Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link (GOA’L) Loses Korean Gov. Funding, Temporarily Shuts its Doors – This is a quite a shocking development.  GOA’L has had an incredible impact on the international Korean adoptee community.  To hear more about how these budget cuts will affect GOA’L please read the following statement issued by the Secretary General, James Rosso.

PACT Camp A Gathering for Adoptive Families with Children of Color – July 17th through July 21st, 2011 – Tahoe City, CA – This is one of the best camps out there right now.  For more information please go to their website.

First Group of Korean Adoptees Regain Korean Citizenship Through New Dual Citizenship Law – This is wonderful news and yet again speaks to GOA’L's tireless advocacy on behalf of the International Korean adoptee community.

“Encouraged Donations” to Chinese Welfare Homes Continue to Lead to Corruption – “A welfare home in Hengyang City in the central Hunan Province once ordered every employee to find three children in a year who could be adopted. They only received their salary and bonus once the quota was filled, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported earlier.”

Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington 15th Anniversary Mini-Gathering, September 15-18, 2011 – Seattle, WA – AAAW is celebrating 15 years of service to not only the Korean adoptee community of Seattle, but the Asian adoptee community.

AKF Sweden 25th Anniversary IKAA Gathering and Annual Convention – August 12-14, 2011 – Come be a part of AKF’s 25th Anniversary celebration.  It’s one of the oldest Korean adoptee organizations in the world.

Arierang Netherlands 20th Anniversary Celebration – Sept. 16-18, 2011 – Netherlands – Here is another great opportunity to not only celebrate one of the oldest adoptee organizations, but also go to the Netherlands.  Looks to be a great celebration.  Please see their website for more details.

AK Connection Minnesota 10th Anniversary Celebration – November 12, 2011 – Minnesota, USA – AK Connection is celebrating their 10th year anniversary and wants YOU to be a part of it.  Check out their website for more details, registration, and a full itinerary.

Despite this alarming news, GOA’L's Secretary General, Mr. James Rosso vows that GOA’L will continue to provide services in some shape or form.   Below is a letter from the Secretary General, followed by a summary of how this withdrawal of funding will affect the organization’s goals and operational services.  To read the official statement issued by GOA’L please go to this link.

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2011-06-08 State of G.O.A.’L

It is with great disappointment and utmost urgency that I report the current state of G.O.A.’L which has remained the only adoptee non-profit and non-governmental organization in Korea since 1998. For many years G.O.A.’L has operated with the assistance and subsidies from the Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) for not only programs and services but also for staff. We also rely on corporation and company sponsorship, membership dues, fundraising and donations. G.O.A.’L has exceeded many people’s expectations and provided more with what little amount it receives compared to the other organizations.

Over the past few months the Ministry of Health and Welfare has gone through changes in funding processes, policies and overall direction when it comes to post adoption services here in Korea and abroad. During this time G.O.A.’L worked with the various adoption agencies as well as other adoptee related organizations to participate in defining what the Ministry should fund, how it should be funded, requiring surveys and evaluations on programs and services as well as allowing adoptees to be a part of the decision making process.

Recently the Ministry of Health and Welfare has decided to no longer support G.O.A.’L in certain areas like Birth Family Search, staff wages and certain programs and services. Unlike other organizations, G.O.A.’L does not have a consistent source of revenue to provide for its staff and operating costs. G.O.A.’L requires sufficient planning and notice to prepare for such changes but cannot continue to operate without this year’s subsidy. This was explained to the Ministry of Health and Welfare many times but they claim they cannot continue to support G.O.A.’L in these areas. Ironically funding and support will continue for things like events and program-based services.

As a result, effective immediately G.O.A.’L is forced to temporarily close its doors due to the lack of financial support and economic hardship. G.O.A.’L still believes in having an adoptee organization provide programs and services to adoptees, provide oversight and input to Korean government and adoption agencies, and be a voice on behalf of the community. In the coming days and weeks, G.O.A.’L will be meeting with its Board of Directors, key stakeholders and supporters. We ask for your continued support and understanding. G.O.A.’L will continue to serve the adoptee community in whatever capacity we can as it is our mission and responsibility. Further explanations will be posted on our website, blog, forum, Facebook, Twitter and other forms of communication.

If you are interested in helping G.O.A.’L, please contact me at sg@goal.or.kr or 010-4361-4783.

Sincerely,

James Rosso / Yoo Shin Kim 김유신
Secretary General 사무총장
Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link (G.O.A.’L) (사)해외입양인연대

Summary

• G.O.A.’L NO LONGER receives support for staff from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

• G.O.A.’L NO LONGER receives support for the Birth Family Search Department.

• G.O.A.’L does NOT receive government funding for operation costs.

• G.O.A.’L will continue to receive funding for program-based services like Living in Korea and Counseling, First Trip Home and special events.

• G.O.A.’L receives LESS government subsidies compared to other organizations.

• G.O.A.’L lacks consistent revenue and income to maintain its cost of operation and staff.

• The G.O.A.’L office will continue to exist in some capacity until further notice.

• Secretary General will continue to maintain G.O.A.’Ls existence and work to serve the community.

G.O.A.’Ls Operations, Programs and Services

• G.O.A.’L will reduce its current services and temporarily close its doors until further notice.

• G.O.A.’L Korean Language Scholarships will continue until further notice.

• No new G.O.A.’L Korean Language Tutoring requests will be taken.

• Annual programs like the G.O.A.’L First Trip Home, Annual G.O.A.’L Conference and Christmas Fundraiser will still be planned.

• Volunteers for translation and interpretation will be limited.

• Birth Family Search services will be limited.

• Response to emails, phone calls and faxes will be limited.

• Program-based services will continue.

• Daily services like F4 Visa, Dual Citizenship, etc. will be limited.

Of course there are justifications in this story that talk about how White children are in demand but are less available than children of color.  Thus, in any exchange where money is involved in a capitalist nation, supply and demand begin to seep into business practice.  I understand the rationale but it does not make this any less despicable in my eyes.

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For more on this story click on this link (Courtesy of ABC News).

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(Courtesy of the AFAAD email listserv) – “My friend is organizing a Truth and Reconcilliation Commission in the Twin Cities, and told me about this one going on in Maine, concerning child removal from Native families. Apparently, it is the first TRC supported by the government in the U.S.”  For more information please click this link.  Here is another article detailing the abuses that many Native American children have faced within the child welfare system.

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If you’re in Boston, check out this awesome new Korean Language Exchange Program piloted by Ms. Saebom Soohoo.  Below is a message from her with additional information about the program

Hi all,
I started this program in February and now we’re coming on our second term. I’m really searching for some “American” guys to buddy up with Korean guys. By American I mean anyone who knows American culture, speaks English well, and has a genuine interest in Korean culture. It’s a great chance to practice your Korean, make a new friend, and learn about Korean life/culture. If you know of anyone please send them my way.

-Saebom SooHoo, kacelboston@gmail.com

Korean & American Cultural Exchange Program (KACEL 케이셀) for Korean & American adults now taking applications for summer term!

KACEL 케이셀 is looking for fluent English-speakers aged 23 and older who’d like to befriend a Korean national new to the United States. KACEL gives the Korean buddy a chance to learn American culture and practice speaking English with a native speaker. You, in turn, learn about Korean life and culture and can practice speaking Korean.

Time commitment is 2-3 hours/week, or bi-weekly based on you and your buddy’s schedule, plus optional monthly group events that typically occur on weekends. To join you complete an online application and then, based on availability, are matched with a buddy with similar interests.

Visit kacel.wordpress.com to see if the program sounds right for you, and then email kacelboston@gmail.com for an application. (Say you heard about it through BPAC!) Our next term starts in June and will run till August/September.

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I know it has been a long time since I regularly posted.  My apologies.  This MSW program has really consumed a lot of my time and energy.  However, I do have some time this summer, so I am hoping to start posting more regularly.  For now, I hope to post links to articles, events etc. on a weekly basis.  Enjoy!

NPR’s Talk of the Nation – “The Parenting Dilemmas of Transracial Adoption”

I have to admit, this NPR program is better than most I have heard on transracial adoption, but there are still some areas that could use some reframing.  There are more adoptees’s voices being heard in this particular program, but it still felt like adoptive parents were the subject of the story, rather than adoptees themselves.  I was happy to hear that one scholar and professor who was featured on the show, was herself an adoptee.  Finally, although they asked for adoptee callers to call in, they were addressed as “children of adoptive families” either pointing to the fact that adoptees can never be separated from their familial ties, or the ever present notion that adoptees are perpetual children.  Regardless, I would definitely recommend listening to this program.

Business Insider – How a Broke Chinese Province Sold Kidnapped Babies to America for Adoption

This is unfortunately another story of adoption corruption in China.  However, I think it is also important to not lose sight of How and Why Hunan province government officials engaged in illegal activities such as these.  As many other human rights activists within the adoption community have reminded us, the demand created via intercountry adoptions has created a need to fulfill a supply of adoptable babies.  This is not to diminish the need for reform and accountability in China’s adoption programs, but I do think it’s important to not take this article’s title at face value.  As we all know, there are always more than just one institution to blame when these devastating instances occur.

(Courtesy of the Korean Adoptees Worldwide listserv)

The Korea Times – Wait Becomes Longer for Foster Parents, Adoptees

“The underlying issue is we believe babies should be preferably raised in their mother country,” said Lee Kyung-eun, an official from the health ministry. “We also think it is a transition period to increase domestic and reduce international adoptions, and it is consequently producing undesirable results. But we will try our best to increase the overall adoption rate and help children find new homes here.”

NEW You Tube Channel for International Adoptee Artists Being Formed

For anyone interested in helping contribute to this awesome project, please contact Kristin aka Park Kyung Soon via her You Tube channel.  This looks like an amazing project and I’m really looking forward to being a part of helping out in some way.  If you’re an artist, musician, poet, please reply to this post so that we can consider you once the channel is up and running.

Here is a message about the new you tube channel:

hey guys-after a year of trying to figure out how to contribute to the adoptee community, i have finally decided to start a youtube channel dedicated to international adoptees.

my goal is to curate a site where fellow adoptees can post videos, interviews, poetry, music, short stories, etc. which explore adoption in a safe environment. my hope is to build an online adoptee community where we can archive our experiences so that future generations can have a greater understanding of our shared histories.

i would love some help with curating the channel. please also consider contributing a video. please also forward this message to other fellow kads! http://www.youtube.com/user/ParkKyungSoon

thanks for your support

kristin aka park kyung soon

GS

“Where I Come From”

KoreAm Journal

Author: Elizabeth Eun
Posted: February 7th, 2011

Emile Mack may be the highest-ranking Asian American firefighter of a major American city, but what tends to surprise people most about the Los Angeles Deputy Fire Chief is his most unique background: At age 3, he was adopted by an African American couple. His is a story that challenges our notions of race and identity; it’s about the ties that bind and the gift of family.

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“The Kimchi Chronicles”

KoreAm Journal

Author: David.Yi
Posted: February 3rd, 2011

Adoptee Marja Vongerichten, wife of famed chef Jean-Georges, explores the national dish of Korea in a new PBS series that merges culinary adventures with a personal tale.

I’m pleased to be a presenter at the conference, and hope that all of you adoptees out there will consider attending.  Prices are going up steadily however.  I was just recently alerted that their early  bird rates will end this Thursday.  So, if you would like to go, please take a look at their website:  http://www.15thanniversary.alsoknownas.org/

Here is some additional information about the anniversary celebration from their most recent email newsletter.

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We want to extend a warm invitation to all Also-Known-As members, families and friends to celebrate our 15^th Anniversary with us from April 29, 2011 to May 1, 2011!  For those from out of town, this is a great opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones while exploring New York City. For those of you who are in the area and may have been out of touch, there’s no better time than now to reconnect with Also-Known-As! For 15 years, Also-Known-As has provided services to international Adoptees, their families and friends, and we could not have continued to develop our diverse programs without your endless support. Please join us to celebrate all that we have accomplished!

REGISTER TODAY AT www.15thanniversary.alsoknownas.org/!!!

Hotel Accommodations
We are also happy to be able to offer a great rate at the Hotel Pennsylvania for those who are coming from out of town. The rates are $159/night for 1 Full Bed (1-2 People) and $189/night for 2 Full Beds (3-4 People).  For those of you planning a longer stay,, rates will be available from April 24, 2011 to May 3, 2011 (5 days prior and 2 days following the 15^th Anniversary). Hotel reservations can be made online by clicking here.

Interested in presenting at our conference?
As an integral part of our Anniversary, we are calling for proposals from scholars, artists, activists, and other professionals who were adopted internationally or interracially for a one-day conference entitled, “Past, Present, and Future”. All intercountry, transnational, transracial, and international adoptees are encouraged to submit proposals for papers, presentations, performances and workshops. This will be a forum to showcase the breadth and depth of adoptee work and talent.  For more information on proposals submissions, please contact Geanna Barlaam at gbarlaam@alsoknownas.org.

Affordable Korean Language Lessons Offered by the Korean Education Center

of the Korean Consulate General of New York!

Join the MinKwon Center for Community Action for Lunar New Year!!!

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Dear Friends,

We are very excited to announce MinKwon Center’s 2011 Lunar New Year event – “Jishin BalbKi” (지신밟기)!  You are cordially invited to join us in this traditional Korean folk celebration which ignites the beginning of a new year of hope, good fortune, and a strong sense of unity within our New York City communities.

Please mark your calendars and we hope you can join us in this celebration!

Jishin BalbKi (Manhattan)

Date: Saturday, February 5 – 1:00PM

Location: Korea Town (32^nd St & Broadway, begins in front of Woori Bank)

Jishin BalbKi (Flushing)

Date: Saturday, February 12 – 1:00PM

Location: Queens Library – Flushing Branch (Main St & Kissena Blvd, begins in front of Library)

For more information, please contact Liz Rhee, Artistic Instructor, at liz@minkwon.org.

Sincerely,

BINARI – Korean American Cultural Troupe

MinKwon Center for Community Action

http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archive/2011/01/korean-woman-adopted-infant-facing-deportation-arizona

Here is another case of an adoptee whose parents never naturalized her and who now faces deportation based on a felony conviction.  As many of you are familiar, immigration law dictates that anyone convicted of a felony who is not a citizen can face deportation hearings.  For adoptees, this is an all too familiar story.  Prior to 2001, transnational adoptees had to be naturalized by their adoptive parents.  If their adoptive parents did not, many were forced to retain a green card, some, never had the opportunity to apply for citizenship as adults, and some didn’t even know about their status until they were adults.

This raises two interesting discussions.  First, it highlights how transnational adoptees are immigrants.  For instance, where does this politically situate the adoptee within current discussions on immigration?  Second, it makes you wonder what one would do if they were deported to their birth country of which they knew nothing about, and could not speak the language.  This is precisely what this adoptee is now faced with.

Even the Korean government acknowledges this striking human condition and ask for amnesty allowing for her to stay in the U.S. since she does not speak Korean, nor does she have any connections her birth country.  For more discussion regarding this issue, I invite you to check out another blog which chronicles these such stories.

http://adopteeimmigrant.blogspot.com/2011/01/korean-woman-adopted-as-infant-facing.html

My sister sent me an article detailing a recent statement issued by Maine’s governor LePage.  For the full article, please go to the New York Times’ link by clicking here.

The NAACP invited governor LePage multiple times to the Martin Luther King Jr. day celebrations set to kick off on Monday in Bangor, Maine.  Citing several other engagements that day, stated that he would not be attending.  Let’s take a look at what he had to say.

“He also said the N.A.A.C.P. officials should “look at my family picture,” pointing out that he has an adopted son who is black.

“My son happens to be black, so they can do whatever they’d like about it,” he told a reporter for WGME-TV. “The fact of the matter is there’s only so many hours in a day, so many hours in a week, and so much that you can do.””

His first remark is strikingly familiar.  How many times have you heard someone respond to claims that they are racist with the phrase, “But I have Black friends.”  Not only did he stoop to this level, but he did so off the back of his transracially adopted African American son.

But wait, it gets better…

After being criticized for ignoring the NAACP, the governor said:

““Tell them to kiss my butt,” adding, “If they want to play the race card, come to dinner; my son will talk to them.””

Not only does the governor show a blatant lack of respect to the NAACP, but he once again attempts to claim innocence through is son.

But wait, surely those in his office will attempt to right the ship after his biting words…

“Mr. LePage’s spokesman, Dan Demeritt, later released a statement reiterating that the governor’s decision about the events was not about race. “This is about a special interest group taking issue with the governor for not making time for them,” the statement said, “and the governor dismissing their complaints in the direct manner people have come to expect from Paul LePage.””

LePage’s office dismisses his behavior as not being based on race…and yet somehow he has made it about race by tokenizing his Black son and attempting to use him as a “get-out-of-jail-free” card from this coming week’s MLK jr. day celebrations.

It’s incredibly disheartening to hear such blatant disregard for the NAACP and the legacy of MLK jr., and disturbing to witness an adoptive parent attempt to dodge responsibility shifting it onto his son.  There is really so much more to say about this, but I will leave that up to my readers to comment.  Happy Reading!  -GS

First of all, let me first start by apologizing for not posting as much as usual. Some of you might know this already, but I have just started an MSW program and have been busy getting on track with all the work that is required.

I thought I would just jot down some thoughts I have regarding the St. John’s adoption conference that I attended this past weekend. I was asked to be on a panel to examine representations of adoption/adoptees in the media and the ethical concerns that arise from these representations. I was joined by David Crary (AP), Dr. Sandra Patton-Imani (Professor, Drake University), Adam Pertman (Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute), and our moderator Kate Snow (Correspondent for Dateline, Journalist).

Thanks to you who participated, and thank you to all who attended and participated in the conversation. I do want to address several topics that came up during the course of our discussion: media accountability, representations of adoptees, and taking action.

As someone who worked in radio for a little while, I’m somewhat sympathetic to journalists and the media (for the most part). It is in many ways an incredibly tough job.  Covering stories, following leads can be tricky enough, but the most important piece is thinking about how to frame the story. Who are the stakeholders? Who makes the rules? Who does this affect? etc. etc.

When I originally got into radio it was to tell different stories.  I wanted to portray folks who were down and out, living in poverty, living with violence around them, living with racism, discrimination. These are the folks whose stories are not told.  Similarly, this blog has been all about discussing the issues regarding adoption that many would rather see buried.

When it comes to adoption in the media, perspectives of adoptees are ignored.  Every day newpaper stories weave together narratives around the voices of adoptive parents largely ignoring the presence of their children (who are old enough to speak up for themselves most of the time), or ignoring racial overtones that play out in transracial families.  I’m not saying that we are the “only” voice to turn to, but I am saying that adoption in many ways is about the well-being of children, and therefore, who better to call on for perspective than us, as adults.

Two adoption-related events this past year, exemplify the ways in which adoption continues to be framed in the media — The case of Justin/Artyom, (the Russian boy whose mother terminated parental rights in a letter and sent him back to Russia alone); and the Haiti  earthquake and the fervor around rights to adoption.

Justin never seemed to represent anything more than a cause. His very existence became indicative of a problem in adoption. No one ever stopped to ask, (or report for that matter), on what would actually become of Justin.  No one thought to consider the emotional trauma he had suffered through, and the media buzz that would inevitably magnify the feelings and emotions he was probably already having.  My co-panelist Mr. Adam Pertman also raised this point on our panel.

Regarding Haiti, what we saw was something that I like to call American adoption entitlement.  Adoption has become understood as legitimate alternative option for family building (by *legitimate,* I mean to say that it has become a relatively well-known option).  Americans have come to rely on adoption to start families that we sometimes forget that we are not necessarily entitled to these children.  They are not necessarily “ours” until the adoption has been finalized (and furthermore I strongly believe that using terms that imply possession are not ethical).  However, after the earthquake in Haiti, I remember reading articles saying things like “Haitian children waiting to come home to their American families,” or “Haitian children held hostage by Haitian government.”

My point is that these ideas come with a certain amount of privilege.  Adoption is a privilege.  In the case of international adoption, it can be costly, it can take a lot of time (to do paperwork, homestudies, etc. etc.), and it takes resources.  Folks forgot that these Haitian children had lost families.  Most who were being adopted directly after the earthquake were already set to be adopted. But lets not EVER forget that these children are Haitian.  They had/have families there.  But the media liked to forget these stories, and focus on the anguish that adoptive families were facing prior to even meeting their soon to be children.  Why hadn’t the media thought to call on adult adoptees for their thoughts on adoption from Haiti? Are we not precisely the voices that this issue affects most?

Finally, a few folks in the audience asked the question “how do we let our voices be heard?” The answer was not necessarily all that clear, but the point is this-adoption ALWAYS affects the adoptee.  Adoptive parents are ALWAYS regarded as the experts on adoption. And let me be clear, I am not saying that adoptive parents do not have a right to comment on adoption.  I am saying that since they are the first and last people who are asked to comment on adoption when it comes to stories in the media, an ENTIRE two thirds of the so-called “adoption triad” are missing.

This was a great conference for so many reasons.  However, I do want to highlight something that was particularly moving.  Most of you know that Run DMC’s Darryl McDaniels is an adoptee.  He found out later in life, and struggled with it quite a bit.  Today he is an advocate, ally for adoptees.  He spoke at the conference and I was lucky enough to capture about an hour of it (right before he launched into a few verses).  I know, I know, I wish that my phone at more room but unfortunately, these videos take up a lot space.  Speaking of which, if I could share it on here, I would, but unfortunately it’s close to 3 gigabytes.  If you are interested in receiving a copy of it, I will upload it to my dropbox account and send it to you.  Please email me and in the subject line write “DMC Video” and I will send it along to you as soon as I can.

Here is some information on the films that will be screened at the festival.

First Person Plural – directed by Deann Borshay Liem: In 1966, Deann was adopted by an American family and was sent from Korea to her new home. Growing up in California, the memory of her birth family was nearly obliterated until recurring dreams lead Deann to discover the truth: her Korean mother was very much alive. Bravely uniting her biological and adoptive families, Deann’s heartfelt journey makes First Person Plural a poignant essay on family, loss, and the reconciling of two identities. Please note: This film will screen on Friday evening, October 29th.
Movie website: www.mufilms.org/films/firstpersonplural

Going Home – directed by Jason Hoffmann: Jason is a Korean adoptee who grew up in New York City with Jewish parents, and who always identified himself as being a true New Yorker. He never expected to explore his complicated and concealed family history, but as he grew into adulthood, he became increasingly curious about his mysterious roots. In this film, Jason finally summons up the courage to initiate contact with his birth mother. Filled with deeply human moments of joy and pain, Going Home shares Jason’s intimate search in realizing what his life could have been had he not been adopted. In the face of adversity and complete upheaval of buried insecurities about his identity, Jason will find a profound new meaning of family.
Movie website: www.goinghomethemovie.com

Resilience – directed by Tammy Chu: This film takes a unique look at international adoption from the perspective of a Korean birth mother and her American son. A single story among the thousands of stories untold, the film follows the remarkable journey of Myungja as she reconnects with her son Brent (Sung-wook) after 30 years apart. Through their initial reunion on national television to subsequent meetings and departures, they attempt to build a relationship amidst family betrayal and the legacy of adoption.
Movie website: resiliencefilm.com

In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee – directed by Deann Borshay Liem: Her passport said she was Cha Jung Hee. She knew she was not. So began a 40-year deception for a Korean adoptee who came to the U.S. in 1966. Told to keep her true identity secret from her new American family, this 8-year-old quickly forgot she was ever anyone else. But why had her identity been switched? And who was the real Cha Jung Hee? In this film, Deann returns to Korea to find the answers to these questions as well as her “double,” the mysterious girl whose place she took in America.
Movie website: www.mufilms.org/films/matter-of-cha-jung-hee

In addition, Director Tammy Chu and Deann Borshay Liem will both be at the festival for Q & A’s! It’s a great opportunity to check out the newest adoptee films and talk with the directors.

For more information, please go to the BKA Film Festival website: http://www.bkadoptee.org/film/