Desiree shares about searching for Filippino family in our series dedicated to exploring the complexities, challenges, and realities for intercountry adoptees.
Tag: Desiree Maru
Adoptee Grief and Zen Meditation
Desiree shares her journey of acknowledging and embracing feelings of grief and loss that arise during Zen meditation. We all try to find paths towards healing.
New Goals as an Adoptee in a New City
Desiree shares the complexities of life as an adoptee, the challenges of finding and establishing ones roots, reinventing oneself, finding a place to just be.
Adoptee Artists
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.
Adoption Can Be a Psychological Prison
Desiree shares about the complexities of breaking away from toxic ties if an adoption hasn't served our best interests.
Finding Strength in the Darkest Hour
Stephanie shares about losing her adoptive brother, homeless and mentally ill; the long term outcomes for some adoptees and how it impacts her moving forward.
What I Lost When I Was Adopted
Stephanie shares questions and thoughts about the complex path traversed to come to integrate losses and gains into a sense of identity as a Filipino adoptee.
On the Road to Recovery
Stephanie shares her 5 tips that helped her on the road to recovery as an intercountry adoptee. Adopted from the Philippines to the USA.
Thriving in These Shifting Times
Stephanie writes about the intersection of emotional triggers as an adoptee and being able to handle this better now, on a larger scale during this COVID time.
The Here and Now
Desiree shares her life, coming to terms with her past and moving forward.
A Filipino Adoptee’s Plea to Not Be Erased
Dear Intercountry Adoption Board (ICAB) of the Philippines, I'm a 33-year-old Filipino American adoptee and I refuse to be erased. I refuse to be ignored. I was born in the Philippines and it was not my choice to leave. But it is my choice to return as an adult and to regain my citizenship. Because, …
Turning Negativity into Positivity with Buddhism
Desiree shares her experience of trying Vipassana meditation at a Buddhist retreat, a way to expel her negative energies and a way to deal with adoptee anger.
Starting a Monthly Intercountry Adoptee Pen Pal Effort
Desiree discusses her goal of starting an adoptee pen-pal program to help adoptees connect and share.
The Growing Connections Between Adoptees and Nonadoptees
Desiree shares about the connection between adoptees and non adoptees.
Reconstructing Identity and Heritage
Desiree shares her thoughts on being an orphan and finding her identity.
Desiree’s Column, Filipino Intercountry Adoptee
Desiree starts her column sharing as a Filipino adoptee.