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.
Dismantling the Stigma and Negative Connotations of Menstruation │1x35
Uncovering the History of Racial Hate Against Filipinos in Short Film ”No Dogs” │1x34
Leading Advocacy and Change for Los Angeles with Councilwoman Nithya Raman │1x33
Uplifting Asian Youth in Los Angeles │1x32
Taboo Topics and Pop Culture through Comics and Art │1x31
From Nightmare to American Dream │1x30
A Lifelong Community Builder │1x29
Reconnecting Adoptees and Families From the War in Vietnam │1x28
An Activist & Audio Storyteller │1x27
COVID-19: Vaccines & Variants │1x26
The ”Triple Threat” Activist & Filmmaker │1x25
Founding ”Crazy Woke Asians” │1x24
Discovering Self Through Differences │1x23
Stories of a Hollywood Trailblazer │1x22
Vietnamese Activists and Educators │1x21
Storytelling, Identity & Film │1x20
Therapy Through K-Dramas │1x19
Uncovering COVID-19 │1x18
Creating a Space for Asian Stories │1x17
The Story of ”Never Goodbye” and My #GirlDad │1x16
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL