When They Were Young: Amplifying Voices of Adoptees

Dr. Juliana Olson Deans is back! She is a licensed professional counselor, mental health counselor, and national certified counselor who imparted great wisdom in episode 5 and co-founded the Interracial Adoptee Panel series with me this past summer. Juliana is here with her husband Derek. 

As I said before, these familial chats are the most challenging conversations to have yet these conversations can change a life. I personally have experienced that. It’s all in pursuit of stronger relationships and diffusing the tension within the subject of adoption, until one day  you’ve harnessed the situation and no part of it causes you suffering.

GUEST: Dr Juliana Olson Deans
@_dr_juliana_Deans

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...

Today I chat with Christine Heimann who is the co-founder and executive director of Adoptee Bridge where they offer education, mentorships and support for international adoptees and their families from any age. 


GUEST: Christine Heimann
 Organization "Adoptee Bridge":
https://www.adopteebridge.org/

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...

I want to highlight one of my favorite films, the light hearted comedic French film “He even has your eyes” available on Netflix. It’s about a Congolese couple who want to adopt and end up with a Caucasian blue eyed baby. If you were shocked by that image, that's exactly why they made the film to address the double standards and prejudices in interracial adoption. The way they highlight the social workers and family responses is hilarious, but true. Marissa Lichwick is an actress and filmmaker with a powerful new film out called "Yellow Dress." She and I talk about the movie, art, motherhood and the dark secret behind Korean adoption.


GUEST:  Marissa Lichwick
Trailer for "He Even Has Your Eyes" available on Netflix:
https://youtu.be/7mNuKbk01ZA

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...

Part of the Adoptive parent conversation series!

We are back withe Schai who graced us in episode 4  with her poetry.  This is the conclusion of Schai’s conversation with her brothers Manny and Jaccen. They go in about their own individual adoption journeys and give us some advice on how we can do adoption better. At the very end I check in with Schai to see how she thought the interview went, so stay tuned for that. This trio is incredibly inspiring! I love how they support and uplift one another. Biological family or not, their love is steadfast. 

GUEST: Schai Belair-Toussaint Schairer
www.fistdc.org

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...

Part of Adoptive parent conversation series! 

We are back with sister soldier Schai, who interviews her two brothers; one is biological and the other is adopted. She leads them through a conversation on how she met her twin in adulthood, how they think adoption could be improved and what it means to have them all get along within this complicated familial web. What a beautiful model of a whole hearted conversation. 

GUEST: Schai Belair-Toussaint Schairer
www.fistdc.org

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...

Part of Adoptive parent conversation series! 

Interracial Adoptee Panelist, Laurie Nordahl  chats with her parents about how the family received her when they brought her home from Colombia, ethics behind adoption and the importance of consent when someone needs space to process their feelings. I gave Laurie core questions and she created her own powerful conversations that surprised even her. Such incredible work! 

GUEST: Laurie Nordahl  

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...

Part of Adoptive parent conversation series! 

This is the conclusion of a conversation with Richard and Lionel Boisvert tackles the efficacy of adoption support groups and how one prepares a black child for the black community and the police.  At the very end,  I check-in with Lionel to see how it went for him. Lionel Boivert is a Haitian adoptee who came from the same orphanage as me, "Haiti Home For Children." We might have even been at the orphanage the same time but officially met this year when he spoke on the Interracial Adoptee Panels I facilitated this past summer. Lionel is a wondrous source of wisdom and advocate for the education in the adoption community. 

GUEST: Lionel Boisvert (Adoptee) & Richard Boisvert (Father)
@monsieur_boisvert

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...

Part of Adoptive parent conversation series! 

In this compelling conversation a white father and black son discuss growing up in South Carolina in an all white community, their support systems and what prompted the father to adopt as a single parent. 

GUEST: Lionel Boisvert (Adoptee) & Richard Boisvert (Father)

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...

This week  performer and artist Indigo Ciochetti and I chat about the book My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me by  German adoptee, Jennifer Teege. Teege  discovers that she has an ancestral connection to the Nazi’s, most specifically Amon Goeth, an infamous commander of a concentration camp featured in Schindler's List.  She, of course, is distraught by this revelation considering that she is a half black half white German adoptee who'd spent time studying in Israel.  At the outset she has just discovered that her biological grandfather was one of the most prolific murderers during the holocaust. The book chronicles her search for the truth and how her adoptive family supported her through the compelling unfolding of her bloodline. 

GUEST: Indigo Ciochetti 
@Indyladylurve

My Grandffather Would Have Shot Me
By Jennifer Teege and Nikola Sellmair
 https://www.amazon.com/Grandfather-Would-Have-Shot-Discovers/dp/1615193081

Island Creole Box:
https://islandcreolebox.com/

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...

This week I give reflections of my journey into the adoption community. October 17th is my birthday, so I am celebrating it in different ways. Many adoptees (including myself) find it hard to truly celebrate themselves, birthdays and holidays. These things can trigger scarcity and shame. I'd like to invite you to celebrate your worthy existence. If you take note of the bad, why not celebrate the small and large triumphs of the everyday. There are many aspects of my life that are not ideal at the moment, nonetheless I acknowledge that my life has value no matter my history.

REFERENCES:
Brene Brown:
Daring To Lead
Daring Greatly

Nap Ministry
https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/

Paola Matte
http://www.findingpaola.com/

Lacey Philips
https://tobemagnetic.com/

Support the show

CONNECT WITH HOST:
@youngadoptee
@lantoines
www.laniseantoineshelley.com

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Here!

MERCH here "I am my Hero" and "Courage, my love" Tees

SPONSORSHIPS:
BetterHelp Show Link HERE!

DISCOUNT on WeUNIK Cosmetic Hair products
15% off Code: WTWY

ADOPTEE CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS:
14 through18, and episode 28, and 29.

WATCH PANELS: Here!

JAMES BALDWIN'S ESSAY ON "WHITENESS":

HISTORY of the word “Colored”:

NYC ARTICLE ON THE USE OF "BIPOC":

RESOURCES ON ...