We all imagine different ways our lives could have played out. For adoptees, these fantasies may seem particularly compelling: ‘What would my life have been like if I had not been adopted?’
“This Is For Real”
An unexpected emergency tests the strength of a mother-daughter bond.
“Finding Peace Through the Adoptee Community”
The Chinese adoptee community moved across oceans, grew up in interracial families, and is now navigating young adulthood. We hold a special place in history—but long to know our own personal beginnings.
Teens Speak Out About Open Adoption
Three adolescents share their experiences with open adoption, and how they feel about their relationships with their birth family.
“Mom, Were You Alive During Woodstock?”
Age limits for those adopting have been stretched or even eliminated. How might this affect the children of these “older” parents?
“Mommy, Were You Adopted?”
I’m not sure why I never told my children. But when they asked, I knew it was time to end the secrecy for good.
Becoming My Own Beauty Role Model
“Growing up, makeup felt like a mask—a cover-up for my true inner self.”
Should I Send My Child to Culture Camp?
“My child is approaching an age where I am thinking about sending her to culture camp. Is this something I should pursue or not?” Our panel of adult adoptees responds.
“5 Things I Wish My White Parents Knew”
Transracial adoptees often grow up knowing that their families love them, but not truly feeling included or close to them. Here’s what would have helped in raising a black child in a white family and a racist world.
“I’m an Adoptee and Adoptive Parent”
My daughters and I have something important in common. We share the experience of joining a family through adoption.
Three Stories: Unexpected Birth Family Reunions
Today, as more and more adoptees reach adulthood, they are finding birth relatives-or are being found by them. Whether a child is from the U.S., Guatemala, Russia, or China, she may one day be in touch with her first family. These stories, each detailing an unexpected family reunion, may well reflect the complexity of what is ahead.
When My Parents Divorced
A woman shares the story of her adoptive parents’ divorce.
Searching for Family Resemblance
For a mom who was adopted as an infant, the realization that her children look like her takes on special meaning.
Bringing Birth Siblings Into Our Children’s Stories—and Lives
The vast majority of our children have birth siblings, yet parents may wonder how to approach the topic. Adoptive parents, birth parents, and adoptees share how they talk about biological siblings, and build brother-sister bonds.
Adopted and Black in Middle America
Michelle Johnson, 38, adopted by white parents and raised in suburban Minneapolis, recently spoke with AF about her experiences.
Book Excerpt: The English American
Born in America, raised in England, and meeting her birth mother for the first time.
“The Wrong Kind of Asian”
I have confused and disappointed many people in my lifetime because I don’t look or behave the way they think an Asian ought to look or behave.
Ask AF: My Child Was Told by Peers That She’s “Not Really Chinese”
A parent reaches out for help after taunting at school left her daughter feeling shaken to the core and that she doesn’t belong anywhere. An adult adoptee and transracial adoption expert offers advice.
New Brief: Chinese Birth Parent Search Manual to Be Released
Two adult adoptees are working on the first edition of a Chinese Birth Parent Search Manual, to be released at the end of 2016.
Listen to the Children
A callous foster care system deprived her of parents and siblings and gave precious little in return.