TITLE: Adoptees & Estrangement

DESCRIPTION

We are celebrating our 50th We the Experts discussion with what can be viewed as a heavy and necessary conversation about adoptive family estrangement. Estrangement is rising in adoptive families. Historically adoptive families have not been adequately informed of the trauma of adoption and adoptees often feel disconnected to their adoptive families. Our 50th panel will feature adult adoptees sharing their own experiences of estrangement and their adoptive families. In this panel, topics of discussion may include:

When did you realize that estrangement could be an option for you and your adoptive family?
What was it like to go through this separation?
Were you able to find support, either from friends or the adoptee community?
How are you creating your own sense of community after estrangement? Does the phrase “chosen family” speak to you?

PANELISTS

Lora Alegria (she/her) is a domestic, same race adoptee. She is fully estranged from her adoptive family and reunited with both maternal and paternal biological family. In 2022, she legally changed her name back to her birth name - Lora and her biological mom re-adopted her back. Lora has authored 3 illustrated books and a blog at www.myadopteetruth.com. Lora is excited to participate in the panel to show the power and growth in healing we can experience when we prioritize our own emotional needs.

Marta Sierra (she/her/ella) is a licensed mental health counselor specializing in Internal Family Systems therapy. She is very passionate about the capacity of IFS to support those touched by adoption. As a proud Latina, queer, polyamorous therapist, Marta brings all of her personal intersectionality as a strength to her work with adoptees. As a transracial and international adoptee, she also has a specific interest in racial identity development for adoptees of color and how that affects overall health and self esteem. She believes community is the medicine, both internal and external, and is honored to be on this important panel discussing estrangement. Marta is passionate about survivors of adoption finding safety and reclaiming liberation through any means necessary, which sometimes means estrangement.

Daniel Gyu (he/they) is a queer transracial Korean American adoptee, artist, and educator. He was adopted at 4 months old in 1987 by white, Christian parents with a 4 yr old biological son in the Chicago suburbs. Daniel's work across disciplines is motivated by social-emotional learning and intersecting cultural narratives. Daniel chose this panel because of his experience, his trauma, his recovery, and continuing effort for finding and building community and family by his own terms.

Liz Kwon (she/her) was born in Seoul, South Korea and was adopted to a family in Wisconsin. During the day she is a front end developer and at night, runs KAD Collective, a data-focused website whose goal is to help Korean adoptees find connection through shared experiences, locations or stories via a bi-yearly census and ongoing database. She is also on the board at K.A.M.P., helping to develop an adult adoptee summer camp track for 2024. Liz is excited to be back to speak at Adoption Mosaic and is looking forward to being on this panel to help normalize adoptee and adoption family estrangement.

Alternate Panelist, Sarah Guimond (she/her) is a transracial adoptee. She was adopted in 1991 from Peru to a family in the USA. She is a co-creator of Rewriting Adoption, a page dedicated to changing the predominant narrative of adoption to one that is adoptee-centered and that is more representative of the diverse experiences of adoptees. She also helps adoptees from LATAM in family searches, as well as helping other Peruvian adoptees obtain dual citizenship @Perudatos51. Sarah is excited to be on this panel to talk more about the complexities and misconceptions of estrangement.