''Luk khrueng'' ( th, ลูกครึ่ง, literally "half-child") is a colloquial Thai term referring to a person whose parents are of different nationalities. In a narrow sense, luk khrueng means people of mixed Thai and foreign origin; a person of mixed Thai and Chinese origin is called tai chuea sai jin, rather than luk khrueng. In the mid-20th century the number of ''luk khrueng'' increased dramatically following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, with the increasing number of Western residents and visitors to the country. Many were the children of

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

servicemen The term serviceman, alternatively service member, refers to enlisted members of a nation's armed forces. More generally, the term can be applied to officers as well. For more information see: *Soldier *Sailor *Airman *Marine *Coast guard ...

who moved to the country in the 1960s and the 1970s, when there were several large U.S.

military base A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

s in the country because of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. While some of the servicemen formed lasting relationships with Thai women, some ''luk khrueng'' were the product of temporary relationships with "rented wives" or

sex workers A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is d ...

, a fact that led to some

discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...

in that era. Some Thais were also hostile because of the perceived lack of

racial purity The term racial hygiene was used to describe an approach to eugenics in the early 20th century, which found its most extensive implementation in Nazi Germany (Nazi eugenics). It was marked by efforts to avoid miscegenation, analogous to an animal ...

but most were quite accepting. In the modern era, many ''luk khrueng'' are born of relationships and marriages when

Westerners The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

come to live and to work in Thailand or when Thai people go to study in Western or foreign countries. In more recent generations, ''luk khrueng'' have become accepted and even embraced by society and many ''luk khrueng'' have carved out a prominent role in the

entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...

in which their often-fluent

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and their Caucasian features (such as

fair skin Light skin is a human skin color that has a base level of eumelanin pigmentation that has adapted to environments of low UV radiation. Light skin is most commonly found amongst the native populations of Europe and East Asia as measured through ...

, larger or colored eyes and allegedly tall physique), which are deemed attractive in

Thai culture Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode bloc ...

, have proved to be advantageous. Within teenage culture these features are also extremely popular.

References

Society of Thailand Multiracial affairs in Asia Thai words and phrases {{thailand-stub

See also

References