Adopted (2008)
This tells the story of two adoptees and their families. One family is a couple excitedly preparing for the adoption of a baby girl. The…
Resource Category: Media
The Drop Box (2015)
A documentary about a South Korean pastor made famous for his “drop box.” The film underscores his religion, work with adoption, and the function of…
Somewhere Between (2011)
A documentary following the lives of four teenage girls adopted from China. The film explores their struggles with racism, identity formation, belonging, race, gender, and…
The Dark Matter of Love (2012)
A documentary on the psychological aspects of growing up with and without parental love. The story follows the Diaz family, who chooses to adopt three…
Found (2021)
The story of three adopted Chinese-American girls who discover they’re cousins on 23andMe. Their online meeting inspires the young women to confront the burning questions…
Stuck (2013)
A documentary about children on their journeys from orphanages to homes in the United States. This explores the corruption and greed behind the adoption process.…
Approved for Adoption (2012)
An animated film about a Korean adoptee joining a Belgium family and his return to his birth country. The story follows him over the course…
Unlocking the Heart of Adoption (2002)
This is an hour-long documentary revealing the filmmaker’s journey as a birthmother. It also features the stories of adoptees, birthparents, and adoptive parents. A wide…
One Child Nation (2019)
A documentary about the various perspectives on China’s One Child Policy. It interviews people who carried out the policy to the people who fell victim…
NCFA: “Post-Adoption Services Acknowledging and Dealing with Loss”
An article on the way loss, rejection, guilt, grief, identity, intimacy, and control, affect adoptees’ experiences and lives.
NCFA: “How Adoption Will Be Impacted If Congress Passes These Four Bills in 2022”
An article on the four proposed bills (from 2022) that Congress was set to vote on regarding different adoption issues. Bills concern the simplification of…
NCFA: Internships
The webpage for the NCFA Internship application. This is an unpaid opportunity located in Virginia that works to strengthen and support adoption.
Child Welfare Information Gateway: “Adoption and School”
A webpage with resources for dealing with awkward questions and challenging assignments that adoptees have to handle at school.
Therapy Chat: “195: The Trauma of Adoption”
This podcast episode considers how attachment trauma affects adopted children and adoptive parents. The hosts also discuss how adoption can change family and community relationships.
The Honestly Adoption Podcast: “What Are Post-Adoption Services And Why Do Parents Need Them?”
A podcast where two adoptive parents host interviews and discuss the different uses and needs for post-adoption services available to adoptive parents.
White Sugar Brown Sugar
A blog by a mom about her adopted children. She doesn’t disclose their names or faces out of respect and describes her adoptions as domestic,…
Vox: “Why adoption isn’t a replacement for abortion rights”
When the Roe v. Wade draft leaked, many people argued that adoption could replace abortion. This article discusses the shortcomings of this argument and rhetoric.…
American Adoptions: “The Truth About Adopted Adults and Relationship Issues”
An article explaining that many adoptees feel they have relationship issues originating from their adoption. It cites that adoptees may have difficulties in both platonic…
NCFA: “Using Accurate Adoption Language”
A short, introductory article about vocabulary suggestions for terms relating to adoption. This article offers alternative words and phrases to ones that are considered inaccurate,…
NCFA: “Talking to Adopted Children About Birth Parents and Families of Origin: How to Answer the ‘Hard Questions'”
An article about how adoptive parents should navigate discussion about an adoptee’s birth family. The author suggests that adoptive parents must be open and transparent…
NCFA: “The Impact of Adoption on Teen Identity Formation”
This article explores the ways in which adoption can affect adolescents’ formation of identity.
Twisted Sisterhood
A podcast for birth moms, by birth moms. The hosts discuss their emotions and experiences with adoption. They also feature other birth mom as guests…
NCFA: “Positive Practices in Transracial Adoption Parenting”
In the article, an adoptee asserts that parents must bring up the topic of adoption first and work with their children to understand their feelings.…
Adoption Network: “Understand Your Adopted Child”
This article explains how adoptees have felt loss and experienced trauma. Additionally, it talks about birth family searches and the shortcomings of some of the…
NCFA: “Being a Birth Mom Changed the Way I Parent”
An article where a birth mom reflects on giving up her first daughter to adoption, then giving birth to and raising two children after.
NCFA: “What You Should Know About Choosing Adoption”
A webpage full of answers to FAQs relating to birth parents and prospective adoptive parents.
Adoption: The Long View Podcast
Host Lori Holden is an adoptive mom and her children are in contact with both of their birth parents. Lori examines the various aspects of…
Creating a Family: “Helping Your Adopted Child Handle Adoption Microaggressions”
A short article that identifies variations of microaggressions that are particular to adoption. It also teaches adopted children strategies to maintain their confidence and coping…
NCFA: “Is Anyone Out There?: Finding Support as a Birth Mother”
A first-person perspective article from a birth mother on adoption, loss, and finding support after birth. She explains the loss that she felt after placing…
The World I Live In: “I am a mother, grandmother and a birth mother”
A podcast episode where a birth mother speaks about her decision to give up one of her children. She mentions that it was one of…
The New York Times: “Deportation a ‘Death Sentence’ to Adoptees After a Lifetime in the U.S.”
An article about adult Korean adoptees who have been deported back to Korea. It discusses a problem with U.S. adoption: some international adoptees unknowingly never…
NPR: “A Mother Reflects On Privilege, Adoption And Parenting ‘Without Perfection'”
An interview about a white mother’s reflection on her life raising two adopted Black children and two biological white children, and how she became aware…
American Adoptions: “4 Unique Challenges Faced By Transracial Adoptees”
An article by American Adoptions that examines some of the challenges that many transracial adoptees face.
Creating a Family: “A Dialog Between an Adoptive Parent and an Adult Adoptee”
An adoptive parent’s blog about how reading adoptee’s stories and opinions worries her. Adult adoptee responds by addressing her fears. This is a good resource…
Adoption Associates: “Openness in Adoption”
A brief article offering suggestions to prospective adoptive parents and current adoptive parents for maintaining transparency in adoption. It discusses birth families, the search and…
American Adoptions NEWS: “25 Helpful Resources for Transracial Adoptive Families”
A resource page with links to transracial adoption blogs, websites, books, Facebook groups, and more.
NPR: “White Kid, Black Family: Transracial Adoption”
An article about a Black father and his family’s experience with raising a white child and transracial adoption.
Rudd Adoption Research Program UMASS Amherst: “Promoting Adoptees’ Well-Being in Transracial Adoptive Families”
An article with parenting techniques designed to support and uplift transracially adopted children. It also has a bibliography which features additional useful resources.
AdoptUSKids: “Florida post-adoption support”
A landing page for post-adoption support services and parent support groups available to families in Florida.
“Raising Our Multiracial Family”
A Black woman shares the story of her multiracial family. One of her four children is a white, adopted son.
The Honestly Adoption Company
This company helps parents understand their children, change their parenting approach, and transform their family. Their podcast helps adoptive parents better understand their adopted children.
Vox: “Genes aren’t destiny, and other things I’ve learned from being adopted”
An adoptee speaks candidly about their adoption experience — dealing with other people’s expectations and the ways in which birth family connection can be powerful.
NPR: “Growing Up ‘White,’ Transracial Adoptee Learned To Be Black”
An article and podcast on NPR about a Black, transracial adoptee. Chad Goller-Sojourner reflects on his identity and experiences growing up with white parents and…
BuzzFeed News: “What A Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew”
An essay from the perspective of a Black, transracial adoptee. The author discusses the racial dynamics in a family with transracial adoption.
Considering Adoption: “5 Things the Spouse of an Adoptee Should Know”
A brief article about five ways in which you can uniquely support and love an adopted spouse.
Psychology Today: “Adult Adoptee Voices Are Changing Adoption Narrative”
An article written by a Korean-American adoptee about the Side by Side project, where adoptees discuss their lives, relationships, and origins. Side by Side also…
NCFA: Stories
A list from The National Council for Adoption (NCFA) of articles for and fromadoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, and expecting parents.
The Adoption and Fostering Podcast
A podcast series that interviews birth parents, adoptees, and family members of adoptees. It features conversations about contemporary adoption and fostering. Episodes are 40-50 minutes…
Two Adoptees Uncensored: “Listening to Adoptees”
A podcast episode featuring a queer, transracial adoptee from Vietnam. Christopher reflects on his identity and growing up in a white family and predominantly white…
Time: “My White Adoptive Parents Struggled to See Me as Korean. Would They Have Understood My Anger at the Rise in Anti-Asian Violence?”
An article about a Korean-American adoptee’s thoughts on the title of “adoptee” and the racial dynamics in transracial adoptions.
Adoptees On: “33 [S2 E10] Marni – A Model Reunion”
Although this podcast episode is full of hard and honest conversations, it’s ultimately about the joyful reunion between birth mother and adoptee. The episode walks…
Los Angeles Times: “‘I’m not allowed to feel those things’: How adoptees experience anti-Asian hate”
An article about the complex ways Asian adoptees experience culture, anti-Asian hate, and racism as a result of being adopted.
Adoptees On: “24 [Healing Series] How Do I Tell My Adoptive Parents I’m Searching?”
This podcast episode is about how to talk with your parents about searching for your birth family. The episode discusses how it’s normal for adoptees…
NPR: “‘Am I Asian Enough?’ Adoptees Struggle To Make Sense Of Spike In Anti-Asian Violence”
Adoptees explain their feelings regarding the surge in anti-Asian violence and the ways in which they are affected by racism.
The New York Times Magazine: “Why a Generation of Adoptees Is Returning to South Korea”
An article by a Korean adoptee which explores the reasons and ways for South Korean adoptees to return to their birthplace. There are also many…
Rhonda M. Roorda, MA
Rhonda is a transracial adoptee from New York. She is an author and public speaker and her work focuses on her identity as a Black…
Adoptees On
A Spotify podcast where adoptees discuss the adoption experience. Hosts emphasize open and vulnerable discussions. Episodes range from 40 minutes to an hour and a…
Who Am I Really?
A podcast where adoptees of all different backgrounds discuss their adoptions and attempts at reunion with their biological families. Episodes range from 30 minutes to…
Adoption Surrogacy Choices of Colorado: “Understanding an Adult Adoptee’s Emotions”
An brief article which discusses the complex emotions some adoptees may face.
The Guardian: “Stories of transracial adoptees must be heard – even uncomfortable ones”
An article by transracial adoptee Nicole Chung about how adoptees are expected to fit into racist frameworks. She also explains which emotions are considered “acceptable”…
NPR: “Adoptees express their fear, anger and insight on race during social unrest”
An article that spotlights diverse adoptees and their families. Adoptees explain how their identity has been shaped by social unrest and the ways it has…
Healthline: “The Best Adoptee Blogs of the Year”
A list of different adoptee authors, their blogs, and information about what each one focuses on.
Diary of a Not-So-Angry Asian Adoptee
The blog of Christina Romo — a Korean adoptee, mom, wife, and advocate. She details her life, thoughts on adoption, and provides the perspective of…
Confessions of an Adoptee
A Tumblr blog for adoptees of all ages and situations to share their feelings, experiences, worries, fears, and ambitions. This is a safe space for…
A Chinese Adoptee’s Journey
The blog of an adult Chinese-American adoptee which explores her feelings and experiences regarding adoption.
The New York Times: “IDENTITY: When Parents Adopt a Child and a Whole Other Culture”
An article about the complexities of the adoptee identity. It discusses how parents are not only adopting a child, but also their child’s culture in…
