Bought and Sold, This is Adoption!

by Lina Vanegas adopted from Colombia to the USA. You can follow Lina on Instagram @linaleadswithlove or on Twitter @LinaLeadsWLove

When we talk about adoption it’s important that we are honest and transparent and avoid sugar coating things or inserting toxic positivity or adoption propaganda.

The reality is that many people do not truly understand adoption, what it it entails, what it is and the impacts, trauma, grief and loss.

To break it down, I was bought and sold in 1976. I lost everything and my identity was erased. This is heartbreaking and devastating to me. It’s hard to wrap my head around it. I can’t honestly fathom how this could have happened. The tragic thing is that I am one of millions. Yes M I L L I O N S. There are an estimated 7 million adopted and displaced people and the number is growing. 2 million of us are intercountry adopted.

I just saw a comment on Facebook last night that was commending a white adoptive parent for sharing a positive adoptive story and they also stated we need more positive adoption stories. If positive is what you want then adoption is not the topic to equate with it. There is always trauma, grief and loss with adoption no matter the circumstances. This is a given and guarantee. When we talk about adoption, we must be honest about what it entails. It’s not beautiful, a fairytale, rainbows, sprinkles and unicorns.

I was bought and sold in 1976. This is my lived experience.

You can read Lina’s other articles shared here at ICAV:
Demystifying the stigmatization of Adoptee Suicide