Sometimes, I think that parents underestimate their children. They try to withhold information until they think their child can handle all of the nuances of the issue. It’s pretty hard to hide adoption from a Korean adoptee. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that you don’t look like Mommy and Daddy at a very young age. I don’t see this as a disadvantage. It starts the dialogue young and becomes a regular part of their world.

However, parents do often hide how much they know about the birthparents. It’s not malicious. It’s a parent’s way of protecting their child. ... more

Hepatitis B – it’s a disease that has the power to strike fear into a prospective parent of a Korean adoptee. The word disease generally has people running in the other direction. We hear about it because it is more common among Asians and the adoption agencies have a duty to make sure people understand what it is before they adopt. So, what is it all about?

What is Hepatitis B? It is a virus that is transmitted through fluids like blood.

How likely is it that an adopted child will have Hepatitis B? According to an... more

On Adoption.com, I asked some of the participants on the Korea forum why they chose to adopt from Korea? I knew why I chose Korea, but I was wondering what made other people choose Korea. Here are some of the most common reasons:

“For us the choice to adopt from Korea wasn’t based on one or two strong points, rather it was a hundred little things that made the program a perfect fit. – S.”

• Most Korean children are in foster homes

“We liked that our child would be loved by a foster family before coming home… - S.”

“…the kids weren’t in an institution but in a foster care program—one child per home… - T.”

• The... more

Should you travel to Korea to meet your new child?

“Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.” –Francis Bacon

Yes. No. Maybe. Some say that travel broadens the mind or some are like Paul Theroux who says, “Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.”

When my son came, we didn’t travel any farther than the airport (about 20 minutes down the road). The agency that we used is too small and doesn’t allow travel because they don’t have the resources in Korea to help the families. Truthfully, we wouldn’t... more

During the homestudy process, our social worker told us something that blew me away. Korean babies were coming home with letters from their birth parents.

When I came from Korea, open Korean adoptions were not on the radar screen. If it happened, it was very very rare. I was a found child. I have understood from the beginning that if I ever wanted to search for my birth parents it would be a tough road. When I heard that some babies were coming with letters, I was struck by how far things have come – how much things have changed.

When my sister arrived,... more

In the past two weeks, I’ve heard two different people express concern that adopting from Korea is bad for the child. In both cases, they were reading posts from angry Korean adoptees who are anti-adoption because of their own experiences. So, I decided it was time to post something from a happy Korean adoptee who is pro-adoption.

(A picture of me and my son at the zoo. He saw a giraffe.)

A couple years ago, I joined an on-line group of Korean adoptees. I was getting ready to adopt our son from Korea and I was searching out groups of people who... more

I hate when I worry about things that I have little control over, but I have to say that North Korea worries me. The news is full of stories about the plight of the people within its borders and talks of nuclear threats. While a part of me worries about the people (adults and children), the greater part of me worries about my son.

My worry really started with 9-11. I know it seems like I’ve gone off target, but I’ll wrap it all back together. After 9-11, I watched the people around me and I was saddened. Friends and family, that until that moment I had always viewed... more

Waiting...waiting...and more waiting...

The day my son came home from Korea was one of the longest days of my life. First, the plane wasn’t due until the afternoon so I had all morning to worry and dwell on every possible thing that could go wrong.

(When I was nine, my sister came from Korea. I remember sitting at the airport and worrying so much I made myself sick. I did keep my mother distracted during the wait since she had to spend the time in the bathroom with me. I was sure that there would be a mix up and my sister would not be... more

A Personal Experience with Insensitivity:

The normal woman who cut my hair had gone on maternity leave so there I was sitting in a chair in front of strange woman who was wielding a sharp pointy object a fraction of an inch from my eyes. Small talk does not come easily to me. I had resigned myself to thirty minutes of uncomfortable silence and an occasional statement of little importance, but as it turned out my participation wasn’t really needed. She was able to maintain both sides of the conversation with little effort and an amazing ability to go minutes without taking a breath.

“Do you have kids?” She asked.

Here was a topic I could handle. Well into the... more

My Opinion: Having a part of my Korean name was important. My parents took a part of my Korean name and made it my middle name. Growing up, I loved it because it made me feel special and I had a story to tell when people asked me about my name. I would tell them that my first name is Irish, my middle name is Korean and my last name is German. I still use my middle name every chance I get.

We did the same thing for my son. To me, it seemed even more important for him because his birth-mother chose his Korean name. Now, he has a part of us and a part of his birth-parents forever.

I have seen where some parents keep the Korean name and don't change... more