Congress May Pass Legislation to Start Adoption of North Korean Orphans

South Korea has made its position clear-end all intercountry adoptions by 2012.  Whether or not it’s a reasonable goal, it appears that the U.S. has its own plans to petition for a new cohort of Korean adoptions.

According to the Korea Herald and Chosun Ilbo, Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and Rep. Ed Royce (R-California) filed a bill that asks the U.S. to “establish pilot programs that identify and provide for the immediate care of, and assist in the international adoption of, orphaned North Korean children.”

It’s unclear just how many North Korean orphans there are, and how large of a “pilot program,” Rep. Royce and Senator Brownback are looking to establish.

Since Korean adoptions first began, North Korea has openly criticized South Korea for becoming a “Baby Export Nation,” sending what has become close to 150,000 Koreans overseas.  It will be interesting to see how North and South Korea will respond to this bill.

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Congressman introduces bill for int’l adoption of N. K. orphans

A U.S. congressman introduced a bill Friday calling on his government to help American citizens adopt stateless and orphaned North Korean children adrift in other countries, according to Yonhap News.Rep. Edward Royce (R-California) filed the bill, urging the U.S. government to “establish pilot programs that identify and provide for the immediate care of, and assist in the international adoption of, orphaned North Korean children living within South Korea” and surrounding countries, according to Young Kim, an aide to Royce. Most North Korean refugees, fleeing poverty in the reclusive communist state, head to South Korea via neighboring China. South Korea has received about 18,000 North Korean defectors since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War. The U.S. has taken in nearly 100 North Korean refugees since the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004.

Famous Adoptees

In an attempt to lighten things up, I decided to do a little research and put up a list of famous adoptees.  If you’d like to add to this list please comment at the end!

Steve Jobs – Co-Founder CEO of Apple

Run DMC’s Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels  – Member of legendary hip hop group Run DMC

Sarah McLaughlin – Singer/Songwriter

JC Chasez – Judge on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew

Jenna Ushkowitz – Star on Fox’s hit tv show Glee

Toby Dawson – Olympic Skiier Team USA

Faith Hill aka Audrey Faith Perry – Award winning Country vocalist

Dave Thomas – Philanthropist, Founder and CEO of Wendy’s fast food restaurants

Amy Anderson – Comedienne

Paull Shin – Washington State Senator

Jamie Foxx aka Eric Marlon Bishop – Actor, Comedian, R&B Artist

Keyshia Cole aka Keyshia Miesha Johnson – Musician, Recording Artist

Vincent Chin – Target of a hate crime in the 1980s and rallying cry for many Asian American activists over the past several decades

Liz Phair – Singer/Songwriter

Scott Fujita – Football Linebacker for the 2010  Superbowl Champs, the New Orleans Saints

Adoption in Ireland

I just started reading Frank McCourt’s book Angela’s Ashes today.  The book begins during the Great Depression where the main character Francis is telling the story of his family.  There was a very short reference to adoption in the beginning of the book which got me thinking about what little I know about adoptions in Ireland both domestically and internationally.

After some initial googling I came across a few websites, http://www.adoption.ie/ and http://www.adoptionloss.ie/jane.htm.

According to Adoption Loss, over 100,000 Irish have been adopted.  This includes 42,000 Irish adoptees when legal adoptions began in 1952.  But, there have also been cases of “de facto” adoption, when adoptive parents register their adopted children as their biological children.

And similar to many other countries such as Korea, the roles of religious organizations and their influence on the many unwed mothers who relinquished their children for adoption is apparent.

Perhaps what is most empowering to me is to see the adoption community in Ireland fighting for many of the same rights that we fight for in the Korean adoptee and American domestic adoptee communities.

I’m hoping to learn more about adoption in Ireland, so if you have any particular resources please let me know about them!  -Thanks GS

Healthcare, Adoptees, and Open Adoption in N.J.

Since the Health Care bill passed, there has been a lot of buzz around what will change and how each state will be affected.  Thinking about health care got me thinking about adoptees’ rights to their health information.  For most folks, you’ve heard me say this time and time again-adoptees don’t have access to their family medical histories.  Of course that is slowly changing domestically, but for international adoptees, we still are not afforded the basic right to our medical past.  And like always, I DO acknowledge the implications on birth parents’ privacy.

How many adult adoptees go to the doctor’s office for a routine check-up and are asked to fill out a sheet for your “family medical history?”  How many times do we have to explain to the doctor that we don’t know?  For most non-adoptees, providing this information becomes as routine as filling out your social security number or date of birth.  But for adoptees, it’s often painful as we are once again reminded that we have no control over our genetics and no way of knowing what may be in store for us.

Open adoption in U.S. is slowly turning the tables on this.  For instance, New Jersey is incredibly close to passing their own bill to open adoptions.  What does this mean for adoptees and birth parents?

1)  Birth parents have a grace period of a year to report to the registrar that they do not wish to be contacted by their child.  With in that year, adoptees would be given the opportunity to petition their adoption agency for nonidentifying medical histories.  However, after that one year grace period, adult adoptees, legal guardians, adoptive parents, and adult direct descendants (whose parent has died) would all have the opportunity to petition for the birth certificate.

2)  Provide adoptees with access to their medical histories.

“Children didn’t give up those rights when they were born, nor should we expect them to,” Vitale said. “This legislation strikes a balance.”

3)  Birth parents would be given the opportunity to decide how they wish to be contacted by their child in the future.

4)  If the birth parent does not wish to be contacted, they would be asked to fill out a medical history and “cultural information.”  However, if the birth parent does not fill out this information with in 60 days, their right to remain anonymous would be denied.

The way I see it, things are improving.  On one hand, adoptees are afforded new rights to retain their medical histories.  On the other hand, many birth parents are forced to make tough decisions relatively quickly.  As much as I believe adoptees should have access to their medical histories, it’s hard to endorse a law that also forces them to do so at the expense of their own privacy wishes.  It’s always hard when it comes to these laws.  And unfortunately, I think many states have struggled to find the right balance between protecting the rights of adoptees while keeping the birth parent’s rights to privacy intact.

New Jersey’s assembly is up next and must approve the bill before it is signed by the governor.  I’ll keep my eye on this, but if any of you get any updates please let me know!

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http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/nj_senate_approves_open_adopti.html

N.J. Senate approves open adoption birth records bill

By Peggy Ackermann/Statehouse Bureau

March 22, 2010, 8:54PM

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerView from above the New Jersey Senate Chamber at the Statehouse in Trenton in January.
TRENTON — Adult adoptees moved a step closer to being able to get copies of their original birth certificates and medical histories when the state Senate voted today to open adoption records.

The bill, approved 27-10, includes protections for biological parents who want to remain anonymous, but opponents in the Senate said it does not go far enough and that parents’ privacy could still be invaded.

Biological parents who do not want their identities revealed have a year from enactment to notify the state registrar of their wishes.

“Many of them may not know what we are doing here,” Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen) said of biological mothers, adding that would not give them the opportunity to protect their identities. He suggested the bill be reworked to protect the rights of everyone involved.

AP Photo/Mel EvansSen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex).But Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), a sponsor of the bill (S799), said adoptees already use online resources to track down their biological parents and there is no process for that or control over it.

He also said adoptees have a right to their medical histories, citing as an example a woman who cannot tell her doctor if there is ovarian or breast cancer in her family.

“Children didn’t give up those rights when they were born, nor should we expect them to,” Vitale said. “This legislation strikes a balance.”

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerSenator Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), one of the sponsors of the open adoption records bill.The legislation has been before the Legislature in one form or another for 30 years. In that time, religious leaders, anti-abortion activists and the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union have opposed it.

“While we heard compelling testimony when this bill was before the Health Committee, the most compelling argument to me is the importance of accurate family medical histories in making major health care decisions,” said Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), a sponsor.

Under the bill, biological parents who want to remain anonymous would notify the state registrar. During the one-year allotted period, adoptees would be able to contact the agencies that handled their adoptions to get nonidentifying medical information, including a family medical history, that could alert them to any genetic predispositions they may carry for certain illnesses.

After the opt-out period ends, adopted adults, adult direct descendants of adoptees who died and adoptive parents or guardians of a minor would be able to request copies of original birth certificates.

Biological parents would be required to file a preference form stating how they would want to be contacted — directly, through an intermediary or not at all. If they do not want to be contacted, they would have to submit medical and cultural information that would be provided to adoptees. Those adoptees also would receive redacted birth certificates.

Biological parents who opt out and fail to provide medical, social and cultural histories within 60 days would not be granted anonymity in the event their children seek them out.

The bill still needs Assembly approval before it can go to Gov. Chris Christie for his signature.

Guatemala Will Resume Adoptions in June 2010

One recent news item in the adoption world is that Guatemala has decided to resume its adoption program.  Guatemala’s adoption program was shut down three years ago due to falsified documents and allegations of child trafficking.

Officials say that this time the adoption program will be different.  But it is still unclear just how the system and policies will change to eliminate the same problems that brought the adoption program to a halt in 2007.

“There will be a significant difference between the old and new systems.

Previously, potential adoptive parents requested children with certain characteristics. Now, the National Adoptions Council will simply present a list of children who are eligible for adoption and ask that its foreign counterparts find families who would be best suited for them.”

Although I do think this is a good shift in policy, I don’t think this alone will contribute to the end of child trafficking and falsified documents.  Until I hear more on how this system is different, it’s hard to say whether or not Guatemala has actually fixed anything.

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March 17, 2010

Guatemala to Resume Int’l Adoptions in June

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 5:51 p.m. ET

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — International adoptions will resume in Guatemala this June after a nearly two-year suspension prompted by the discovery that some babies were being sold, officials announced Wednesday.

Four foreign adoption organizations will be selected to be part of the pilot program, said the president of the National Adoptions Council, Elizabeth Hernandez.

Until the door to adoptions slammed shut in 2007, Guatemala was the world’s second-largest source of babies to the United States after China due to its routinely quick adoption process.

Authorities suspended adoptions after discovering evidence some babies had been stolen, others had fake birth certificates, and women were being coerced to give up their children.

At least 25 cases resulted in criminal charges against doctors, lawyers, mothers and civil registrars.

As a result, thousands of adoptive parents, most from the U.S., were forced to put their adoptions of Guatemalan children on hold — many after paying thousands of dollars.

Last year, the National Adoptions Council began requiring birth mothers to personally verify they still wanted to give up their children.

Nearly 1,000 of 3,032 cases investigated were dismissed, however, because no birth mother showed up. Prosecutors suspect many of the babies in those cases never existed — that Guatemalan baby brokers registered false identities with the council in hopes of matching them later to babies obtained through fraud.

There will be a significant difference between the old and new systems.

Previously, potential adoptive parents requested children with certain characteristics. Now, the National Adoptions Council will simply present a list of children who are eligible for adoption and ask that its foreign counterparts find families who would be best suited for them.

HERE: A Visual History of Adopted Koreans in Minnesota

As many of you know, Minnesota has not only the largest Korean adoptee population in the U.S., but the largest per capita in the world.  Kim Jackson and Heewon Lee set out to create a visual documentation of the adopted Korean population in  Minnesota with the help of Jae Ran Kim and Kim Park Nelson.  It looks like a wonderful book and it’s only $20.  The book will be available starting in April.

Here’s some more information about the book and where you can order it.  -GS

HERE:  A Visual History of Adopted Koreans in Minnesota

Why HERE? Our story: Minnesota has one of the highest number of adopted Koreans, per capita, in the world, and yet there is nothing in our state’s annals to document this. This book was conceived to recognize the 13,000–15,000 of us who have immigrated to Minnesota, and to celebrate our existence, experiences, and perspectives, which are as diverse as our faces. We are everyday people, yet unique. We are girls, boys, women, men, babies, teens, and adults; singles, partnered, married, gay, straight, and transgendered; sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. We are a living, breathing part of Minnesota history. This book has no agenda—it is neither for nor against international adoption. We merely present the spectrum of our adopted community and how we have altered the face of Minnesota since the 1950s. Most important, we felt the urgent need to create this book as a resource not only for the present population, but also for future adoptees. After all, many of us do not have access to our Korean families and ancestry, and this book may provide the only touchstone many of us will ever have.

IKAA Gathering Film Fest. & Sessions Proposals Due Soon!

The IKAA Gathering 2010 (August 3-8 in Seoul, Korea) is coming up soon! (Apologies for any cross-postings.) Proposals are still being accepted for:

1) Sessions – Deadline is March 19 (extended deadline!). Submit your proposals for a panel, presentation, workshop, interactive discussion, or a caucus to take place during the Gathering. To read more about the different types of sessions and to download the application form, go to http://gathering.ikaa.info/en/page/451.

2) Film Festival – Deadline is April 15. Submissions must be completed works. To download the application and read more about proposal requirements, go to http://gathering.ikaa.info/en/page/466.

As always, you can find the latest updates about the Gathering (including programming, accommodations, airfares, and more) at www.ikaa.org. Hope to see you in Seoul this summer!

Birth Parents, Adoptee Parents, and the Silent Language of Biology

I’ve been thinking a lot about the choice to have children as an adoptee (not that I am even close to being there yet).  But, the notion of having children, for many adoptees is pretty scary.

The “Right” Circumstances

Many of us were relinquished by our birth parents for a variety of reasons.  However, there are quite a few of us whose parents were unable to take care of us for socioeconomic reasons.  Perhaps there was no father in the picture, or religion played a role in a birth parent’s decision to relinquish their child.  Many adoptees find themselves examining the decision to have children as a re-examination of themselves as adoptees.  I’ve given it some thought, but it hasn’t been with out pain.  If I ever decide to have children, I want it to be under the “right” circumstances.  I know that there really isn’t any sort of “right” circumstance for having children, but in a lot of ways, I want to ensure that if I do have children,  I am able to take care of them as much as I can.

Our Biological Legacy

How many adoptees have ever thought about adopting?  I won’t lie, it has crossed my mind once or twice.  But that’s not to say that I haven’t considered having children biologically either.  It’s a really tough call.  Part of me doesn’t want to have children because of everything I’ve been through, and for all the frustrations I have with the international adoption system.  I want to make positive changes in policies and the systems and institutions that seem to be so poorly conceived and implemented.  However, I can’t help but think to myself “If I don’t have children, this could be the end of my particular tie to my birth family’s bloodline.”  I was the only child birthed by my two parents, and I represent the end of their bloodline.  Am I meant to carry on my birth family’s biological legacy?  Do I want to, given what I know about my birth father?  These are all tough questions, and ones that I have no answers to.

A New Mom, a New Son

I met my mom this past summer.  What changed?  Everything.  Suddenly, I’m aware of the woman who created me, who cares about me potentially just as much as she would if she had raised me in Korea.  In Korea, at our first lunch together she moved kalbi onto my plate-told me to eat up.  She hugged me close in our first photo together.  All of a sudden I had another mom, and new expectations for myself and our relationship to come.  How do you start a brand new relationship with a mother after 26 years has passed?  How do I begin to build trust and communication when we are so close yet so far apart?  Who am I as a son?  I think back to when I was a kid.  I remember always thinking to myself, “If I do something really well, maybe my mom will see me and be proud of me wherever she is.”  That feeling still exists, and has grown stronger since our first meeting.  I want to share my life with her.  But I am saddened by how I may never be able to speak to her face to face.  I’m confused by who I am as a son, and if I could ever have a son given my own pain and and anxiety.  My life seems to have been measured by expectations.  They were mostly expectations for myself, but I set the bar high-too high perhaps.

In the end, I know that these are all potentially premature dialogues I am having (in my head).  There is absolutely no way I can even think about having children at this point in my life after what I’ve learned this past year about my birth family and about myself.  But I feel different.  I long to see her face as familiar.  Not just as the face of the mother I have just met.  I want her face to be as familiar to me as my body that I know she gave birth to.  That seems to be the only thing I can cling to for comfort.  As adoptees living in America, I think we are hurt by how society sets stereotypes and expectations on us all because of the way we look.  We strive to be more than that, and to live above the superficiality of stereotypes.  But in the end, when and if we are reunited with our birth families, it’s the only thing we have that is sacred to us.  Our hands, feet, hair, and face are the only thing that link us to our birth families at times.  And they are the only things that we can communicate silently to each other as solace that we belong and that we are family.

“Racism behind suicide attempts”

Mental health is something I have been increasingly aware of especially in the adoptee community.  I think the link to racism is very real and very much an issue.  I think this makes the case for increased attention paid to the areas of mental health needs of Asian adoptees.

Thanks to Sunny Jo for posting this to the K@W listserv.  -GS

http://www.thelocal.se/2942/20060126/

Racism behind suicide attempts

Published: 26 Jan 06 22:16 CET

Racism and sexual harassment could lie behind the higher incidence of
suicide attempts amongst teenagers adopted from foreign countries.

Girls are particularly at risk, according to a Swedish study which has
looked into the problem.

“I’m concerned that racism is a bigger problem than we previously
thought,” said researcher Frank Lindblad to TT.

Earlier research has indicated that adopted teenagers from foreign
countries are more than four times more likely to attempt suicide than
other teenagers.

There are a number of possible factors behind the phenomenon.
Society’s prejudice against against people of different appearance can
be an important one, according to Lindblad, a researcher at the
Institute of Psyhosocial Medicine and a member of the team behind the
current study.

Lindblad and his colleagues looked at 13,000 adopted children who were
born between 1963 and 1973 and followed them up to 2002. Just over
half were born in Sweden and the rest in other countries.

The results show an increased risk in both groups of attempted
suicide, but a significantly higher risk amongst the foreign adoptees.
Discrimination could be an explanation.

It’s also not unusual for foreign adoptees to have greater problems in
finding their identity in relation to their parents and society as a
whole.

The situation is most serious for women. Suicide attempts are several
times higher amongst foreign female adoptees than amongst Swedish born
women of the same age. The difference is big even compared to adopted
women with Swedish biological parents.

The research team believe they’ve detected a pattern following
interviews with young adopted women of Asian descent.

“People have preconceptions that [women of Asian descent] are
promiscuous, prostitutes, have a strong sex drive and are considered
to be exotic,” said Frank Lindblad, who believes that such sexual
prejudices can be difficult for the women concerned to understand.

The study is published in the scientific journal Social Psychiatry and
Psychiatric Epidemiology.

(news@thelocal.se)