Who Are Viet Nam Family Search?

Viet Nam Family Search is an adoptee-led, not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping Vietnamese intercountry adoptees reconnect with their birth families. The organization was founded in the early 2000s, emerging from informal networks that had formed among adoptees seeking support and connection.

Before its establishment, adoptees relied on online forums and social media to share experiences and advocate for one another. These efforts evolved into the InterCountry Adoptee Support Network (now InterCountry Adoptee Voices), which played a key role in documenting adoptee experiences. The 2005 documentary Operation Babylift, created by adoptee Dai Le, further strengthened global connections, bringing together the founding members of Viet Nam Family Search.

With a deep understanding of the challenges adoptees face, the organization provides search services with empathy, integrity, and accountability. Each search is approached individually, recognizing the uniqueness of every adoptee’s journey. Viet Nam Family Search collaborates with trusted organizations in Vietnam, offering access to translators, advocates, and historical records to help navigate cultural and language barriers.

About Ride for Mothers 2025

The Ride for Mothers 2025 marks 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, a conflict that led to thousands of Vietnamese children being separated from their families and adopted worldwide. Many of these adoptees, now in their 50s and 60s, continue searching for their birth families, hoping to reconnect before time runs out.

To raise awareness and support this cause, Viet Nam Family Search (VNFS) is organizing the Celebrating Viet Nam Mothers bicycle ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Soc Trang in the Mekong Delta from April 7–12, 2025. The ride invites adoptees from around the world to join, share their stories, or support through donations.

Sue-Yen Luiten, VNFS Director, emphasizes the deep emotional significance of this journey, particularly in the Vietnamese Lunar Year of the Snake, which symbolizes introspection and renewal. She highlights that up to 30,000 Vietnamese children were adopted internationally before May 1975, including around 1,500 in Australia. Many were separated from their mothers at birth and are now seeking to reconnect with their heritage.

The ride will pass through regions where many elderly parents may still reside. Participants will engage with local communities, and funds raised will provide 300+ care packages to elderly residents. VNFS also aims to build homes for vulnerable elders in collaboration with the International Red Cross.

This ride is more than just a journey; it is an opportunity for adoptees to reconnect with their birth country, share their experiences, and contribute to those in need. Supporters can help by sponsoring riders, donating care packages, funding home construction, or contributing to ongoing VNFS services.

How to Get Involved

Registrations for the ride have now closed, but you can still get involved by either sponsoring a registered rider, or making a donation – Viet Nam Family Search needs donations for DNA kits and processing, care packages, and building hew homes for the elderly.