Category: Not Knowing in Adoption

Digging in the Dirt

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, Colombia, colourblindness in adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Family Preservation, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Post Adoption Support, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USA1 Comment

Abby emphasizes the importance of post-adoption services for healing adoption trauma, highlighting the need for community support, therapy, and resources to thrive.

Celebrating Secrets and Sadness

On By julietteviaIn Adoptee Birthdays, Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoptees Educate, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Malaysia, Not Knowing in Adoption, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, UK2 Comments

Adoptee birthdays are a day of celebrating secrets and sadness, a complex day of emotions reminding us we are not with the ones who birthed us.

When Pain and Loss is Too Much

On By Guest BloggerIn Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Attachment, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, India, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption1 Comment

Indian adoptee Pooja shares the challenges of her complex life being adopted to Australia.

The Push-Pull Dance in Adoptee Relationships

On By lynellelongIn Abandonment and Rejection, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Attachment, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption2 Comments

Lynelle discusses the difficulties in relationships as an intercountry adoptee and why is love so difficult: attachment, bonding, connection and adoption.

Expectations of Gratitude in Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Abuse in Adoption, Adoptee Anger, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Gratitude in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption3 Comments

Lynelle shares about the burden of being expected to be grateful in being adopted.

Who Am I?

On By jaymekyopoIn Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking 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, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Jayme questions who he is as an intercountry adoptee from Sth Korea.

The Power of Peer Support

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee support provided by adoptees, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Complexities in Adoption, Diversity in Adoption, ICAV Beginnings, Importance of Connections to Origins, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Racial Mirrors, Search and Reunion in Adoption, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

Lynelle writes critically about the power of peer support in intercountry adoption.

Vulnerable children are not blank slates

On By lynellelongIn Adoptee Anger, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, China, China, colourblindness in adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Family Preservation, Generational trauma, Gratitude in Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Post Adoption Support, Racial Mirrors, Racism in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Survival mechanisms, Trauma in Adoption, USA5 Comments

Lynelle critically examines the gains from including adult intercountry adoptees in policy discussions and shares Joey's story, a male Chinese adoptee.

Citizenship should be guaranteed in Intercountry Adoption

On By lynellelongIn 1993 Hague Convention, Adoptee Activism, Adoptee Anger, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, adoption reform, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, Citizenship in Adoption, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Illicit Adoption, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Politics of Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, USALeave a comment

Citizenship in America is not granted to all intercountry adoptees. This paper explores the topic critically from those with lived experience.

Trauma of Transition for Older Aged Adoptees

On By lynellelongIn Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Agencies, Adoption Attachment, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Adoptive Country, Birth Country, 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, Older Age Adoptions, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption1 Comment

Older age adoptees struggle to transition from their first life to their second. What can be done to reduce the trauma of transition in older age adoptions?

Twins separated by Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Adoption Agencies, Adoption Documentary, Alternatives to Adoption, Birth family trauma, Birth Parents Searching, China, China, Compensation to Victims in Adoption, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, DNA Searching, Family Preservation, Forced separation, Gratitude 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 Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Politics of Adoption, Post Adoption Support, Reparation in Adoption, Rights in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, UN Joint Statement Illegal Adoption, USA, What is an Illegal and Illicit Adoption?6 Comments

Lynelle writes critically about the intercountry adoption processes that knowingly separate biological twins.

Colombian Intercountry Adoptee Anthology

On By lynellelongIn Abandonment and Rejection, Abuse in Adoption, Adjustment and Transition, Adoptee Anger, Adoptee Birthdays, Adoptee vulnerability, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Attachment, Adoption Book, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Alcohol and drug addiction, Colombia, Complexities in Adoption, Critical Thinking in Adoption, Difficult discussions in adoption, Diversity in Adoption, DNA Searching, Eating Disorder and Adoption, Family Preservation, Forced separation, Gratitude in Adoption, Grief and Loss, Illegal Adoption, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Multiple Identities, Not Knowing in Adoption, Older Age Adoptions, Origins Search, Poetry by Adoptees, Politics of Adoption, Racial Mirrors, Racism in Adoption, Sense of Belonging, Suicide, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in AdoptionLeave a comment

The first Colombian intercountry adoptee anthology that shares the many complexities of being adopted from Colombia, edited and compiled by Abby Forero-Hilty.

Complexities of Intercountry Adoption

On By lynellelongIn Abandonment and Rejection, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Complexities in Adoption, ICAV Beginnings, Importance of Connections to Origins, Is adoption the best option, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, VietnamLeave a comment

Lynelle shares on intercountry adoption, together with her own experience and hearing from many fellow adoptees on a range of questions asked by a journalist.

What is it like to be Adopted?

On By lynellelongIn Abandonment and Rejection, Abuse in Adoption, Adoptees Educate, Adoption Education for Adoptive Parents, Adoption Education for Professionals, Australia, Grief and Loss, Lifelong Impacts of Adoption, Not Knowing in Adoption, Origins Search, Suicide, Therapy, Transracial Adoption, Trauma in Adoption, Vietnam7 Comments

Lynelle answers the question What is it like to be adopted? providing insight from her own journey, sharing some common elements many other adoptees speak of.