The offspring of American and Asian parents in Japan and South Korea will gather in western Japan on Aug. 22 to exchange ideas and share experiences, according to Japanese organizers of the event.

Most Amerasians are born to American fathers and Asian mothers. In the cases of Okinawa and South Korea, in particular, the fathers are often U.S. servicemen.

Thirty-five kids, including students from the AmerAsian School in Okinawa, the Amerasian Christian Academy in Tongduchun, South Korea, and foreign kids living in Nara Prefecture will participate in the meeting.

The gathering will include a three-day camping trip in Misaki, Osaka Prefecture, beginning Aug. 22, followed by a two-day cultural exchange conference in Kobe starting Aug. 24.

Due to language and economic barriers, many Amerasian children fail to receive an adequate education, the organizers said.

In Japan and South Korea, many Amerasian children are born out of wedlock and are left in the care of single mothers. They often feel alienated by society and frequently suffer racist abuse and discrimination.

According to the Amerasian Christian Academy, some Amerasians hold no government-recognized citizenship.

The AmerAsian School was established in June 1998 and seeks to prepare kids for life in both Japan and America, as well as provide them with a multicultural education.

Japanese and South Korean schools for Amerasian children continue to conduct exchanges through school excursions and overseas-study exchange programs.