First there were the Amerasians: those born of Filipina mothers and American servicemen who were stationed in the former U.S. military bases in the Philippines. A sizable number of the mothers worked in bars and clubs in the provinces of Clark and Subic. Number of Amerasian kids: more than 50,000.

Then there were the Japinos, or Japanese-Filipinos. Number: around 200,000. They were born to Japanese fathers and Filipina mothers at a time when Japan’s economy was booming in the 80s. Many Filipinas worked as entertainers in Japan, and many Japanese visited the Philippines for business or pleasure.

The stories of Amerasians and Japinos share a common thread: many were abandoned by their fathers, and the mothers struggled to raise the children by themselves.

The kids became the object of discrimination, some because of their looks, most because of the stigma of their parentage. Many children went through a crisis of identity, and the dream of finding their fathers and getting paternal support was next to impossible.