2021 continues to test our beliefs and resolve. The dichotomy of being violently targeted while feeling socially invisible is upending. I’ve been feeling the weight of my own identity development, from assimilation to racial reckoning, and grieving for the loss of that perceived privilege. This racism highlights the complex intersectionalities that should bind yet historically have isolated Asians as persons of color. The recent surge of hate crimes against Asian American Pacific Islanders, have brought a harsh focus on the racism toward AAPI, the false perceptions, hostility and burden of eternal outsider status.

Gina Samuels, University of Chicago scholar, recently spoke of “Authorizing our own pathways and counterspaces of resilience and healing” at the Rudd Adoption Research Program. The framework of the power of knowledge, the meanings that we can make for ourselves, and the spaces that we can inhabit outside the oppression of dominant culture narratives, were presented by Professor Samuels to illustrate the our power and process to heal as adoptees. In fact, this framework has had great value to help me organize my thoughts about my Asian identity. I encourage you to view the link above to see her keynote, and to explore the Rudd Adoption Research site for loads of important research on adoption.

To support our community, Robyn Joy Park, LMFT and I will be facilitating a National AAPI Adult Support Call for Adoptees/Foster Alumnx provided by PACT, an Adoption Alliance on Wednesday April 7, from 5 to 6:30pm PT.. See below for details and registration or click HERE.… Read the rest “Making Sense of the Chaos”