Uncovering roots, shaping legacies: A journey of identity and healing | 3x22

Asian Pacific Voices Radio

In this episode we are joined by documentary filmmaker Tran Van Kirk, who’s story highlights reconnecting and reclaiming identity and the journey to self discovery. Kirk takes the initiative to help adoptees and AmerAsians from the Vietnam War with their families, and has paved a way for many individuals in the same situation.

Kirk was born as Trần Văn Hung in DaNang, Vietnam in the summer of 1969 during the height of the Vietnam War. Immediately after being born, he was taken to the Sacred Heart Orphanage on the order of his Vietnamese grandfather, who felt shame from his daughter’s pregnancy by an American military service member. In 1972, he was adopted by a US Army Major that was serving in the Vietnam War and was raised in a wonderful loving adoptive family. After 48 years Kirk was able to wonderfully discover that his birth kin had been living in the US and spent the past few years since 2017 reconnecting to his roots.

Kirk is an award winning Documentary Filmmaker and serves as the Director and Executive Producer for the SEA2C in-house documentary series production, "Intersections". He also serves as the Race Director for the annual Ocean View "Storm the Bay" Race series. This race series benefits the military centric programs of SEA2C. When he's not working, he enjoys long distance running, fishing, surfing, boating, and most importantly of all, quality family time. Through the SEA2C Foundation, Kirk seeks to share his blessings by reuniting war orphans with birth families and veterans separated by the war and to help each find healing from a lifetime of stigmas attached to being a part of that tumultuous time in our history. He is also passionate about giving back to our active-duty military personnel and Veterans who have served honorably in combat to maintain the freedoms that are so often taken for granted.