The oldest among them are senior citizens; the youngest are still in diapers. Yet, the more than 100,000 Korean adoptees who’ve come to the United States since the 1950s share a common bond,. Raised in small towns, suburbs and cities – from Oregon to Maryland’s Eastern Shore—they are part of the largest group of children ever adopted across racial, cultural and geographic lines.
At their core these stories chronicle the ongoing, and often difficult, quest for identity. The narratives illustrate the wide variety of ways all adoptive parents and adoptees, not just those from Korea, wrestle with identity issues. The subject is far too complex for a one-size-fits-all approach, yet hearing and learning from these voices may smooth the path for the growing number of families being formed today thorough international and transracial adoption.
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR ONCE THEY HEAR MY NAME
“This is a book for everyone who’s adopted a child, from Korea or anywhere. The honest voice of each adoptee makes for riveting reading and provides a window into the lives, minds and hearts of these children—almost all of whom wrestle with not just occasional teasing, but more profoundly, with the best way to cope with two histories: two families – one birth and one adoptive—the duality that’s at the core of their being.” Judy Woodruff – TV Journalist and Adoptive Mother
“Ever wonder what those adorable Asian children think about their transracial, adoptive American lives? In this important, groundbreaking book, the long overdue voices of Korean American adoptees, grown-up and reflective, tell their stories with rare insight and breathtaking emotional honesty.” Helen Zia, Author - Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People
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