- Community Connection
GLADNEY Center for Adoption: “What Do Adoptees Wish People Knew about Them?”
This article explains a few things that adoptees would like others to know about them. It describes how adoptees are similar to everyone else, how they are different, and encourages people to not assume things about adoption. This source can apply to and most benefit those who don’t know much about adoption but would like to learn further about it.
- Community Connection
Psychology Today: “Adult Adoptees in Relationships: Eleven Red Flags to Avoid Future Abandonment”
This article is about red flags adoptees should avoid when searching for a relationship. The 11 red flags are explained in a sort of biased, protective stance and it is important to recognize the nuances in every relationship. This source may apply to and most benefit adoptees who are seeking a relationship, but would like some guidance to protect themselves.
- Community Connection
Considering Adoption: “Adopted Adults and Relationships – How Are They Affected?”
This article explains how people’s relationships migh be affected if they’re adopted. It gives details on how some adoptee’s emotional difficulties can affect or not affect a relationship and encourages adoptees to seek out therapy if needed. This source may apply to and most benefit adoptees who want to understand where some of their troubled feelings regarding relationships stem from.
- Community Connection
Adopt a Love Story: “10 Needs Adoptees Want You to Know About”
This article explains ten common needs adoptees want others to know about, like that adoption is a lifelong journey, they need to claim their identity, and more. This source can apply to and most benefit spouses of adoptees who want to understand more about an adoptee’s identity.
- Community Connection
Adoption.com: “Confessions of an Adoptee’s Dating Life”
This article gives an adoptee’s perspective on how they might view dating, goes through attachment styles, and explains their feelings. This source can apply to and most benefit other adoptees who want to know more about how their identity could affect their dating life.
- Community Connection
American Adoptions: “Your Adoption Relationships”
This source is a starting point for adoptees who want to understand their relationships. Some of these guides are about friends, reunion, attachment theory, and more. This source can apply to and most benefit adoptees seeking guidance in understanding and approaching relationships.
- Birth Family Search
China DNA
China DNA is a group that does DNA analysis to help adoptees connect to their Chinese ancestry, genealogy, and heritage.
- Birth Family Search
Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Boston
The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Boston’s Birth Family Search Process for Adoptee’s webpage gives steps and information on how to do a birth family search. Official paperwork in PDF format is available and a flow chart is also accessible to the public. This source can apply to and most benefit Korean adoptees who are interested in birth family search.
- Birth Family Search
23andMe
23&Me is a popular genetic testing service. The website states, “Your genetic data is analyzed, and we generate your personalized reports based on well-established scientific and medical research.” The company also makes an effort to protect your information. This source can apply to and most benefit adoptees who are interested in exploring their DNA.
- Birth Family Search
Ancestry DNA
Ancestry DNA is a popular genealogy company. According to the website “AncestryDNA® gives you much more than just the places you’re from. With clear-cut historical insights and rich geographic details, we connect you to the places in the world where your story started – and you might even discover living relatives.” The company also makes a effort to protect your information. This source can apply to and most benefit adoptees who are interested in exploring their DNA.
- Birth Family Search
FamilyTreeDNA
FamilyTree DNA is a well known genetic testing company and is a division of Gene by Gene. According to the website “Founded in 2000, FamilyTreeDNA pioneered the field of genetic genealogy—the use of DNA testing to establish relationships between individuals and determine ancestry. As leaders in the industry, we provide advanced technology for users to gain further insight into their family history—all with a simple swab of DNA.” The company also makes an effort to protect your information. This source can apply to and most benefit adoptees who are interested in exploring their DNA.
- Birth Family Search
MyHeritage
MyHeritage is another genealogy platform. According to the website “ We search for people whose DNA matches yours: your relatives. Our DNA Matching technology reveals the percentage of DNA you share with your matches, showing you how closely related you are. You can connect with your newly found relatives to learn more about your family and discover shared ancestors.” The company also makes an effort to protect your information. This source can apply to and most benefit adoptees who are interested in exploring their DNA.
- Birth Family Search
WeGene
WeGene is a Chinese DNA company. According to the website “The WeGene Personal Genome Service test includes genetic health risk reports. The test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks.” The company doesn’t disclose its privacy policy. This source can apply to and most benefit Chinese adoptees who are interested in exploring their DNA.
- Birth Family Search
GEDmatch
GedMatch offers a free DNA site built for genetic genealogy research. The website mentions that it may attempt to alert you if information is needed legally. GedMatch also offers you opportunities to engage in forums, this information may also not be protected. This source can apply to and most benefit Chinese adoptees who are interested in exploring their DNA.
- Adoptee Groups
CACH-ALL
This is a support group for families and adoptees in the UK who have completed international adoption. They have in-person meetups as well as social media connections.
- Birth Family Search
A Family in China
An archive of a podcast that discusses the searching journey in multiple perspectives (adoptees, birth parents, & searchers). This source can apply to and most benefit those who are invested in learning more about this topic.
- Birth Family Search
Bao Bei Hui Jia
Bao Bei Hui Jia is a Chinese birth family searching site where you can post searching posters for free. You can provide information like birthday, missing time, family seeker characterization, possible memories, etc. This site is for Chinese adoptees or adoptive parents searching on behalf of their child.
- LGBTQ+
HRC: “How HIV Impacts LGBTQ People”
From the Human Rights Campaign, this source will most apply to and benefit those who seek to understand how HIV impacts LGBTQ People. The article gives an overview of what HIV is, how discrimination against LGBTQ ties in to HIV, how it is funded, and the work HRC is doing to move forward with current issues.
- LGBTQ+
National Coalition for LGBTQ Health
The National Coalition for LGBTQ Health’s services can most apply to and benefit everyone in the LGBTQ Community. The coalition is “committed to improving the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals through federal and local advocacy, education, and research”. On the website you can explore their work regarding LGBTQ health and their resource page.
QMUNITY
This organization offers ten counseling sessions at a reduced cost. Free sessions are also an option for people who cannot afford the fee. They have appointments 10am-6pm Monday through Friday. The counselors have competency training in LGBTQ2SAI+ and gender-diverse related issues, however there is a waitlist. This source is great for people who are in need of therapy and with diverse counselors.
- LGBTQ+
Satrang
This non-profit organization serves the South Asian LGBTQ community by promoting awareness, acceptance and empowerment through social, educational and advocacy-related events. You are able to volunteer for and attend their events and donate. They are based in Los Angeles, so this is a good organization for any LA based LGBTQ South Asians.
- LGBTQ+
Outfest
Outfest’s mission can apply to and most benefit the LGBTQ+ community. It is known as, “The world’s largest LGBTQ+ film and media organization.” The organization holds several programs, projects, and events for artists with its film festivals as its focus.
- LGBTQ+
Transgender Training Institute (TTI)
From the Transgender Training Institute, this article can apply to and most benefit those who want to better understand & be more affirming of Trans and NON-Binary people. This organization is made up a transgender and non-binary educators who “facilitate professional development and personal growth trainings.” It provides tailored training, webinars, and classes for individuals. Prices are ‘Pay What You Can” or sliding scale fee.
- Literature
A Forest of Doors: An Orphan’s Quest
A young child, orphaned by addiction and isolated from her siblings, dreams of reuniting her family after decades of separation. She begins a quest and gains more than she ever dreamed possible along the way. A Forest of Doors is a powerful true story of loss, love, spirituality, coping, and redemption.
- Literature
Before We Were Yours
It is 1939 in Memphis. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River “shantyboat”. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Before they know it, they are thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage. The Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty. | In present-day South Carolina, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. It helps that she was born into wealth and privilege. When Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. | Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.
- Scholarships
Great Value Colleges: “40 Great Scholarships for First-Generation College Students”
From Great Value Colleges, here is a list intended for first-generation college students who are looking for scholarships. There are 40 scholarships on this list, some may differ in terms of value or eligibility. On the webpage you can find more information and links to websites
- Scholarships
U.S. News & World Report: “Scholarships for Students With a Deceased Parent”
From USA today, this source is for students who may have lost a parent and are seeking financial support through scholarships. The article gives information on certain scholarships and explains why they are beneficial for students.
- Scholarships
Academic Related: “20 Scholarships for People Who Have Lost a Parent 2023”
From Academic Related, this source is for students who may have lost a parent and are seeking financial support through scholarships. The article gives information on certain scholarships and explains why they are beneficial for students. 20 scholarships are listed here and answers to basic questions surrounding this topic are given.
- Scholarships
Scholarshipinstitute.org: “20 Scholarships for First-Generation Students”
ScholarshipInstitute.org has a list of scholarships intended for first-generation college students. There are 20 scholarships on this list, some may differ in terms of value or eligibility. On the webpage you can find more information and links to applications.
- Scholarships
CollegeScholarships.org: “Haitian Scholarship Funding”
From Collegescholarships.org, this source gives a list of 3 scholarships that are relevant to individuals who are of Haitian descent. More information is given in their descriptions
- Literature
All You Can Ever Know
Cheung is a Korean transracial adoptee from Oregon and was born severely premature. She grew up knowing her adoption story as a “comforting, prepackaged myth”. As she grew up, she began to face prejudice, find her Asian American identity and became more curious about her origins. In this memoir, Cheung tells of the “search for the people who gave her up, which coincided with the birth of her own child”. It is a “profound, moving chronicle of surprising connections and the repercussions of unearthing painful family secrets—vital reading for anyone who has ever struggled to figure out where they belong”.
- Literature
Palimpsest: Documents From a Korean Adoption
Sjöblom was adopted from Korea at two years old into a Swedish home. Throughout her childhood, she struggled to fit in and was constantly told to suppress her feelings of wanting to know more about her origins. Thus, she learned to bury the feelings of abandonment, like many other adoptees. In this illustrated memoir, “Sjöblom’s unaddressed feelings about her adoption come to a head when she is pregnant with her first child [and] she discovers a document containing the names of her biological parents”. She realizes “her own history may not match up with the story she’s been told her whole life: that she was an orphan without a background”. She ends up digging more into her background by traveling to Korea and the orphanage and finds out that the truth is “more complicated than the story she was told and struggled to believe”.
- Literature
Adoption Literature for Children and Young Adults: An Annotated Bibliography (Bibliographies and Indexes in Sociology)
This is an annotated bibliography that covers literature published from 1990 to 1991 suitable for children and young adults “dealing in some fashion with adoption”. There are 503 titles in this volume and are divided into fiction and nonfiction by reading level. “Most of the books included feature adoption as a main theme, others use adoption as a secondary theme, while others have characters who just happen to be adopted”. The bibliography encompasses topics such as “the age of arrival, sibling adoption, single-parent adoption, foster parent adoption, step-parent and relative adoption, transracial and intercountry adoption, Amerasian children, racial identity, minority families, special needs, large families, birthparents, search and reunion, surrogacy and open adoption, and some of the less pleasant aspects of adoption”. It is compiled by a reference librarian who is also an adoptive parent. There is also a featured selective resource list and directory of adoption-related organizations.
- Literature
The Lost Daughters of China: Abandoned Girls, Their Journey to America, and the Search for a Missing Past
This book presents a cultural history of the events that led to the controversial one-child policy in China and the generation-long abandonment of Chinese daughters to American families.
- Literature
In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories
This is a collection of interviews conducted with Black and biracial young adults adopted by white parents. It entails personal stories of two dozen individuals “who hail from a wide range of religious, economic, political, and professional backgrounds”. Some things this book explores is “How does the experience affect their racial and social identities, their choice of friends and marital partners, and their lifestyles?” The book includes overviews of both the history and current legal status of transracial adoption as of 2000.
- Literature
Lucky Girl: A Memoir
In this true story, journalist Mei-Ling Hopgood, one of the first wave of Asian adoptees to arrive in America, “comes face to face with her past when her Chinese birth family suddenly requests a reunion after more than two decades. | In 1974, a baby girl from Taiwan arrived in America, the newly adopted child of a loving couple in Michigan”. Hopgood had an “all-American upbringing, never really identifying with her Asian roots or harboring a desire to uncover her ancestry”. | When Hopgood was in her twenties, her birth family showed up. They end up being “a boisterous, loving, bossy, complicated middle-class family who hound her daily life by phone, fax, and letter, in a language she doesn’t understand until she returns to Taiwan to meet them. As her sisters and parents pull her into their lives, claiming her as one of their own, the devastating secrets that still haunt this family begin to emerge. Spanning cultures and continents, Lucky Girl brings home a tale of joy and regret, hilarity, deep sadness, and great discovery as the author untangles the unlikely strands that formed her destiny”.
- Literature
A Single Square Picture: A Korean Adoptee’s Search for Her Roots
Kim Ji-yun, who grew up in Seoul, Korea soon became Catherine Jeanne Robinson, who had an American family and lived in Salt Lake City, Utah. Twenty years later, she returned to Seoul in search of her birth mother and found herself “an American outsider in her native land”. Katy was left “conflicted, shattered, exhilarated, and moved in ways she never imagined”. This book is “a personal odyssey that ascends to the universal”, and is “a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever questioned their place in the world — and had the courage to find the answers”.
- Literature
Jane Eyre
Orphaned as a child, Jane has felt an outcast her whole young life. Her courage is tested once again when she arrives at Thornfield Hall, where she has been hired by Edward Rochester to care for his ward Adèle. Jane finds herself drawn to his troubled yet kind spirit and falls in love with him. However, there is a terrifying secret inside the gloomy, forbidding Thornfield Hall. Is Rochester hiding from Jane? Will Jane be left heartbroken and exiled once again?
- Scholarships
Bankrate: “The 9 best scholarship search engines”
This article ranks the 9 best scholarship search engines and includes short summaries on them. While none are adoption specific, they can be useful in finding scholarships that are.
- Scholarships
Scholarships.com: Scholarships by Ethnicity
Filtered from Scholarships.com, this source is students who are looking for scholarship opportunities that are based on their ethnicity. You can filter through region and country.
- Scholarships
Considering Adoption: “Scholarships for Adoptees”
Considering Adoption is a resource for prospective parents. Their article links different college scholarships for international adoptees and youth adopted from foster care.
Adoption STAR: “Scholarship Opportunities”
Adoption STAR offers four unique scholarship opportunities for adoptees, and other members of the adoption triad. The four include: 1) the Adoption STAR Academic Scholarship Program 2) Adoption STAR Scholarship for LGBTQ+ Prospective Adoptive Parents 3) Shining Star Scholarship for the Adoption of Children with Special Needs and 4) Parenthood For Me Medical Scholarship. All of the criteria for each scholarship can be found here.
- Scholarships
Holt International: “Holt Adoptee Scholarship Contest”
The Holt Adoptee Scholarship Contest is open to all adoptees (domestic or international) who plan to or are currently in higher education. Applicants could be awarded up to $500. Scholarship applications are centered around a question or theme relating to the adoptee experience.
- Scholarships
UMPS CARE Charities: All-Star College Scholarship
For in-coming college freshmen, the UMPS CARE Charities All-Star College Scholarship is for children adopted later in life (at or after 13) to provide increase opportunities for advanced education. Each year one student will be selected to recieve a scholarship of up tp $10, 000 annually to go towards tuition, books, and other college-related expenses.
- Scholarships
Also-Known-As: Adoptee Excellence Scholarship
The Also-Known-As Adoptee Excellence Scholarship known as the All Star Scholarship is open to graduating or current undergraduate international adoptees “who demonstrate the attributes of leadership, drive, integrity, and civic engagement. We seek candidates who have used their adoption story and formative youth experiences to lead, serve, and pursue a life of purpose and significance, both individually and for their communities.”
- Scholarships
Asian Pacific Fund: Apply for Scholarships
The Asian Pacific Fund offers a wide range of scholarships with varying recipient amounts and qualifications.
- Scholarships
Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption: “FRUA’s Annual Scholarship Program for HS Seniors, College & Vocational Students”
Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption offers three different scholarships. In order to access required qualifications and submit your application, a current family membership with FRUA is required.
- Scholarships
Family Resource Center on Disabilities: “Scholarships”
The Family Resource Center on Disabilities offers this list of scholarships that are available for “people with disabilities and come from foundations, organizations, or a broad range of other committed providers. The scholarships are open to all college students with disabilities, including students with learning disabilities.”
College Consensus: “35 Scholarships for Students with Disabilities”
College Consensus offers a list of 35 scholarships for students with disabilities. An applicant will generally need proof of a disability before they can find scholarships, financial aid for students with disabilities, or anything offering free tuition. The nature of disability plays a strong role in what kind of aid will be available.
- Scholarships
Scholarships360: “Top 75 Scholarships for Disabled Students in September 2023”
Scholarships360 lists 79 scholarships for disabled students in 2023, and a majority are college related. The descriptions include the title, amount, deadline, and application link.
- Scholarships
Scholarships.com: Disability Scholarships
This article gives a brief history of the Americans with Disabilities, details about scholarships, and a list of possible scholarships. Scholarships listed have a name, deadline, amount, and summary.
- Scholarships
American Adoptions: “College Scholarships for Adoptees”
This article American Adoptions article lists different scholarships available to adopted and fostered youth. The list is composed of various college based scholarships.
- Scholarships
SmartScholar: Scholarships for Chinese Students
A scholarship directory that features scholarships for Chinese Students with descriptions of the requirements, qualifications, award amount, date and links.
- Scholarships
goingmerry: “30 Valuable Scholarships for Asian American Students in 2023”
List of 30 scholarships for Asian American Students, with description that includes amount, provider, eligibility requirements, and application requirements.
- Scholarships
Haiti Scholarships
From Haiti Scholarships, an organization geared towards Haitian Scholars who currently live in Haiti, this source gives some scholarship resources to Haitians who live in the U.S. There are about 5 sources to read about.
- Adoptee Groups
AAC: “State by State Support Groups”
The American Adoption Congress offers a list of support groups in the United States and Canada including name, location/state, meeting times, and contact information. The group’s members can include both adopted adults and birth parents, others welcome anyone impacted by adoption, and a few are open exclusively to adoptees or birth parents.
- Community Connection
Heart of Adoptions, Incorporated: Support Groups
Heart of Adoptions is a private adoption agency designed to help create families through adoption. They offer a list of various support groups and accompanying descriptions, alongside ways to contact the groups.
- Community Connection
Adoption Support Alliance: Connection Groups
The Adoption Support Alliance brings together adoptive families from across the Charlotte region. They offer six groups, within three categories: therapist-led, community-led, or a mix of support and education known as support-ucation. Session donations of $20 are suggested, but all groups are “Pay What You Can” and members are encouraged to participate only whenever possible.
- Adoptee Groups
ICAV: Adoptee Led Groups
Intercountry Adoptee Voices (ICAV) mission is to educate, support, connect, collaborate, galvanize and give voice to intercountry adoptees from around the world. They include a list of organizations that can be sorted based on those specific to country of origin, and those all inclusive for adoptees of any country.
- Adoptee Groups
Meetup: Adoptees
Meetup Adoptee is a location based search directory for adoptees looking for support groups. Each profile includes a location, contact information, events, and photos from the group. It also includes a list of the largest adoptee groups.
- Adoptee Groups
Considering Adoption: “Adoptee Support Groups”
A list of adoptee support groups that includes subcategories of general adoptee support groups, international adoptee support groups, foster care adoptee support groups, and person of color (POC) adoptee support groups. The article also includes various other adoptee support and resources.
