Dear Mother, Writing “Dear Mother” seems so formal, yet I never met you so I can’t call you “mom.” I don’t even know if you would have wanted me to call you “mom.” Let alone if I would have been comfortable with that either. How strange all of this is—and to think that at my
Research Request | Genetic Testing Influences Among International Adoptees
Christina Garasky and Dr. Richard M. Lee of the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota are looking for participants for their research study of genetic testing views and family thoughts among international adoptees. You are potentially eligible if you are: Internationally adopted from another country outside of the United States Between the ages
A Letter from My Birth Parents
The following is an excerpt from How Did You Find Me, a sweet story about love lost and found again. Crossing over decades, the book weaves together the narratives of an adopted woman, her birth mother and birth father, highlighting how the adoption affected each of them and their relationships over the years. Though the narratives
Call for Stories | Healthcare Challenges Faced by Adopted Persons Lacking Family Health History
Have you experienced health challenges based on your lack of family health history? Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics will publish a collection of personal stories from adopted individuals about challenges they face in seeking healthcare while lacking family health history information from genetic relatives. The editors will approach the experiences of adopted persons in this context
My name, My identity | A poem by a Korean adoptee
Cho Eun Jee. Grace Sophia Gerlach. Two languages, Two countries, Two cultures, One me. Two names, Intertwined. Eun Jee Grace Wisdom Eun is Grace, Jee is Wisdom. Cho Eun Jee. Grace Sophia Gerlach. My name is My heritage. My name is My identity, My soulmate, Something I can never let go. A place in my
An Adoptee’s Perspective: 10 Things Your Child Needs to Know
10. You have a right to feel the way you do about your adoption journey. Adoption is complicated and messy and wonderful and heartbreaking. Life may feel wonderful to you now or it may feel confusing and awful. Know that your feelings about being adopted are valid and will likely change throughout your life—and that
Research Request | Transracial Adoption and Bullying
Eun-Jun Bang, PhD, MSW is conducting a research study to better understand the scope and effects of bullying on children (ages ranging from 9 to 16 years old) adopted into transracial families. As a social work faculty member at Northeastern State University, she is interested in understanding this topic so that they can develop effective supports and
Are You My Mother? Adoptees are in reunion whether they’re searching or not
During a recent presentation at an adoption conference, I had the members attending my session participate in a quick exercise before they took their seats. I asked them to walk around the room and find the person they thought they most closely looked like. The room instantly filled with nervous laughter as the participants met
Join Our Commemorative Book of Adoptee Stories and Photos
This is Me: Remember our past, celebrate our present We are collecting stories and photos of adoptees from around the world for the second edition of our book, This is Me: Remember our past, celebrate our present. The original project was created with a focus on Korean adoptees, to celebrate the history of Korean adoption at both Children’s
I Took a Privilege Walk: Here’s what I thought
In early February, I participated in a ‘Privilege Walk:’ an exercise that forces examination of individuals’ levels of privilege or disadvantages in life. I had just finished speaking on an adoption panel and Sue Orban, the panel moderator asked all of us, panel members and audience, to partake. Each question requires the responder to step
