08/05/2016
The forgotten Americans
Manila Bulletin May 8, 2016
FORGOTTEN CHILDREN. International photographer Enrico Dungca documents the stories of America's orphaned children in the Philippines.
As one of the free world’s oldest allies, the United States and the Philippines have shared a storied past together. From fighting alongside each against the Japanese’ during World War II, to forming an armed presence in the Pacific by virtue of the United States two military bases; Clark Air Base and US Naval Base in Northern Luzon. The strength of our connection to Uncle Sam, which runs extensively in our collective history, is undeniable. Concealed from these historical bonds, however, lies a complex interlace of direct blood descendants, of abandoned children sired by members of the US military during their tour of duty in the Philippines. Emerging out of the heels of this societal taboo are a large legion of fatherless men and women who possess multiethnicity looks born to single Filipina mothers. All of them remain in search of half their roots. Growing up in a conservative Catholic society, these children were subjected to bullying for growing up in a broken household and have developed self-identity issues. Becoming adults have not stopped any of them from harboring a fervent desire of knowing their real fathers.
For New York City-based Filipino-American photographer Enrico Dungca, documenting their plight became a personal calling in helping this children send their message across the globe, in hopes of reaching their long lost fathers. More than 20 years after the last US military base closed down, an undeniable footprint of our superpower ally still remains—and for many, something that needs to find closure soon.
Wanting to learn more about Dungca’s photography project, we set up a short interview with him.
What made you decide to document the Amerasian children in the Philippines?
When my father passed a few years ago, I kept a promise to him that I would continue his legacy of helping the ones in need. Having been a commercial photographer for over a decade, I reached a mark in my career in which I felt that my photographs were lacking some essence and there was a sense of detachment in my soul. A picture of a beautiful model wearing a designer gown was a great concept but at the end of the day, there was a sense of emptiness. I took a break shooting commercial work, and I wanted to find out what was next for me. As cliché as it sounds, I went soul searching. I wanted to find a place in my heart where I could be used and be helpful to our world. During a recent trip to my birthplace of Angeles City, Pampanga, I met a young Amerasian man who shared his story of abandonment, racial identity, and has suffered discrimination in a poverty-stricken community. His American father left him when he was about five years old, and never saw him again until 20 years later. To my curiosity, I further researched about the term “Amerasian” when I got back to New York, and learned that over 52,000 of these sons and daughters of American servicemen are stranded in the Philippines, and most of them are ostracized in the ultra-conservative Catholic country. Majority of them are pleading for political and social recognition in the United States. That’s when I realized that I think God answered my prayers—I decided to work on this very important issue and use photography as my means to communicate. Hence, this project is a tribute to my late father.
How did the mothers of the children and the kids themselves approach your idea of photographing them?
I met a handful of mothers of Amerasians whose eyes lit when they heard that I wanted to share the stories of the forgotten Amerasian children. It appeared to me that they were given some hope. Who wouldn’t want their children be given hope? Most of the kids (most of them are now adults) I met and photographed were very helpful. They wanted their stories shared to the world. It appears to me that they have been living in their shadows and when the camera was pointed at them, it became symbolic, a light was shined on their lifelong aspiration.
Have you had any success story so far about a former American serviceman locating his long lost child through this series?
As this project gets fed more and more in the media, I continue to receive random emails from supporters, and a lot from Amerasians seeking for help to find their fathers in the US. I am speaking with a couple of fathers who are trying to bring their long lost child in the States. It’s a great feeling when I hear about their progress. I look forward to the time when they reunite.
Share to us the most fascinating story you encountered while shooting this series?
What I found fascinating while I was shooting for the project was the fact that they (the Amerasians) share one thing in common: their life seems incomplete. Many of them feel they are Americans who live in a third world country. To them, they are stigmatized in the Philippines but yet, they are not welcome in their fatherland. I feel their pain for I know what it’s like to be an American but yet I consider myself Filipino.
I believe, from reading your Facebook updates, that you are planning to make this into a book to reach a wider audience and, therefore, make it easier for these ‘Forgotten Americans’ to find their long lost parent. How is it going now?
Yes, I am self-publishing a photography book entitled, The Forgotten Americans, which will showcase the faces of the forgotten sons and daughters of America, and the book is on its design phase.
I see that you are now based in the US, but often come home to the Philippines for The Forgotten Americans. Do you have any plans of doing other photo series in the Philippines?
I came to the U.S. at a very young age, and many of my friends in the Philippines thought I would be purely “Americanized,” a term I never spiritually comprehended. In my heart, I am still a Filipino. The Forgotten Americans is a personal project that hits both homes: the US and the Philippines. I believe there are plenty of stories to be told about the Philippines, and it would be an honor to pay an homage to the Filipinos, the archipelago, and its lush culture. I am not closing my heart.
It is important to note that in 1982, the US Congress passed the Amerasian Act of 1982, permitting the children sired by American military members in the countries of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and South Korea to enter the United States and get preferential immigration treatment. Mysteriously, originally part of the list, Japan and the Philippines were excluded at the last minute. That unexplained move by the US Congress has created a large scale consequence for the thousands of Amerasian children left behind by their American fathers here in the Philippines—the ones whom Enrico Dungca’s photography project referred to as The Forgotten Americans.
About the Photographer
Born in Angeles City, Philippines, Enrico Dungca migrated to the United States as a teenager and settled in California. After being granted with a scholarship at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Dungca started blazing his own path in photography. His career soon took off after several of his works were featured in prestigious publications such as Interview, Paper, Los Angeles Magazine, Out, W, and Australian Style.
Enrico’s works have graced various galleries and garnered a string of tributes from such organizations such as the Advertising Photographers of America and American Photo Magazine.
According to his website, “He has photographed numerous celebrities: Ashton Kutcher, Jesse Metcalfe, Quincy Jones, Ryan Reynolds, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many more. Enrico lives in New York City. He is currently working on a personal photography project involving one of the criticized groups in the Philippines—the abandoned children of US servicemen called the Amerasians.” amerasianphotographyproject.com
