#321 Reuniting Amerasian Families: John Haines' Story & Father Founded's Mission

On Episode 310, we explored the powerful work of Father Founded, an organization dedicated to reuniting Amerasian families separated by war. We shared the heartwarming story of Scott McMullen, a retired firefighter and veteran, who discovered his long-lost daughter through the group's efforts. With how popular this episode was, we wanted to share another story from Father Founded. So we are going to hear from John Haines about his family’s story and volunteer Angela Simmons-Jones’s role. 

John’s journey began in 2012 when he received a life-changing message from a woman claiming to be his daughter, sparking his mission to reconnect families and advocate for Amerasians in the Philippines. Angela, a U.S. Air Force veteran and genealogist, has been volunteering with Father Founded since 2020, using her skills to help families reunite through DNA and genealogy.

Angela Simmons-Jones was born and raised in Illinois and after retiring from the United States Air Force, she settled in Georgia. She works for a public library system and has been volunteering her graphic design, genealogy and organization skills for Father Founded since 2020.  Angela has been working on her own family tree since 2012 and has taken Advanced Genetic Genealogy for Librarians with the American Library Association.  Angela has a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management with an emphasis on Logistics from Ashford University.  She is married to another USAF retiree, has a teenage son, too many pets, and raises monarchs. 

Together, they’ll share John’s personal story, the challenges Amerasians face, and how their work is making a difference for families around the world.

Takeaways:

• John Haines was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma, which changed his perspective on life.
• He received a message on Facebook from a woman claiming to be his daughter, leading to a DNA test.
• The Amerasian Homecoming Act allowed some children to reunite with their American fathers, but many were left out.
• There are an estimated 50,000 Amerasian children in the Philippines who are seeking connection with their American fathers.
• Legislative advocacy is crucial for including the Philippines in the Amerasian Homecoming Act.
• Father Founded provides DNA kits to help families connect and navigate legal hurdles.
• Many veterans are unaware of their biological children due to the complexities of relationships during wartime.
• The process of reuniting families often involves significant legal challenges and emotional struggles.
• John emphasizes the importance of love and connection in pursuing family reunification.
• Advocacy efforts continue to push for legislative changes to support Amerasian families.

You can learn more about Father Founded here including donating to their amazing cause. This is the closed Facebook group that Father Founded uses to connect people. 

 

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today next Friday! New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 320 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel, this includes some episodes recorded at NBC Universal Stamford Studios. 

 

DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our social media lead is Kajal Patel. Our Outreach Intern is Liv Davidson. And our logo Graphic Designer is Ashlyn Enokian, MS, CGC. 

 

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