Lynelle Long presented this to the Nordic Adoption Council Conference on September 2023.
In this talk, Lynelle reflects on adoption as a lifelong journey, drawing on her lived experience as a Vietnamese intercountry adoptee. She explores the importance of early and ongoing support, connection to origins, racial and cultural identity, understanding relinquishment and adoption trauma, and listening to adoptee lived experience.
At its heart is a simple message: adoptees need informed, compassionate and lifelong support as they navigate identity, belonging and the complexities of living between two worlds.
Resources
Understanding Intercountry Adoption
Adoption across a lifetime: why reform must move beyond the child-centric lens
Adoptee presentation to New Zealand