CANH

Canh was born in DaNang in 1971. The son of a Vietnamese woman and African-American serviceman, Canh was immediately taken to Sacred Heart Orphanage where he lived for 10 months. In 1972, he was adopted by the Oxelson Family and raised in a small farming community in Central California. The cross-cultural challenges were significant, but a loving family and competitive swimming kept him afloat! Canh went on to earn a BA in Psychology from the University of San Francisco and an Ed.M from Harvard University. Since college, he has been helping young people find their higher educational path as both a college admissions officer and a high school guidance counselor. Canh is currently the Executive Director of College Counseling at Horace Mann School in the Bronx, NY.

 

Canh has been involved in the Vietnamese adoptee community for almost 20 years. Periodically, he is asked to speak at events and share his adoption story and his search for identity. In 2020, a DNA test revealed that his biological mother is alive in Vietnam and still lives only 10 minutes from the Sacred Heart Orphanage. Canh is looking forward to the day when he can reconnect with his birth mother. In the meantime, he’s enjoying getting to know his half-sister and her family who now live in the United States.  Canh Co-Hosts the SEA2C Podcast program "From Sea to Sea" with Michael Anderer.   Canh also serves as a SEA2C spokesperson.