Being Adopted.
Are you a part of or in-charge of any Asian Adoptee Organizations?
If so and you’d like to promote your organization on Pathos of Asian Adoptees, please contact adopted.asians@gmail.com
May is APIA Heritage Month.
I made this to express the social labels, prejudices, and struggles to be an Asian adoptee, Asian/Filipino-American, and other facets of my identity.
As part of the 2nd largest Asian American group, Filipino American, while growing up I was and am determined to learn more and understand what it means to be both Asian/Filipino American due to my socialization in a densely populated white cultured area. I’ll re-emphasize the culture shock of not meeting other people of my heritage and ethnic background until halfway through high school and even made my own effort of learning more what constitutes my heritage, not my culture.
So for many APIA Adoptees, I highly encourage to express yourself and your stories within histories/herstories that we share.
Feel free to submit them on this site.
Geographies of Kinship -The Korean Adoption Story
GEOGRAPHIES OF KINSHIP-THE KOREAN ADOPTION STORY(working title) is a feature-length documentary that follows 5-6 Korean adoptees from the U.S. and Europe, each on a unique journey related to their adoptions. One person is searching for roots and returns to Korea for the first time. Another undertakes a search for her birth family and the reasons for her adoption. Yet another is seeking community among other adoptees. Some are motivated by a sense of loss, while others are well adjusted but desire a connection to their past. These character-driven stories will unfold against a wider backdrop of the Korean War and the hidden effects of post-war industrialization and globalization on women and families in South Korea.
(Click the title for more)
A Me By Any Other Name
By Jenny Zhang, culture
“What is it you want to change?”
I’m standing at the counter of the Registrar’s Office at my University talking to a lady named Vanessa. She starts scrolling through my records on the computer in front of her, and I can sense that she is already annoyed with me.
“My name. The name that I’m enrolled under at the university.”
She frowns. “What’s wrong with the one you have now, Jenny?” She glances at the computer screen to confirm that this is—indeed—my name.
“Because it’s not my real name.”
This statement is met with silence. I immediately realize this makes me sound like a shady con artist, one of those people they feature on shows like 20/20 or 48 Hours Mystery. I mean,” I stammer, “I need to change it to my Chinese name.”
(click here to read more)
API Collegiate Press: Chinese-Americans are really Chinese, American, neither and both.
When I went back to China in the Summer of 2010 to study abroad, one taxi ride truly made me question my identity as a Chinese-American. There were two Chinese-Americans who did not speak Chinese, with one Chinese-American student who did. By default, she instructed the driver where to go and the…
Holt's 2012 Happy Trail in Korea for Korean adoptees
The trip is July 11th - 24th , 2012
Application Deadline: March 31, 2012!
Info at the link:
http://www.holtinternational.org/adopteestoday/pdfs/2012Programguide_application.pdf
Asian American Awareness Week Art Exhibit Call for Submissions
ATG Against The Grain Productions PSA
Unmasking 'racial micro aggressions'
Two colleagues—one Asian-American, the other African-American—board a small plane. A flight attendant tells them they can sit anywhere, so they choose seats near the front of the plane and across the aisle from each another so they can talk.
At the last minute, three white men enter the plane and take the seats in front of them. Just before takeoff, the flight attendant, who is white, asks the two colleagues if they would mind moving to the back of the plane to better balance the plane’s load. Both react with anger, sharing the same sense that they are being singled out to symbolically “sit at the back of the bus.” When they express these feelings to the attendant, she indignantly denies the charge, saying she was merely trying to ensure the flight’s safety and give the two some privacy.
Were the colleagues being overly sensitive, or was the flight attendant being racist?
Asian American Identity Development
From Kim J. (1981) The process of Asian American identity development.
1. The Ethnic Awareness Stage begins around the ages of 3-4 when the child’s family members serve as the significant ethnic group model. Positive or neutral attitudes toward one’s own ethnic origin are formed depending on the amount of ethnic exposure conveyed by the caretakers.
2. The White Identification stage begins when children enter school where peers and the surroundings become powerful forces in conveying racial prejudice, which negatively impacts their self-esteem and identity. The realization of “differentness” from such interactions leads to self-blame and a desire to escape their own racial heritage by identifying with White society.
3. The Awakening to Social Political Consciousness stage means the adoption of a new perspective, often correlated with increased political awareness. Kim believes that the civil rights and women’s movements and other significant political events often precipitate this new awakening. The primary result is an abandoning of identification with White society and a consequent understanding of oppression and oppressed groups.
4. The Redirection stage means a reconnection or renewed connection with one’s Asian American heritage and culture. This is often followed by a realization of White oppression as the culprit for the negative experiences of youth. Anger against White racism may become a defining theme with concomitment increases of Asian American self and group pride.
5. The incorporation stage represents the highest form of identity evolution. It encompasses the development of a positive and comfortable identity as Asian American and consequent respect for other racial/cultural heritages. Identification for or against White culture is no longer an important issue.
For those of us who are Asian American, this might provide some insight and clarification into our own experiences. For those of us who are not Asian American, I would stress that White Identification is a difficult stage that some never move past.
Identity development models like these are flawed in one way: identity isn’t linear. It’s not as though you make it to stage 5 and boom, you’re done, you’re enlightened. A change in environment may trigger someone who was in stage 5 to progress to stage 3. I’ve heard identity described as a spiral staircase; you are always moving forward, and each step is unique, but you can look back on all the steps you’ve taken.
(via fascinasians)
Multiculturalism. Pluralism. Syncretism.
Adoptees and adoptive families, how do you feel about each subject? Send your submissions please!
Playing with my food: Race
I want to give you a few scenarios from the past few years of my life, what I felt/did about them, and I honestly want to hear your opinion and feedback. Drop it in my ask, anonymous is fine.
A little background: I’m 22, adopted from South Korea when I was under a year old, and was raised by a white family in a white suburb, and have gone to nothing but white schools. Until I was a teenager, I’m pretty sure I didn’t even know that I was different than everyone around me. I have been separated from my adoptive family for several years now. I identify with being American, not Korean.
Again, I want some honest comments and opinions (good or bad, really) on these scenarios. I want to hear what others think.
1. A plumber working on my kitchen simply asks where I’m from. I say Maryland. He then asks where I’m really from. This is the 264382th time I’ve had this conversation with someone. I say Korea, he asks north or south, blah blah. Then begins asking me about my Korean parents. I respond that I was adopted and don’t know my parents. Then he starts asking if I’m looking for them. I say no, I’m young and not interested at this point in my life, and don’t know anything about Korea. He seems confused about how I’m Korean and don’t speak Korean (he let me know that he was Romanian and spoke Romanian). I said I was raised in America by a caucasian family, so I had no reason to know Korean. He then decides it’s a good time to tell me he is “looking for an Asian girlfriend”, but there are none around where he lives. I nervously laugh. He knows I live with my boyfriend. At this point, I’m done with the conversation. I walked across the room and stayed on my laptop until he left.
2. Another plumber, on a different occassion, looks around my kitchen, looking for something to talk about, and spots an instant ramen. He asks “are you japanese or something?”, to which I respond “No, I’m Korean, but I’m pretty sure lots of people eat ramen”.
3. I dealt with some harsh comments at my (99% white) university. Several white students, who I did not know, yell things at me like “Kim Jong-il”, etc. Eventually I get sick of it, and take the issue to the Dean of Students and several other administrative faculty. The students constantly deny their actions, and nothing is done despite several reports from the security. The same students continue to bother me, and it is never resolved. At a later time, the Dean comments “maybe this isn’t the right school for you”. I never graduated.
4. Every time I go to a Korean store/restaurant, I always get strange looks from the employees. At a Korean BBQ, the waitress was downright rude to me when I couldn’t respond to her in Korean. This has happened more than once at Korean restaurants, and now I don’t really go to them for fear of how they treat me. I’ve never had this trouble at Japanese or Chinese restaurants.
5. Lots of Asian people start speaking to me in Asian. Sometimes Korean, sometimes Chinese. Then they seem disparaged when I say “sorry, I don’t speak ____”. They usually apologize and go on their way.
6. I’ve had several guys try to pick me up by saying they have dated Asian girls, they know the “culture”, have respect for it, etc. They think being Asian is some secret that they’re also in on. I find this particularly upsetting. I guess it’s okay to feel that way, but that’s not a reason for me to date you. I make a point to only date guys who are racially open/neutral. A girl is a girl, no matter what race, and he should like me for me, not my perceived culture or nationality.
7. My high school religion teacher singles me out in front of the class about my adoption. I wasn’t asked in advance if I was open to sharing this info. She starts asking questions like “now, you do realize that if not for your adoptive family, you may very well be homeless or dead?”.
These are just some of my experiences, in several different states. Again, I’m really curious to hear various outside opinions. Please feel free to use my ask box, anonymous is fine.
