Our History, Our Future
What does collective history look like for people who are denied access to their own?
For Asian American adoptees, "history” is complicated — whether personal or political, it’s often inaccessible, and rarely taught. Asian American histories are often excluded from mainstream education, and adoptees in particular are excluded from shaping the stories told about us.
The Workshop
At Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network (KAAN)’s annual conference, I led a workshop for adoptees and adoption allies to explore what collective history could look like within our community.
Through reflection questions and open discussion, participants co-created a timeline of significant moments for transnational and Asian adoptees. Adoptees got the chance to decide which histories matter to us, to question whose stories get told, and to imagine what we can build together by centering our own knowledge, experiences, and wisdom.
