There was a letter to the editor in the JoongAng Daily that was written by a Korean adoptee in Korea. I read it and then I came back and read it again. I think there is a message in there for everyone to hear – not just the Korean people.

In the letter, the Korean adoptee is upset by the way he’s been treated in Korea. He has been treated with a level of disrespect that I find disturbing, yet oddly... more

Here’s a news flash that I just received in my e-mail (actually on Wednesday, but I overlooked it) and I wanted to share it with everyone who might be interested. The Joint Council of International Children’s Services (JCICS) has been chosen by Build-A-Bear Workshops for their international awareness effort. It’s called Stuffed With Hugs: Hugs Sweet Hugs.

Follow the link for the full details, but here is the summary. On May... more

The KAAN newsletter had a link to an article that was published by USATODAY in 2003. A little old, but they only run the census every ten years so the data is the same today. I thought it was interesting that the 2000 census was the first time the government has really studied how adoption has changed the structure of the “traditional” family.

Link: Census

The Census Bureau's first profile of adopted children,... more

Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Families Network

KAAN is a group that has dedicated itself to Korean adoptees and their families. Each year, they have a large conference that brings people together from all over. This year, the conference is in Boston, July 20-22. The conference has breakout sessions that cover a wide variety of subjects for parents and adoptees.

I haven’t been to one, but I hope to go one day. Money-wise it didn’t work out this year. We’re saving for adoptee number two. Last year, it was in Seoul, South Korea. I really wish I had been able to attend that one. When... more

Here is a link to a comedy performance by Amy Anderson. I liked this particular skit a lot. I identified with it across the board and (as I’ve said before) it’s nice to see people laugh about some of these things. No, I don’t speak Korean. Yes, I’ve always known I was adopted. No, I’ve never eaten dog meat (yuck). No, I’ve never been in a massage parlor.

Link: Amy Anderson – Ice House

What I liked about this is the truth behind the comedy. Parents of Korean adoptees pay attention. These are the things that your child will hear. Will your adoptee think they're funny?

If you would like to... more

Okay, so I came across a new Korean adoptee blog that I hadn’t seen before and she happened to have an interesting link on her site to a show called Justice Talking.

Link: Justice Talking

The link is to a program that was done on international adoption. The program is broken down into sections.

Conversation with a Family – This is an interview with a family who adopted from Russia. They talk about why they chose to adopt from Russia and how the family changed.

Interview... more

I came across an article about the two Koreas agreeing to restart family reunions. It’s hard for me to even comprehend how completely the two Koreas were separated. One moment they were one country in turmoil and the next they were separated by concrete and wires. Families were torn in half and many have never seen each other again.

Link: Family Reunions

Some people think that adoption is a lot like the two Koreas. They feel like a big wall has been... more

Okay, so how can I not write about Toby Dawson finding his birth father? Awhile back, I wrote a post about Toby Dawson…Korean adoptee skier extraordinaire. It’s pretty neat to see a Korean adoptee front and center on the Olympics. Here are some article links:

Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 Article 4... more

There are quite a few Korean adoptees out there in our world, but I love hearing what they are up to. If you’re pretty normal, like me, the world generally doesn’t hear about you. When you do something different, like make edible art, the world hears about you.

This article in the Kansas City Star By Jill Wenholt Silva is about edible art and one of the stars of the article is James Parker (garde manger chef).

Link: Edible Art

…Typically,... more

I was reading an article in the KAAN newsletter. It was about a program at a New Jersey college that brought in Comedians to welcome back students. One of the comedians was Amy Anderson (a Korean adoptee) who has been popping up on my computer with refreshing regularity.

Link: Comedians

Each comedian spent... more