Hello Also-Known-As Community,
I hope that you all are acclimating and welcoming in the new season. This past month has been filled with international adoption news (please proceed reading the remainder of this letter and hyperlinks with care). I recognize that this information may affect individuals across our community in a multitude of ways, and I’m hopeful that you are finding spaces of support and taking consumption pauses or stops if/as needed. For those within the broader adoptee community who have shared your sentiments, stories and experience – thank you.
While I was traveling in China last month, the news of China ending its international adoption program was announced, cementing myself and ~160,000 other international adoptees into a 32 year history. I have caught myself wondering if one day our stories may be captured and read by cross-continental youth in history books, or if this part of the past will largely be forgotten. I have personally found refuge in both the NYT opinion piece by Cindy Zhu Huijgen and Grace Newton of Red Thread Broken’s quote in The New Yorker as mirrors giving voice to my own vast array of jumbled feelings. The news is still something I’m grappling with in the complexity web of multiple truths existing at once.
In the waves of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission finding articles by AP or NBC in regards to evidence of forced adoptions or falsified paperwork, as well as Frontline’s South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning documentary, I have found myself continuing to listen and learn from Korean adoptees. As a Chinese adoptee who has looked up to Korean adoptees in a variety of ways, I am endlessly appreciative of their bravery, mental fortitude, and vulnerability in sharing their stories. The continued path that is being paved is one that I hope may lead to reparations, healing and providing of the truth for every single person who seeks to find answers.
I hope that our stories can go beyond the confines of our community and allies; and be consumed by those who may support in a greater opportunity for identifying equitable practices that center those with lived experience.
Take care of yourselves and I hope to see you in the coming month at our programming.
In community,
Lindsay Geier AKA 涂婷
Photo from September's adoptee discussion around Adoption, Media & Mental Health led by Alisha Bennett and Andrew McFarland.
Happy Hour: Tuesday, October 10th
Also-Known-As is coming to Brooklyn!
Join us for a Happy Hour on Thursday, October 10, 2024 from 6:00pm-8:00pm at Spritzenhaus 33 (33 Nassau Av, New York, NY 11222)
No RSVP is required! - Everyone is welcome.
Pay your own way. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Join Us for an Inspiring Evening with Sarah Myer!
Dive into the world of Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story with author Sarah Myer at our upcoming discussion forum hosted by Also-Known-As and Board Member Adam Goodman!
Event Highlights:
Monstrous beautifully explores Sarah's experiences as a Korean-American adoptee, tackling themes of identity, belonging, and resilience in the face of racism. This heartfelt story resonates with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.
For updates on date, time, and location, please refer to our website's event page or check our Instagram!
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