October
2025
Our Community
Utah Adoption Rights: Adoption Reform Advocacy Opportunity
Utah Adoption Rights is looking for people to help with a letter writing campaign, ASAP!
On October 15, the Utah Interim Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing about "adoption tourism," an issue they have defined as the practice of transporting pregnant mothers into Utah from out-of-state to facilitate adoptions under Utah law. State legislators are interested in hearing from any affected persons of this issue, as well as out-of-state adoption agencies, attorneys, and support organizations.
For information on how to speak out and get involved, email Utah Adoption Rights at [email protected]!
New Estrangement Research Study Seeking Participants
We are launching a research study to better understand the issues and dynamics between adoptive parents and their adult adopted children. We would like to conduct 2 interviews (approximately 60 minutes each) with pairs of adult adoptees and their adoptive parent(s) with whom they are estranged or have low contact. All participants will be interviewed separately and confidentially. Interviews will focus on helping the researchers to understand the relationship between the adult adoptee and their adoptive parent. Interviews will be recorded. The researchers will assist with all logistics for the study.
Study conducted by adult adoptee scholars:
Amanda L. Baden, Ph.D., Professor, Montclair State University
Adam Kim, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Elon University
Rebecca Randall, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Georgian Court University
and the Rudd Adoption Research Program at UMassAmherst
If you are interested in participating in this qualitative interview study, please contact Dr. Amanda Baden at [email protected].
This study has been approved by the Montclair State University Institutional Review Board IRB-#FY24-25-4013
Meet Lisa Marie Simmons and check out NoteSpeak's new release!
NoteSpeak (In a Word) was released Friday, September 26, available wherever you listen. Lisa Marie Simmons is an adoptee and a multi-disciplinary storyteller—singer/songwriter (Ropeadope), essayist (Huffington Post, Kweli Journal), and published poet based in Italy. She fronts the ensemble NoteSpeak, which debuted in America at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival and has toured internationally.
NoteSpeak 12 (2023) earned a five-star DownBeat review and won Best Spoken Word Album at the World Entertainment Awards.
Lisa’s work spans continents, from the Jaipur Music Stage in India to a U.S. tour supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was a speaker and performer at the 70th Conference on World Affairs at the University of Colorado and co-hosted DAWTA The Podcast, exploring adoption and identity. She co-wrote an adoption-focused essay for Harvard Law’s Bill of Health. In 2024, she collaborated with artist Phoebe Boswell, creating an ekphrastic poem, Portraits in Paradox, for Sentient I - VI, exhibited at Wentrup Gallery’s 20-year anniversary show.
In 2025, she made her Carnegie Hall debut, performing alongside Charu Suri and bringing NoteSpeak’s signature fusion of poetry and music to the iconic stage. Her new album takes a micro to macro approach, using her personal experiences to speak to a larger narrative. As an adoptee, Lisa continues to weave themes of belonging, identity, and resilience into her work, amplifying the universal through the deeply personal.
Announcing The BIPOC Adoptees Zine!
We are excited to announce the arrival of The BIPOC Adoptees Zine, a celebration of resilience and creativity featuring 13 BIPOC adoptee artists and writers from across the country and abroad. This initiative aims to raise funds for The BIPOC Adoptees organization, dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive space for the BIPOC adoptee community.
The BIPOC Adoptees Zine is available for purchase at a sliding scale. Your zine purchase is tax deductible.
Adoptee Film Fest 2025: Tickets on Sale Now!
The 2025 Adoptee Film Fest dates are out and tickets are on sale!
By adoptees for adoptees; 100% adoptee operated & funded. Spotlighting adoptee filmmakers telling adoptee stories.
WHEN:
November 2 - November 20, 2025
WHERE:
NYC, LA, and Livestream
Open Submission: Adoptee Estrangement Anthology
An anthology of creative nonfiction work exploring the theme of estrangement, written by adoptee authors.
Editors Lora K. Joy/Lora Alegria and Sullivan Simmer are seeking to publish an anthology of creative nonfiction work exploring the theme of estrangement, written by adoptee authors. It is something they have been thinking about for a long time and, after positive discussions with several university and independent presses earlier this year, are excited to be moving forward with.
December 15th is the deadline for submissions.
AKA Virtual Conference 2025
Adoption Knowledge Affiliates presents the 2025 virtual conference, Connected & Courageous: Building Strength through Community. There will be presentations over a two-day period from advocates, creatives, and credentialed experts in the adoption community.
See you there!
WHEN:
November 7th & 8th, 2025
WHERE:
Online
New Clues for Pre-1975 Vietnamese Adoptions
For many Vietnamese adoptees, even a small piece of information about their beginnings can mean the world. A fellow adoptee recently visited Vietnam’s National Archives Centre II and discovered it holds adoption records from before 1975—sometimes with birth parent names. They’ve also photographed hundreds of these documents for adoptees around the world. If you left Vietnam before 1975, this could be a chance to find a missing piece of your story.
Call to Action: Release Will Kim - Petition and More
Community members are urgently calling for justice for Will (Tae Heung) Kim, who has lived in the U.S. for over 35 years and is currently completing his PhD in biomedical sciences. Detained by CBP after attending his brother’s wedding, he has been denied access to his lawyer, subjected to inhumane conditions, and is facing transfer to ICE. Will’s story is heartbreaking, but it is also a powerful reminder of the work still needed to ensure accountability, dignity, and safety for immigrant and adoptee communities alike.
Please consider taking action via the links below.
Have content to feature?
In the "Our Community" section of Adoption Mosaic's monthly newsletter, we uplift and promote adoptee-led events, programs, content, and services. If you are an adoptee and would like to have your work featured in our newsletter, click the button below to submit a content application. Please note that due to space limitations, we may not be able to feature everything that is submitted to us.
