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Mon, September 25, 2023 | 03:08

Solving problem of adoptee representation in film, TV

Solving problem of adoptee representation in film, TV

I discovered my passion for film and television at a fortunate time, in 2018, the year of “Crazy Rich Asians.” Like many of us, I fixated on the feeling of “Finally! It's our turn now.” After decades of being pushed to the sidelines, Asians were stepping into the spotlight and onto the big screen. Each new Asian-led or Asian-created release after the breathless success of “Cr...

2023-09-09 14:11

Never-ending quest: defining ethnic identity as son of adoptee

Never-ending quest: defining ethnic identity as son of adoptee

"Just tell them you are South Korean." That was the advice my mother gave me when, as a five-year-old child, I came home after being bullied at school by two Belgian boys. Born to a white Belgian father and a mother who was born in Korea and adopted at the age of three in 1975 to a Belgian family, I vividly remember how the schoolmates repeatedly called me "Chinese" and made ...

2023-08-27 09:09

'I still have hole in my heart I can't fill,' says founding member of Adopted Koreans Association

'I still have hole in my heart I can't fill,' says founding member of Adopted Koreans Association

I was born in 1966 in the district of Gwangsan in Gwangju, and adopted to Stockholm, Sweden, when I was two years and four months old. The name given to me by the adoption agency was Kim Hak-bo, but I have no information about my biological parents or my background, so the first years of my life have been more or less erased.

2023-08-15 08:23

Reclaiming identity: right to trace birth parents in transnational adoption

Reclaiming identity: right to trace birth parents in transnational adoption

Who are my first parents/family? What were the circumstances surrounding my adoption? How can I obtain my adoption file or other relevant documents? Can I contact my first family, and if so, how?

2023-07-23 09:26

Accountability comes knocking: more European countries investigate illicit intercountry adoption activities

Accountability comes knocking: more European countries investigate illicit intercountry adoption activities

Defending and advocating human rights requires continuous engagement. One doesn't simply sit back and hope that the U.N. or other human rights bodies will initiate investigations. And even when this does occur, it requires constantly knocking on people's doors ― diplomats, U.N. officials, relevant experts, and stakeholders to ensure accountability.

2023-07-09 21:58

Dutch Korean artist's project: The Mother Mountain Institute of Sara Sejin Chang

Dutch Korean artist's project: The Mother Mountain Institute of Sara Sejin Chang

Korean adoptee artists have garnered attention in the western countries where they live, but their works remain relatively unfamiliar to people in their country of origin. This obscurity isn't due to a lack of effort on the part of the adoptees. Despite their attempts to engage with Korean society, Koreans have yet to reciprocate in kind.

2022-05-28 09:37

Adoptee's journey tracing her mother, origin and heritage

Adoptee's journey tracing her mother, origin and heritage

I feel the weight of knowing that I represent one out of hundreds of thousands of Koreans who were sent overseas through international adoption. I'm an independent film director and I have spent most of my adult life trying to find my way back to Korea to look for profound answers to my origin and heritage.

2022-05-21 09:00

Today's inter-country adoption system is not fit for purpose

Today's inter-country adoption system is not fit for purpose

I will first comment on where we are today in terms of inter-country adoption (ICA) practice at the global level, then consider our experience of the outcomes of a suspension of ICAs, and finally - in all modesty as an outsider - offer some thoughts on what the path forward for Korea might be.

2022-05-07 17:13

Gratefulness in the eyes of an adoptee

Gratefulness in the eyes of an adoptee

The word “grateful” is such a small word but it can carry a significant impact. Being “grateful” for something is supposed to have a positive effect, however, society has caused me to resent the word. Adoptees tend to hear this term from strangers, acquaintances, extended family members, sometimes even their adoptive parents (mine excluded).

2022-04-23 09:50

Court submission on responsibility to verify acquisition of citizenship of inter-country adoptees (Part 3)

Court submission on responsibility to verify acquisition of citizenship of inter-country adoptees (Part 3)

Question: Does the government of the Republic of Korea owe a responsibility to adoptees to confirm whether citizenship in the receiving country was obtained after inter-country adoption?

2022-04-16 15:41

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