When you think of the term ethnicity, diversity may come to mind. You may think of ethnicity as an experience that only happens when you interact with people who look different. While that is true, ethnicity is shared culture, practices, and beliefs passed on from generation to ...
Adoptee Perspective: O Brother, Where Art Thou?
It was all pretty routine. It wasn’t the first time I picked somebody up at the airport. I mean, living away from my family in the Southeast and Rocky Mountain Region of the United States, it’s common to pick up family at the massive George Bush International Airport. But this time it was different. ...
Identity & Belonging From An Adoptee Perspective: Part 2
In my last post, which you can read here, I spoke about parents' unique role in guiding their children through their journey of self-awareness. This is true for all children. But as a transracial adoptee, this was especially true for me. As a young boy I learned how to avoid unwanted attention-to ...
Identity & Belonging From An Adoptee: Part 1
From my perspective, identity has always been sort of a sticky topic. This is especially true in our highly individualistic western society, where self-development is very important. After all, you are what you want to be, and the key is authenticity. So, from the moment we set out to discover, we ...
Q & A On Transracial Adoption
What is a transracial adoption and why does that matter? Transracial adoption occurs when an adoptee is a different racial or ethnic group from their adopted parents. This is significant because it means if you do decide to adopt a child from a different ethnic background, they may not ...
Adoptee Perspective: Transracial Adoption (Part 1)
When I speak to families I often get asked the question: “What is the best advice you could give a family considering transracial adoption?" This question always brings me to reflect on my own adoption story and the events and experiences that have been most impactful to me as a transracial adoptee. ...
Adoptee Perspective: In The Valley Of Adoption
I was the firstborn in my adopted family. My parents didn’t think they could have biological children and decided to adopt me through a closed adoption process. In reflection, I can’t be more thankful for the many years of investment, intentionality and love. But I would be lying If I told you that ...
Adoptee Perspective: Who Am I?
Over the past few months, I have enjoyed listening to Trevor Noah’s book, “Born a Crime.” While Trevor is neither North American, nor Adopted, his experience in South Africa spoke to a deep-rooted reality. Noah, who is Swiss by way of his father and Xhosa by way of his mother details his experience ...
