As far as I can remember, the concept of love has been burdensome. Some adoptees are told their birthmothers loved them so much they relinquished them for a better life. Others are told they were unwanted and unloved by their birthmothers. I speak only for myself and my experiences, and for me, I fall into…
Not knowing my grandmother’s name, I addressed a letter to her as my mother’s mother. If my divination readings are accurate, my grandmother is the only other person besides my mother who knows of my existence. She purportedly contacted the adoption agency, asking about me. However, she was turned away and apparently told it’s better…
While I normally write about personal experiences as an adoptee, my focus has shifted towards how systemic roadblocks control adoption narratives. Adoptee voices are integral to any discussion regarding adoption, however much of the focus has been and continues to be on adoptive parents. Control of the narrative also continues with support from the government…
It has felt like a year and a lifetime since information about my mother was relayed to me. In reality, only a year has passed since her restaurant was discovered. Time has moved quickly and stood still all at once. While this year has presented much more information than I have had access to before,…
As a transracial adoptee, fighting to be seen is an underlying current through many aspects of my existence. Not only fighting to be seen as Korean, but fighting to be seen as the child my mother relinquished decades ago. The news of Kang, Mee-sook’s legal victory has made its way through the US and Korea.…