Mayda Miller, 34, is a Korean adoptee and fronts her namesake rock band in the Twin Cities. From Incheon, South Korea, Miller was adopted to Minnesota spent a lot of her youth competing in sports and classical piano competitions but later found her true calling to make funk, blues and punk-influenced rock music. Miller’s story … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 25: Mayda Miller →

Korean adoptee Annie Malecek, 24, learned as an adult she was conceived from rape. Violence also played a role at a pivotal moment for the Chicago resident when she first realized that having white parents and being raised in a privileged environment would not shield her from racism, prejudice and of being a target for … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 24: Annie Malecek →

The notion of family is a complicated one for Korean adoptee Jimmy Byrne. The 35-year old Chicagoan shares his story of profound loss and reunion — and how each continues to shape his life and relationships. Byrne also talks about coming to terms with all aspects of his identity as a gay Asian male, a … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 23: Jimmy Byrne →

Elliot Mark, 23, is a Korean adoptee who is also Jewish. He grew up in Skokie, Illinois, the grandson of Russian Jewish immigrants and credits his close-knit family with helping him forge a strong identity. Mark also embraces his Korean origins and has recently joined a local group for Korean adoptees to help build his … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 22: Elliot Mark →

Korean adoptee Milton Washington, 48, has learned how to live between two worlds ever since he was adopted at the age of eight by an African-American military family. Washington, or Pak Milton-ah, spent his early years under the shadow of rejection by Korean society because of his mixed-blood heritage and outcaste because of his mother’s … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 21: Milton Washington →

Korean adoptee Dan Sieling, 30, is on a journey. He shares his story drawing from both great insight and deep vulnerability — but all necessary in order to reclaim his identity and relationship with his native country. He talks about how he reconciles the pain from the loss of his biological family and his abandonment. … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 20: Dan Sieling →

Korean adoptee Teri Thomas is a fighter. Adopted from Goyang to the U.S., Thomas survived sexual abuse by her adoptive father soon after arriving at the age of six. Her experiences in a dysfunctional and abusive adoptive home affected how she has felt about her adoption agency Holt Korea, and about the policy of intercountry and … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 19: Teri Thomas →

Rachel Kim Tschida, 39, is a Korean adoptee who grew up in Minnesota, ambivalent about her own Asian identity for most of that time. However, she talks about learning to authentically embrace herself after traveling to Asia on business trips for a major American company. Those trips – especially ones back to Korea – helped … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 18: Rachel Kim Tschida →

John Park*, 34, is a kinship Korean adoptee. Park is an alias because he does not have legal status in the U.S., despite being brought to the U.S. from Korea as a young child and later adopted by Americans. Adoptee rights advocates estimate there are at least 35,000 foreign-born adopted people in the U.S. who, … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 17: John Park* →

Greg Norrish, 32, is about to launch a new venture in South Korea with everything he’s learned after more than a decade in kitchens in the U.S., and about fourteen months in his native country. The experience of planting himself amidst an exploding foreign food scene in Seoul has also given him a chance to … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 16: Greg Norrish →

HyoSung Bidol-Lee, 50, is on a quest for healing. Bidol-Lee survived unspeakable tragedy before being adopted to the United States with his twin sister at the age of six years. Raised in the Midwest, he thrived academically and athletically, meeting many conventional benchmarks of academic and career success. But true happiness and peace eluded him. … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 15: HyoSung Bidol-Lee →

Hojung Audenaerde, 45, has navigated identity and displacement her whole life, starting from her intercountry adoption from Korea to Flemish Belgian parents in Italy at the age of two. The family then relocated to the U.S. where she grew up around Americans, but never became one. Later, she went to India to study a specific … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 14: Hojung Audenaerde →

Sanne Mogensen, 32, is a Korean adoptee in Denmark. She is a leader in her country’s Korean adoptee community, and talks about what that has meant to her, what it was like growing up in Denmark, racism, and about her own search for identity. And, being Danish, she sets the record straight about hygge. Credits: … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 13: Sanne Mogensen →

Eric Sharp, 38, is a Korean-American actor and playwright. He was adopted from South Korea at age two. Raised in Des Moines, Sharp talks about finding his professional footing in the Twin Cities within a strong Asian-American acting community, on how being a transracial adoptee influences his politics on casting and auditions; he also shares … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 12: Eric Sharp →

Michael Thielmann, 41, is a Korean adoptee who lives in Toronto, Canada. He grew up in Minnesota in a family where his mother, grandparent and siblings were all adopted. It wasn’t until meeting his Korean-Canadian wife that he really understood what being part of a Korean family was like. And as he and his wife … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 11: Michael Thielmann →

Kate Powers, 35, is a Korean adoptee who has been reunited with her Korean biological family for 12 years. Adopted as an infant by a couple in Missouri, Kate talks about navigating her relationship with her Korean family after decades of being apart, and about coming to the decision to make peace with her adoption … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 10: Kate Powers →

Korean adoptee and New York City-based actor Brian McCormick talks about playing the romantic lead in “A Korean Drama Addict’s Guide to Losing Your Virginity,” a play by Hmong-American playwright May Lee-Yang, that recently had a sold-out run in the Twin Cities. Now in his 30s, McCormick’s story includes a circuitous route to acting despite … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 9: Brian McCormick →

Joy Alessi, 52, is a Korean adoptee who never received her U.S. citizenship via the adoption process. A resident of Houston, Texas, Alessi is now working with the Adoptee Rights Campaign to advocate for citizenship for intercountry adoptees amidst a tough political climate. She also details her adoption story, which exposes an old loophole in … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 8: Joy Alessi →

Kim Thompson, 42, is an adopted Korean who spent eight years living in Korea in her 30s. She talks about that experience including covering topics like white privilege, Western privilege, navigating her queer identity in Korea, tattoos, and on her post-reunion relationship with her biological mother. Raised in South Florida, Thompson also reflects returning to … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 7: Kim Thompson →

Matt Fetzer, 43, first tasted food of his native country – Korea – less than a year ago. Fetzer is a Korean-American adoptee. To understand why it took four decades for this milestone is to understand what can often be the impact of transracial, transnational adoption; many adoptees experience a disassociation from their biological origins … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 6: Matt Fetzer →

Robin Anderson, 45, is a Korean-American adoptee who has been living in Korea for the past three years. He talks about his decision to return and of his path to landing a teaching position at arguably the most prestigious university there, Seoul National University. Anderson is also frank about discussions he’s had with his parents … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 5: Robin Anderson →

Michael Mullen, 48, president of Also Known As (AKA), a New York City-based transnational adoption group, raises a thoughtful take on his identity as a Korean-American adoptee; that being an ethnic Korean, an American and an adoptee are three separate identifiers that are equally important. Mullen recalls moving to Korea after watching the ’88 Summer … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 4: Michael Mullen →

Author and Korean-American adoptee Julayne Lee talks about her new collection of poems, “Not My White Savior,” and of the importance of maintaining an authentic voice. Now in her 40s, she currently lives in California and is active within the vibrant literary scene. Lee also discusses her thoughts on identity and of how she hopes … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 3: Julayne Lee →

Morgan Pearson, 27, is a Korean adoptee who grew up in the Twin Cities suburbs and talks candidly about her struggles with race and identity, alienation, sexual abuse and addiction, and mental health. Part of her personal exploration involves participating in a short-term study program in Korea, during her first trip back to her native … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 2: Morgan Pearson →

Alex Hamel, 31, is about to move back to her native country, Korea, for a third time. A Korean adoptee who grew up in Minnesota, she talks critically and honestly about her adoption experience and describes the evolution of her own identity and relationship with Korea. Music Credits: Jahzzar “Schmaltz” Jahzzar “Reunion” Knit Your Own … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 1: Alex Hamel →