- Media
Found (2021)
The story of three adopted Chinese-American teenage girls who discover they’re blood-related cousins on 23andMe. Their online meeting inspires the young women to confront the burning questions they have about their lost history and travel back to China.
- Media
Approved for Adoption (2012)
An animated film about a young Korean boy joining a Belgium family and his return to his birth country. The story follows him over the course of his life, and the times when his adoption influenced whether or not he felt accepted.
- Birth Family Search
Lion (2016)
The extraordinary birth search family based on a true story. When a little boy from India gets lost on a train and taken thousands of miles away from home gets adopted by an Australian couple. With his unforgettable memories, his determination, and the online technology Google Earth, 25 years later Saroo sets out to find his first home.
- Birth Family Search
Twin Sisters (2013)
This documentary film is happy and heartwarming about twin sisters who are adopted by two separate families who find their way back to each other via social media. This movie brings up topics such as growing, learning, understanding, and identity.
- Birth Family Search
First Person Plural (2000)
This documentary film tells the true story of an 8-year old girl who is adopted by an American family, only to discover years later that she has a birth family in Korea. The documentary explores themes of identity, race, assimilation, and birth family reunion.
- Birth Family Search
Searching for Go-Hyang (1998)
This film is about twin sisters who are adopted into the US but return back to Korea 14 years later in hopes of exploring and reconnecting with their homeland and roots. This story addresses issues of national identity and cross cultural adoption.
- Birth Family Search
aka DAN: Korean Adoption Documentary
Dan Matthews is a Korean adoptee who journeys back to Korea to reunite with his biological family, including a twin brother he never knew he had. He has all this documented and shared on his YouTube channel for his fans/followers to follow along to.
- Birth Family Search
Twinsters (2015)
This documentary tells the true-life story of identical twin sisters separated at birth who discover each other online. They meet and confirm their identity with a DNA test, and they set out to explore aspects of their background together. One twin lives in the US while the other twin lives in France.
- Birth Family Search
Blue Bayou (2021)
A Korean-American man raised in the Louisiana bayou works hard to make ends meet for his family. However, he must confront ghosts of his past when he discovers he could be deported from the US and sent back to South Korea.
- Media
One Child Nation (2019)
This film includes the various diverse perspectives on the one child policy that China implemented in 1980, from the people who carried out the policy to the people who fell victim to the policy. This film is for anyone interested in learning about one of China’s biggest and most impactful planning initiatives. It’s an eye-opening documentary to give new perspectives and understandings of the causes and effects of the policy.
- Birth Family Search
International Child Search Alliance (ICSA)
ICSA is an all-volunteer international group of adoptees and adoptive parents offering multiple sources of information to help adoptees from China search for their birth families. Advice is given on ‘Getting Started’, ‘Hiring a Searcher’, ‘Birth Parents Searching for Children’, and more. There is also How-To-Guides that include DNA testing, using the app WeChat, Joining a Province Search, visiting the CCCWA, and more.
- Race Education
NPR: “How ‘Ching Chong’ Became The Go-To Slur For Mocking East Asians”
A short article on the history and prevalence of a racist slur used against Asian people.
- Race Education
Vice: “Why People Still Laugh at Asian Accents: An Investigation”
“An explanation of the racism involved when people mock Asian accents, and the way Asian accents are still laughed at today.”
- Race Education
Dear Asian Youth: “Mocking an Asian Accent is Never Funny”
“First person piece on why mocking an Asian accent is never funny from the website DearAsianYouth.
This article talks about how mocking accents contributes to racism.”
- Media
The New York Times: “Deportation a ‘Death Sentence’ to Adoptees After a Lifetime in the U.S.”
“An article on the lives lived by adult Korean adoptees deported back to Korea after US adoptive parents failed to attain citizenship for them. It talks about a problem that the US needs to urgently address: adoptees from abroad who never attained American citizenship.
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- Racial Identity
NBC News: “All-American, with one foot in China”
A short article perspective on the need for adoptive parents to educate their Chinese adopted daughters about racism, identity, and the reality of life in America.
- Media
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 in Time magazine about a Korean American adoptee’s thoughts on the title of “adoptee” and the racial dynamics in transracial adoptions.
- Media
Los Angeles Times: “‘I’m not allowed to feel those things’: How adoptees experience anti-Asian hate”
A New York Times article on the complex ways Asian adoptees experience anti-Asian hate and racism as a result of their unique identity. Many adoptees in the article speak of how they felt tied to both cultures and/or neither.
- Media
NPR: “‘Am I Asian Enough?’ Adoptees Struggle To Make Sense Of Spike In Anti-Asian Violence”
In this NPR article, adoptee voices take center, and different adoptees explain their complex feelings regarding anti-Asian violence and the different ways in which they are affected.
- Media
The New York Times Magazine: “Why a Generation of Adoptees Is Returning to South Korea”
“A NYT article where a Korean adoptee explores the reasons and ways for South Korean adoptees to return to their birthplace. In addition to the article, there are 994 comments that provide anecdotes and first hand experiences and questions by adoptive parents and adoptees.
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- Media
Two Adoptees Uncensored: “Listening to Adoptees”
“Christopher, identifies as a queer transracial adoptee born in Vietnam and was adopted at 1 year old. He reflects on growing up in a white family, and predominantly white community.
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- Adoptee Groups
Sisters of China
“Sisters of China is a community organization dedicated to uniting female-identifying Chinese adoptees of all ages across the world by providing them a safe space to share their stories, discuss their challenges, and celebrate their heritage.
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- Adoptee Groups
Adoptés du Vietnam – La Voix Des Adoptés
This Facebook group is based in France and is for French speaking Vietnamese adoptees to come and discuss their adoption journey as well as Vietnamese heritage.
- Adoptee Groups
Taiwanese Adoptees International
“This is a Facebook group for Taiwanese adoptees to connect, share stories and provide support. It is based in California but serves Taiwanese adoptees across the globe.
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- Adoptee Groups
Adopted Vietnamese International (AVI)
This group provides resources and opportunities for Vietnamese adoptees to explore their heritage and adoptee identity as well as share their insights on adoption with adoptive and birth parents and the wider adoption community. It was launched over 10 years ago and has online resources including projects, events and research.
- Adoptee Groups
Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington (AAAW)
Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington is a group dedicated to providing support to Asian adult adoptees in the state of Washington.They provide a welcoming community to new and current participants, a mentorship program for youth adoptees called the Adoptee Mentorship Program (AMP), educational opportunities for Asian/Pacific Islander adoptees, awareness of issues adoptees face, and allyship to adoptees of different nationalities and communities.
- Media
Diary of a Not-So-Angry Asian Adoptee
“Christina Romo identifies herself as a Korean adoptee, mom, wife, and advocate. She details her life and internal thoughts on adoption, but also provides the perspective of a parent learning how to parent her biracial children.
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- Media
A Chinese Adoptee’s Journey
A blog of an adult Chinese-American adoptee which explores her thoughts and feelings surrounding adoption.
- Adoptee Groups
ASIA Families
This group supports adoptees (children, teens, and adults) from Korea in developing their identities. They are located in VA but have a camp in MD as well. They also have culture school, tours and volunteer opportunities for adult adoptees.
- Adoptee Groups
Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families
Chinese Heritage Camp connects adoptive families with the cultural community, adoption experts, and families with shared experiences.
- Adoptee Groups
Adoptee Hub
“””Our mission is to connect, collaborate, and preserve adoption legacies through community, culture, and post-adoption services. Adoptees deserve the opportunity to know their history, have a sense of belonging, experience their birth culture, and have access to services in a supportive safe space throughout their adoption journey.”
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- Adoptee Groups
Chinese Adoptee Alliance (CAA)
FCC is a nonprofit organization supporting Chinese adoptees and their families and friends. Founded in the early 1990s in Manhattan as a parent support group, and expanding to a nation-wide network, our members include adoptive parents, Chinese adoptees and their siblings and other relatives, as well as friends of the organization.
- Adoptee Groups
China’s Children International (CCI)
“CCI is the first international support group created by and for Chinese adoptees. This is group is dedicated to empowering and connecting adult Chinese adoptees from around the world. They have a Facebook group, host zoom chats and have in person meetups.
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- Adoptee Groups
Korean Adoptees of Chicago (KAtCH)
This organization is for Korean adoptees in Chicago and is a private Facebook group. They offer community activities and is for adult Korean adoptees. They help provide services that support or are led by the Korean adoptee community.
- Adoptee Groups
Filipino Adoptees Network (FAN)
This is a network for Filipino adoptees dedicated to supporting, educating and promoting cultural awareness on adoption issues and preserving Filipino heritage. They are based in New York and host group events.
- Adoptee Groups
Sejong Cultural Education
This is a group for Korean adoptees of all ages and aims to foster a sense of Korean identity in adoptees. It is located in New York and offers three events. The Sejong camp for 6-16 year-olds, a Korea trip and a virtual gala.
- Adoptee Groups
Sae Jong Camp
This is a summer camp for Korean American children to explore their Korean American identities, learn about their Korean heritage and create friendships. It is located in Michigan and is a 6 day summer camp.
- Adoptee Groups
Kamp Kimchee
This is an inclusive Korean family camp that focuses on self-esteem, family education and identity. It is a one week camp for adoptees aged 4 years to 12th grade and their families. It is located in Minnesota.
- Adoptee Groups
Chinese Family Camp
This is a camp for Chinese families to combine Chinese heritage with camp fun. It is based in Chicago and is for all Chinese American families. It is a one-week summer camp for Chinese adoptees to meet each other and explore their identities.
