Lisa Woolrim Sjöblom, 45, is an illustrator, comic book artist and activist who advocates for the rights and justice for adoptees and first families. In a departure from other published conversations, Sjöblom gets more personal and talks about struggles with attachment, becoming a mother and the grief and trauma that these life events have brought up.
“Running” by JaeJin.
“Etude 11 Charles,” “Etude 7 Vinni”, “Etude 2 Briar,” “Etude 3 Chessanta” by Blue Dot Sessions.
Samantha Kim Lyons, 41, grew up with racial mirrors unlike many other transrcial adoptees. Her late father was white; her mom is a third-generation Japanese-American. Her childhood was spent in Hawai’i and later southern California. But like other Korean adoptees, Lyons finds herself searching for deeper connection to Korea and to her adopted self later in life, for the first time.
“Running” by JaeJin.
“Across the Table,” “Onside,” and “On the Hour” by Blue Dot Sessions.
Edward Pokropski, 39, of New York, NY is an adopted Korean-American who has a new one-man show out unpacking that experience. He talks about why not all audiences are comfortable laughing at jokes about adoption and how he approaches the topic while staying true to himself.
“Running” by JaeJin.
“Overlook on Fairview”, “Delham Corner,” “Burham Street,” “Hensteeth,” and “Dognell” by Blue Dot Sessions.
This is the second-half of a recent conversation with Peter Møller of the Danish Korean Rights Group.
The discussion took place on Dec. 11, 2022 (KST), just days after the Korean Truth and Reconciliation Commission decided to start an investigation on Korean adoption by examining an initial 34 cases of the more than 300 submissions.
We also discuss privacy in regards to the Special Adoption Law and threats made by Holt to Møller and other adoptees if they don’t abandon this complaint.
“Running” by JaeJin.
“Edge of the Woods,” “Treeliner” and “Trajectories” by Blue Dot Sessions.
I sit down again and talk to Peter Møller, one of the co-founders of Danish Korean Rights Group, which has succeeded in convincing a truth commission in Korea to open an investigation into Korean adoption. The group has submitted more than 300 cases representing adopted Koreans in a number of countries, alleging false paperwork and switched identities among other human rights violations.
Part 1 of 2.
“Running” by Jae Jin.
“Manny In Sound,” by Blue Dot Sessions.
Zhen E Rammelsberg, 50, was adopted by a white couple in Iowa in the early 1970s. She remembers being the only person of color in her small town of 700 people. Growing up in racial isolation led Rammelsberg to distance herself from her Korean heritage or from cultivating a positive racial identity of being Korean. But through a series of events, including the birth of her son, she began to discover a missing part of herself.
“Running” by Jae Jin.
“Our Ears, Deceivers,” “The Gran Dias,” “Spindash” and “Leptias” by Blue Dot Sessions.
Allen Majors, 63, is a Korean-American adoptee who has decided to retire in Korea — more than 60 years after being sent away for adoption to the US.
One could think of it as a kind of reclamation of identity but Majors chooses to not place too much emphasis and burdens on the past. Instead, he looks for ‘spontaneous delightful moments’ in the everyday as he looks forward to embarking on the second half of his life where it all started.
“Running” by Jaejin.
“Spindash,” “Keeping up,” “Homin”, “Champman” and “Don Germaine” by Blue Dot Sessions.
Christy Zaragoza, 30, regularly spreads joy in the adoptee community as a board member of the Association of Korean Adoptees in San Francisco. She reveals that the reason she is so interested in making others happy around her comes from a dark place. This is the first time Christy has shared her story publicly like this.
“Running” by JaeJin Music.
“Upholding,” “Pop Vibrations,” “Element Airborne,” Element Asteroid,” and “Element Walnut” by Blue Dot Sessions.
“Honesty” by Beyonce appears courtesy Columbia Records and songwriter Billy Joel, under fair use.
Danish attorney and Korean adoptee Peter Møller is the next guest in the podcast. He and his group, Danish Korean Rights Group, are submitting cases to Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The aim is to encourage them to investigate Korean intercountry adoption practices during the authoritarian regime for alleged illegality and criminality on the part of adoption agencies and government agents, as well as for violations of international human rights. We spoke to him on Oct 15, 2022 during his month-long work in Korea, ahead of an important appearance before the National Assembly on Friday, Oct. 21 (KST).
“Fantastic Chances” by Blue Dot Sessions.
Theme music by: Jae Jin.
Last month, Adapted Podcast teamed up with the Association of Korean Adoptees to organize a Share Your Story Booth. It was open during AKASF’s annual “Bay to LA” event in Koreatown, Los Angeles. We had never offered this kind of confessional diary-type opportunity before and weren’t sure if anyone would be interested in self-documenting a message, a reflection or part of their personal journey. And behold — some adoptees stepped forward. This episode is a compilation of their entries, uncut.
