear libertarians, is why prostitution should be illegal. Children have a natural right to have a father. If you violate that child’s natural right, you belong in jail.

I suppose you also want to jail all men who engage in non-marital sex? Do you want to jail the women too? If not, why not?

How about prostitutes who have had IUDs or other reliable birth control inserted?

20 posted on 05/22/2014 5:54:52 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
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