Adapted Podcast

Tobias Hübinette, 50, is an adopted Korean and academic scholar of critical adoption, race and Korean studies, respectively. His work has focused on looking at international adoption from Korea to the West from all angles, not just from the perspective of receiving countries or adoptive families. He has also been an activist and critic of Korea's commodification of its children -- an acknowledgment that is only now starting to permeate mainstream adoptee, political, historical and adoption industry circles.

Mai Young Øvilsen, 39, is a Danish Korean composer and lead singer of the band Meejah, whose alt-shoegaze sounds are punctuated by her lyrics about adoption, transnational identity and homeland. This is the last episode of 2021.

French Korean adoptee Laure Badufle, 37, shares her story of growing up in the French countryside to meeting her birth parents in Korea in her 20s. Trying to make sense of the reunion and how her parents reacted to her re-emergence and the resulting chaos she felt inside, set Laure on a quest for answers and to find peace within herself. This work is something she's now focused on helping other adoptees be able to find their peace too.

Peter Savasta [he/him], 46, has been around adoptee spaces for more than two decades. Raised in Queens in an Italian-American family, he found mirrors when he went to a diverse high school in Bronx, NY, and again when he found other gay Asian-Americans. In adoptee spaces he was an early mentor and source of support. Today, he continues to contribute by sharing his story with the podcast.

Korean adoptee Adam Crapser, 46, sits down with the podcast to share his thoughts post-deportation, the controversy surrounding Blue Bayou and filmmaker Justin Chon, adoptee citizenship and media exploitation of deported adoptees. You'll hear directly from Adam about the events that have unfolded over the past five years and what ethical filmmaking around adoptees should look like.

This year has been a whirlwind. I was contacted by someone who would later be confirmed to be my paternal half-sister. Lisa Beck, adopted to Denmark as an infant nine years before my own adoption to the US, and I met in Denmark this past summer for the first time. For me, it was the first time to meet an immediate biological family member and we sat down a few weeks after that meeting to discuss how we felt through the process.

Former Goa'l Secretary General Richard Kim talks to Kaomi Lee of Adapted Podcast about the pros and cons of the F4 visa vs. dual citizenship for Korean adoptees. Information heard here is subject to change. Consult an immigration attorney or the Korean immigration office for final word.

Susan Gaeta, originally named Lee Hyung ho at birth in her native Korea, 48, was adopted to the US as an infant. Today, she lives in Massachusetts and is a wife, mom and Lutheran minister. She's also bisexual and has a rare health condition. Hear how she's been able to find connection with others in various communities, and why as an adoptee, it's so important to her.

In 2016, Maree Kinder, now 33, originally named Chang Ma Ree, quit her job in London and moved with her husband, Steve, to Seoul, to live for six months to search for her Korean mother. But disappointment and grief with her search had her turning to Korean beauty products as a way to numb the pain and connect to Korean culture. Now, her business, Beauty and Seoul, a Korean skincare retailer based in the UK, is celebrating its fourth year of success. Kinder shares her insights on Korea, her identity and what else she's learned along the way.