Greetings Also-Known-As community!
Happy April! I’ve been reflecting tremendously on the changes that have happened in 2024 thus far and how we as individuals and an organization will continue to charter forward.
As a community, it has been a distinct pleasure to see new and familiar faces alike show up to events. I’ve been in conversation with other adoptees from across the country and globe who have shared how welcome and seen they feel when they are at Also-Known-As community events. We only have 3 more months of programming in this term; we hope to see you soon!
For folks who may be interested in astrology, April 1st is the beginning of a mercury retrograde in Aries. On April 8th, we will also have a visible full solar eclipse in Libra for the last time until 2044. Between both of these changes, I’ve read that it’s an invitation to slow down, to recognize what patterns of behavior we’ve been following and may want to shed, and to become more consciously aware of changes we would like to manifest for the future.
As we each journey through our unique adoptee journeys, I’ve been reflecting on what stagnant energy or thoughts may be inhibiting me from reaching more harmony and peace. While I’m still not entirely sure how astrology works or all the underlying meanings of energy, if it speaks to you to reflect as well, I hope this time leads you to more transformation and inner healing.
In community,
Lindsay Geier AKA 涂婷
Adoptee Forum - Volunteering with Youth in the Social Welfare System: Wednesday, April 17th
Join us in April as adoptee leaders discuss their experiences volunteering with children in the social welfare system within their birth country. Aspects covered will include:✔️ Why they got involved✔️ Overall considerations to think about as an adoptee✔️ What to look out for✔️ The emotional toll this kind of effort may take for adopteesRSVP for this in-person event here.➖Thanks to our speakers: Also-Known-As founding member and current treasurer Mark Fermi, former Also-Known-As president and current Advisory Committee member Mike Mullen, former Board of Directors member Lindsay Fasano, and Janie Mortell.
🥟 Did you know that there are over 160+ notable types of dumplings around the world? These yummy pieces of dough heaven wrapped around unique cultural fillings make anyone abundantly happy and full. Join us as we learn to fold jiǎozi (饺子), or Chinese dumplings with the one and only, 👩🏻🍳 Hope Johnson and sip at TapHaus33! You probably know 👩🏻🍳 Hope from her time serving on the Board of Directors, her delicious food you may have tried before, or trying to catch her on the sports field. Date: Sunday, Apr 21, 2024Time: 11:00-3:00 pm ESTLocation: TapHaus33 (14 E. 33rd St., New York, NY, 10016)Who: Adoptees + Friends (21+ and over)Cost: $5/pp for members; $15/pp for non-members RSVP: Here by Friday, April 19
Nanchang Project exists to serve the community of Chinese adoptees who are searching for biological relatives in China. Their goals consist of:
Stay tuned for updates on their GEDmatch Day event later this month.
Who: Open to the publicWhen: May 9, 2024 at 7:00pmWhere: Asian American Writers’ Workshop (112 W 27th Street, Suite 600 New York, NY 10001)RSVP: Required. In-Person registration is closed. Sign up here to attend virtually.
Also-Known-As and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop are thrilled to welcome back Nicole Chung, in conversation with Crystal Hana Kim, to celebrate the paperback release of her critically acclaimed memoir A Living Remedy.
From the bestselling author of All You Can Ever Know comes a searing memoir of family, class, and grief—a daughter’s search to understand the lives her adoptive parents led, the life she forged as an adult, and the lives she’s lost. Exploring the enduring strength of family bonds in the face of hardship and tragedy, Nicole Chung examines what it takes to reconcile the distance between one life, one home, and another—and sheds needed light on some of the most persistent and grievous inequalities in American society.
Books will be available for purchase from our friends at Yu & Me Books.
This in-person event will also be live-streamed for folks who are outside of the NYC area. RSVPs are required for all attendees, and masks are required for all in-person attendees.
Praise for A Living Remedy
“A Living Remedy is a profoundly moving account of one daughter’s love for her white adoptive parents and a damning indictment of the healthcare system that failed them. Nicole Chung writes with nuance and empathy about what it means to be ill and economically insecure in America today. She transforms her rage and anguish into luminous prose on the page, and the result is one of the most devastating portraits of a daughter’s grief I have ever read.” —Julie Otsuka, author of The Swimmers
“Like the best memoirs, Nicole Chung’s A Living Remedy is both an excavation of the self and the people who sustain it—but also, at its core, a work of art undergirded by a tender, forgiving, and awe-filled gaze at what it means to live and hurt in the human world. The result is a bone-deep enactment of love in all its valences.” —Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
2024 Also-Known-As Adoptee Excellence Scholarship
The 2024 Also-Known-As Adoptee Excellence Scholarship is now live! 🎓 One individual will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to support their full-time study at an accredited institution.🎓 International adoptees are invited to apply if they are U.S. citizens; age 25 or under; and plan to enroll full-time in 2024 at an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school in the U.S. 🎓 Financial need will be considered; this merit scholarship will be awarded in June 2024.🎓 Click here for more information, FAQs & to apply. 🎓 Apply by April 26, 2024. Community News
Queer Translation: Transnational Korean Literature, Art, and Criticism: April 4, 2024
Join Yeong Ran Kim, Hosu Kim, and Una Chung on April 4th as they discuss "Queer Art of Translation" with Kimura Byol and Mirae kh Rhee, two adoptee activists, and Kim Il Rhan. To RSVP, click here.
IAMadoptee - Therapeutic and Wellness Subsidy for Intercountry Adoptees: Deadline April 7, 2024
IAMAdoptee is thrilled to launch its second year of providing financial assistance to intercountry adoptees to aid and supplement the journey toward wellness and healing. This year, a new application process has been created to more clearly define the purpose of this funding.
This program gives intercountry adoptees - currently residing in the United States - the opportunity to subsidize and reimburse the expense to feel well. This is a one time, annual request per adoptee. At this time, there is a $300 cap per request in order to serve as many intercountry adoptees as possible with this limited fund. APPLY TODAY!
Adoption Mosaic - We the Experts: LGBTQIA+ Adoptees & Reunion: April 13, 2024
In this upcoming We the Experts LGBTQIA+ Adoptees will discuss their experience with reunion. Reunion is a complex and emotional journey on its own. Adoptees can feel a range of feelings surrounding acceptance from their families of origin. Those who also identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community may experience added layers of complexity while contemplating or going through a reunion. For more information and to register, please click here.
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