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Welcome back, Also-Known-As Community!
I’m excited to formally introduce myself as the incoming President of Also-Known-As. For those that I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Sara Crayne-Dedrick (she/her), also-known-as 马酉维 Mǎ Yǒu Wéi. I was adopted from Ma’anshan Prefecture in Anhui Province, China, and currently reside in Queens, New York.
I’ve had the honor of serving on the Also-Known-As Board of Directors since 2020, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to step into this new role. I’m excited to serve alongside our incredible Board and to continue building on the work and legacy of those who have come before us.
We have an incredible Board returning this year, with Emily Flynn stepping into the role of Vice President, Joseph Pinney as Secretary, Mark Fermi as Treasurer, Andrew McFarland leading our scholarship program, Adam Goodman leading our mentorship program, Ryan Dritz leading our “Cryin’ with Ryan” series, and Emma Brillon leading our Archive Project. We’re also thrilled to welcome our newest Board Director, Adam Brodnax!
A few weeks ago, our 2026–2027 Board gathered for our annual Board Retreat. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect as a team, settle into our new and continuing roles, reflect on the momentum of our 30th anniversary year, and begin shaping our shared vision and priorities for the year ahead. We left feeling energized, connected, and excited for all that’s to come.
The Also-Known-As 2026-2027 Board of Directors at our annual planning retreat.
L to R: Joseph Pinney, Sara Crayne-Dedrick, Emily Flynn, Adam Goodman, Emma Brillon, Andrew McFarland, Adam Brodnax, Mark Fermi, Ryan Dritz
As we look ahead, I also want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the remarkable individuals who are stepping down from the Board this year: Lindsay Geier, our outgoing President; Katie Kwon O’Donnell, whose creativity and care remain behind this masterpiece of a newsletter; and Emma Barr.
Thank you, Lindsay, Katie, and Emma, for the time, heart, dedication, and service you have given to Also-Known-As. Your contributions have helped shape this organization and strengthen the community we are so fortunate to be part of. We are deeply grateful for the many ways you have shown up, led, created, and cared for the work we’ll carry forward with us.
We’re so excited to dive into this new season with you in just a few weeks, starting with an action-packed kickoff weekend September 18 to 20! Mark your calendars for a back-to-back lineup of events: our welcome-back happy hour, a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, and collaborations with the outstanding Adoptee Film Fest, BIPOC Adoptees, and Take Me Home film.
Scroll down for more details and to RSVP to get in on this major, adoptee-org crossover weekend. 👀
In community,
Sara Crayne-Dedrick 马酉维
Come join us as we attend the Sunnyside Night Market & Plaza Party for a vibrant Hispanic Heritage Month celebration filled with live cumbia, salsa, bachata, and merengue, alongside local vendors, dancing, and food. Let’s connect and enjoy the festivities as a community.
When: Friday, Sept. 18 (5-9 pm)
Where: 40th St–Lowery Plaza, Sunnyside, Queens
Who: Adoptees & friends
Cost: Pay your own way
Connect with fellow adoptees and friends at the first happy hour of our new term! We’ll head to Houston Hall after Adoptee Film Fest’s screening of Between Here and Home (info below), and invite you to join us there beforehand. Or meet up at happy hour only; we’d love to see you! Catch up post-summer or meet new connections. Newbies and solo attendees are always warmly welcomed!
When: Sat, Sept. 19 (6-8 pm)
Where: Houston Hall, 222 W Houston St, Manhattan
Who: All adoptees & friends
Cost: Pay your own way
RSVP: None, just come by!
Calling both mentees and mentors: Registration is open for Also-Known-As’ 2026-2027 Youth & Teen Mentorship Programs!
Our mentorship programs bring intercountry adoptees together with peers and adult adoptee mentors for monthly Saturday adventures throughout NYC. Past events have included ice skating, trapeze, games, bowling, and more! Beyond just having fun, together we create the space to build meaningful friendships and connections, celebrate diversity and different life experiences, and grow a strong, supportive adoptee community.
⭐️ Youth Mentorship: Ages 7–12
⭐️ Teen Mentorship: Ages 13–18
⭐️ Mentors: Adult adoptees, age 21+
Come for the adventures. Stay for the community. 💛
Adoptee Film Fest Screening: Between Here and Home
Ahead of the theatrical release of Liz Sargent’s critically acclaimed feature film Take Me Home, Adoptee Film Fest is screening the film’s behind-the-scenes documentary, Between Here and Home; followed by a Q&A moderated by Claire Epstein. (Afterwards, join attendees headed to Also-Known-As’ happy hour at Houston Hall, info above).
📌 Saturday, Sept. 19; 4:30 to 5:30 pm. DCTV (87 Lafayette St, New York, NY). $10.50 per ticket. Get tickets
Erased Narratives Storytelling: Reclaiming Story, Identity & Belonging
Join BIPOC Adoptees for an afternoon of storytelling, connection, and community in NYC. BIPOC Adoptees VOICES Storytelling creates space for racially marginalized adoptees and others impacted by the family policing system to reclaim narratives, build connection, and witness one another’s stories. This year’s theme explores how erasure spans generations, borders, identities, and lived experiences.
📌 Sunday, Sept. 20; 2 to 5 pm. Hill Country Barbecue Market (30 W 26th St, New York, NY). BIPOC adoptees ONLY. Register here
IKAA Korea Gathering Meet & Greet
Attending the 2026 IKAA Gathering in Seoul, South Korea, this October? Connect with fellow New York attendees through an informal WhatsApp/Kakao group, and an in-person meet and greet on October 1! For more info and to sign up, fill out this form.
The Ties Foundation Is Live!
Congratulations to the Ties Foundation on their official launch! This new nonprofit is centered on funding heritage travel, healing and wholeness, growth, and learning for intercountry adoptees and their supporters. In their words: “Intercountry adoption is a lifelong story. The support should be too.” Also-Known-As is proud to be a Ties Foundation Groundswell Partner. Find out more.
Nanchang Project’s Run for Reunion 5K
Nanchang Project supports Chinese adoptees with resources and guidance in searching for their biological relatives in China. Help Chinese adoptees reunite with their first families by participating in our 2nd annual Run for Reunion. Your participation helps fund the annual origin search trip to China, which provides free DNA tests for biological families in China to assist in reunion. October 1-15; in NYC on Oct. 3 (10:30 am), Prospect Park 5K Loop; social hour after. Learn more
Documentary Sneak Peek: Relative Strangers
Also-Known-As is excited to be an Outreach Partner for Mu Films’ new work-in-progress film, Relative Strangers—the first feature-length documentary about mixed-race adopted Koreans. Join director Deann Borshay Liem and special guests for a virtual sneak peek of the film. Hear from protagonists Tanne Beudeker and Dr. Darrell Seldon, the brother she discovered via DNA testing; learn about the historical context of mixed-race Korean children fathered by American G.I.s; and more. (Contribute to the crowdfunding campaign starting 9/14.)
Thursday, Sept. 24; 7 pm ET on Zoom. Open to all, free. Learn more and register.
See Take Me Home in Theaters
Korean adoptee Liz Sargent's debut feature film opens its New York theatrical release. Take Me Home confronts the fears and complexities of being a transracial adoptee and the sibling of a disabled individual. Its proof of concept short premiered at Sundance 2023, leading to the feature's award-winning Sundance premiere in 2026. A champion for adoptee stories, Liz’s Strangers Reunion won Best Short at the inaugural Adoptee Film Fest and she’s received AFF’s Impact Award. See Take Me Home at NYC’s IFC Center starting September 23; buy tickets.
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