Hi Also-Known-As community,
As many of you know, November is National Adoptee Awareness Month. For Also-Known-As, we feel strongly that adoptee awareness, support, programming and amplification of adoptees’ lived experiences is evergreen. Over the course of the month, whether you are curating content yourself, listening and learning, or taking a consumption pause, I hope that you’re able to observe and honor your experience in a way that feels right for you.
The 2024 holiday season is also quickly upon us and I find myself reflecting on the power of community and chosen family. For many, the holidays can conjure up a variety of feelings. I equally hope that as we close out the year, you may find yourself supported or empowered at an Also-Known-As community event. We will be sure to reshare (mostly via our Instagram stories) additional programming by our partner organizations that may support adoptees through the holiday season.
The Also-Known-As Board of Directors would be humbly appreciative this giving season if you would be willing to consider donating to the organization to ensure that we can continue to create meaningful and accessible programming for our community. Your financial donation can be general or denote to a program (i.e., scholarship or mentorship donation via Venmo). Every dollar counts and supports us to better support all of you! If financially this is not possible, please do let us know if you’d be interested in donating your time at an upcoming volunteer opportunity.
Warmly,
Lindsay Geier AKA 涂婷
Join us on November 7th for an evening of healing and connection. Amanda Sparso, Chinese adoptee and certified Reiki practitioner, will lead an intimate adoptee-only group Reiki circle. This special event is all about clearing out what no longer serves us and grounding ourselves before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
🧘♀️ Come in comfy clothes and get ready for introductions, mindfulness practices, a soothing group Reiki session, and a heartfelt closing circle where we can share and reflect together.
📅 Date: Nov. 7th, 2024
🕖 Time: 7-9pm
📍 Where: 151 W 30th St, 3rd floor, NYC
💰 Cost: $35 (non-member), $25 (member)
🎟 RSVP Here. - Limited spots available.
For more information about Amanda Sparso, please visit her website at www.amandasparso.com 🌐
Happy Hour: Thursday, November 14th
Complementing our November scheduling with a tried and true happy hour location at TapHaus 33!!
Happy Hour deals include $25 AYCD beer until 8pm 🍻
⏰ Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 from 6:00pm-8:00pm at
📍 TapHaus 33 (14 E 33rd St, New York, NY 10016)
😁 No RSVP is required! We welcome all new and returning faces.
💲 Pay your own way.
Holiday Party: Save-the-Date: Friday, December 6th.
🎉 Save the Date! 🎉
Our highly anticipated Annual Holiday Party is just around the corner, and you won’t want to miss it!
🗓 When: Friday, December 6th
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 Where: Karaoke City (22 W 32nd St, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001)
We’re inviting all adoptees, friends, and family to join us for an evening of fun, laughter, and celebration. This will be a 21+ over event 🎶
More details, including pricing and RSVP info, will be coming soon. Stay tuned – we can’t wait to celebrate the season with you!
✨ See you there! ✨
Community News: My Blind Leap of Faith by Ana Carolina Muñoz
“My arrival to the United States from Cali Colombia, left me asking myself, ‘how did I get here?’ Feeling as if I was teleported to this strange land, it came a point where I needed to take My Blind Leap of Faith."Read more here from community member, Ana Carolina Muñoz on her experience returning to her birth countryBetween Goodbyes
NYC PREMIERE An adoptee raised in the Netherlands, Mieke’s life is very different from the one she might have led if her Korean family had not been pressured to give her up as a baby. When her birth parents track down the adult Mieke, their reunion unleashes a whirlwind of guilt, joy, regret, and ambivalence. Through non-linear storytelling we witness the family’s journey towards reconnection in this unique story of home, acceptance, and the power of forgiveness. – Karen McMullen
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Jota Mun, producer Zoe Sua Cho, producer Barb Lee, editor Michelle Chang, film subject Mieke Murkes, film subject Okgyun Kang.
Use the code DOCNYC_PTNRDISC_24 to unlock the following discounts: (capacity permitting)
Opening Night / Centerpiece / Closing Screenings: $25 (Regular price: $30)
Regular Screenings: $17 (Regular price: $20)
DOC NYC U, Short List, Weekday Matinees (M-F before 12pm): $11 (Regular Price: $13)
Online screenings: $10 (Regular Price: $13)
To purchase tickets, click here.
Join us afterwards for post-event drinks on November 19th at Jackdaw (213 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003).
Adoptee Film Fest: November 20th
The media and entertainment industry has historically left out adoptee voices during the creation process of adoption narratives, unfortunately leading to one dimensional depictions of our experiences that perpetuate harmful and limiting stereotypes.
The Adoptee Film Fest aims to further establish the need for adoptee centered adoption narratives by adoptees in film, media and entertainment.
Join Adoptee Film Fest’s second show on Friday, November 22nd at 9:30pm EST (doors at 9:00pm)
Tickets for the second show
Tickets for the livestream
Corn-Fed with Rice on the Side by Kim Fenneman
Corn-fed with Rice on the Side is a collection of stories about growing up as a Korean adoptee. It takes a humorous and light-hearted view on daily life as an adoptee and shines a unique perspective on adoption.
Disabled Kinship
We are thrilled to share this open call for an upcoming publication project edited by GYOPO and @plantenivanten!
Deadline February 1, 2025!More than one million children are estimated to have been given up for transnational adoption globally, and a large number of these involve some form of disability. Yet, disability in adoption is broadly underrepresented. We therefore invite all adoptees with disabilities to contribute to an upcomingmixed-media publication which will explore themes at the intersection of disability and transnational adoption. Contributions can be, but are not limitedto, discussing how disability relates to the adoptive kinship, how ableism and racism inform each other in adoption, and how disability holds a (non-)presence in the adoptee communities and in adoption research. We welcome all contributions which can be adapted to an anthology.More information on specifications for submissions can soon be found on our website, instagram and questions should be sent to: disabledkinship@gmail.com
Interested in volunteering for Also-Known-As?
Please fill out this survey to join our volunteer mailing list and let us know what skills you have and what areas you would be interested in helping sustain our organization.