Category: Importance of Connections to Origins

Returning to Homeland

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, Ethiopia, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Older Age Adoptions, Origins Search, Return to Birth Country, Sense of Belonging, Transracial AdoptionLeave a comment

Meseret shares some tips and thoughts for intercountry adoptees considering returning to homeland or birth country, her perspective as an Ethiopian adoptee.

Children’s Rights to Access Justice and Effective Remedies

On By lynellelongIn Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoption Research, Citizenship in Adoption, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, DNA Searching, Forced separation, Illegal Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Reparation in Adoption, Return to Birth Country, Rights in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, UN Joint Statement Illegal AdoptionLeave a comment

ICAV presents to UNCRC on 18May24 for purposes of drafting the General Comment on Access to Justice and Remedies as children with violated childhoods and identities.

The Pain is Bearable

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, South Korea, The Netherlands, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Soorien shares about the bearable pain of grief and loss she lives with as a Korean intercountry adoptee raised in the Netherlands.

Romania from the lens of a returning adoptee

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Belgium, Complexities in Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Return to Birth Country, Romania, Sense of BelongingLeave a comment

Céline Lăcrămioara, born in Romania and adopted to Belgium, returns as a professional photographer, capturing her birth country and people in these portfolios.

Monologue performances showcasing the complex lived experience of adoption

On By lynellelongIn Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Professionals, Colombia, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Racial Mirrors, Sense of Belonging, The Netherlands, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Performances by José Montoya: one on Grief the other a biographic portrayal of his life, adopted from Colombia to the Netherlands and the complexities within.

Afrocentric

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptees Educate, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, Haiti, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Racial Mirrors, Return to Birth Country, Sense of Belonging, Transracial AdoptionLeave a comment

Ebony Hickey, a Haitian Australian intercountry adoptee performed in Afrocentric at the Victorian Gallery of Victoria. We share her voice performance and photos

How to Truly Save and Help a Child

On By Guest BloggerIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Return to Birth Country, Rights in Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, Uganda, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, USA, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?Leave a comment

Jessica shares the realities of intercountry adoption and what people can do to help a vulnerable child in need, challenging the usual narrative of adoption.

Grief in Adoption

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptees Educate, China, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Return to Birth Country, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Cosette shares deep feelings of grief during her life, coming to terms with all she's lost and might never know. Being adopted means living deep grief.

Confirmation that we are born as adoptees

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Birthdays, Adoptee Names, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Birth Parents Searching, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Search and Reunion in Adoption, South Korea, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Hollee shares on the significance of having access to information about our origins as adoptees.

An Adoptee’s Thoughts on Haaland vs Brackeen

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, adoption reform, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Grief and Loss, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Rights in Adoption, South Korea, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Patrick shares on the current Haaland vs Brackeen case that challenges the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and asks why family preservation isn't the focus.

One Adoptee’s Thoughts on the UN Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry Adoptions

On By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee Activism, Adoptees Educate, adoption reform, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Family Preservation, France, Germany, Greece, Grief and Loss, Haiti, Hong Kong, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Iran, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, New Zealand, Norway, Origins Search, Philippines, Rights in Adoption, Romania, Russia, Search and Reunion in Adoption, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, Uganda, UK, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, USA, Vietnam, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?4 Comments

Lynelle shares her thoughts on the UN Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry Adoption.

Suicide Amongst Adoptees

On By Guest BloggerIn 1993 Hague Convention, Abandonment and Rejection, Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee Anger, Adoption and Disability, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Racism in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, South Korea, Suicide, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Hilbrand shares about the trauma in relinquishment and adoption and the connection with suicide amongst adoptees.

Adoptee Artists

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Diversity in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Art is an incredibly powerful tool to convey the complexities of lived experience in adoption. Here is a compilation of the artwork presented at ICAV.

Meg at K-Box Adoptee Takeover Night

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee Activism, Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptees Educate, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Diversity in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Meg O'Shea presents her comic about returning and searching in Korea at our 9 Sept 2022 K-Box Adoptee Takeover Night in Melbourne, Australia.

Ebony at K-Box Adoptee Takeover Night

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee Activism, Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Haiti, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Origins Search, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Ebony Hickey is a Haitian born intercountry adoptee to Australia whose contemporary artwork we included at the K-Box Adoptee Take Over Night.

Ryan at K-Box Adoptee Takeover Night

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee Activism, Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, South Korea, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

K-Box Take Over Night at the Malthouse Theatre, 9 Sept 2022 highlighting adoptee artist Ryan Gustafsson, Korean adoptee and academic.

Adoptee Review of Ra Chapman’s K-Box Play

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, South Korea, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

by Kayla Curtis, Korean adoptee raised in Australia, social worker and counsellor specialising in adoption. I want to share some reflections from going along to the K-Box Adoptee Takeover Night at the Malthouse and seeing Ra Chapman's K-Box play in Melbourne, Australia on 9 September. Personally, I am feeling an excitement from seeing K-Box because …

Continue reading Adoptee Review of Ra Chapman’s K-Box Play

Being Illegally Adopted and a Forced Reunion

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee Anger, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Birth Parents Searching, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Impacts to Biological Families, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not ready for Reunion, Origins Search, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Taiwan, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Aimee shares about her illegal adoption from Taiwan and being forced into reunion through media involvement and her first mother and adoptive parent wishes.

The Feeling of Not Belonging Anywhere

On By lynellelongIn Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee Anger, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Eating Disorder and Adoption, Family Preservation, Gratitude in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Korea, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Racism in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, South Korea, Suicide, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Michelle shares the complexities as an intercountry adoptee and the ongoing feeling of not belonging and how this underlies her many medical diagnoses.

Identifying with our Genetic Mirrors

On By lynellelongIn Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Brazil, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Racial Mirrors, Sense of BelongingLeave a comment

Ben shares on the importance of genetic mirrors as an intercountry adoptee and coming to terms with being adopted in our video series to educate about adoption.

A Life has been Lived Before Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Adjustment and Transition, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Ethiopia, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Older Age Adoptions, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Meseret shares about the complexities of being adopted at an older age, having memories of life before adoption, learning how to trust her new adoptive family.

Finding Peace after Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Abuse in Adoption, Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee Anger, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Family Preservation, Grief and Loss, Haiti, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Older Age Adoptions, Origins Search, Racism in Adoption, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Jonas shares on the complexities of being an intercountry adoptee, ending up on the streets at age 13 and getting his life back as an adult to find his peace.

Bolivian Adoptee Anthology Book Review

On By lynellelongIn Abandonment and Rejection, Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee Anger, Adoptee Artists, Adoptee Artwork, Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Book, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, DNA Searching, France, Gratitude in Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, Italy, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Norway, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Racial Mirrors, Racism in Adoption, Return to Birth Country, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Lynelle provides a review of the Bolivian adoptee anthology Communal Histories of Displacement and Adoption by the Network of Bolivian Adoptees