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 comforting. That may sound awful, but I often find it reassuring that there is racism in other countries that is just as rampant as it is here in the United States. The United States is where I call home and I wouldn’t want it to be all alone in its embarrassment.

Korean adoptees lament the stupid questions that people ask us and the stupid things that they say to us. Some adoptees make it clear that their lives would have been better if they had been left in Korea. People wouldn’t have made fun of the shape of their eyes in Korea. No one would have made kung-fu noises at them or made “ching chong” comments when they walked by.

Like all countries, Korea will be full of people who say the stupid things and full of the people who don’t. I’ve always thought that it was a mistake for Korean adoptees to think that all answers to their problems are in Korea. Mostly, I think that our answers are inside of us and around us. For some, the final destination might be Korea and I am glad that they’ve found where they belong. For others, like me, Korea will remain a place to go and see…but I will always come home.

If you would like to comment, but not on this site, please e-mail me at adoptkoreablog@adoptionmail.com.