The Unknown Culture Club: Korean Adoptees, Then and Now

https://KoreanAdopteesWorldwide.net/ Bridging the Cultural Gap: Connecting Korean-born Adoptees with our Motherland

About Our Vision: Devoted to our unique lives, share our stories, reflect upon our mixed culture, and validate each other. This collection, compiled by Korean adoptees, serves as a tribute to transracially adopted people sent all over the world. It has been hailed to be the first book to give Korean adoptees the opportunity to speak freely since the pioneering of intercountry adoption after the Korean War. If you were adopted, you are not alone. These stories validate the experiences of all those who have been ridiculed or outright abused but have found the will to survive, thrive, and share their tale. Adopted people all over the world are reclaiming the right to truth and access to birth documents. This book is a living testament to why previous "orphans" do not endorse the profitable Evangelical Orphan Movement. Those who work in the human rights field or are adopted will see the value of this book. After years of forced "positivity" led by the profiteers, it is time to be real. These are real stories from individuals no longer serving the adoption pioneers' fanciful wishes and advertising campaigns. Read this book before you pay adoption agency fees. These courageous narratives could save you tens of thousands of dollars or prevent you from obtaining a child unethically. It's never too late to walk in awareness!

Janine Myung Ja was adopted from Seoul, South Korea, in 1972, which resulted in her investigation into intercountry adoption into adulthood. She curated numerous books on transracial and overseas adoption, including "Adoptionland: From Orphans to Activists," "The Unknown Culture Club: Korean Adoptees, Then and Now," and "Adoption: What You Should Know." These books explore the experiences and perspectives of adopted people from various countries. The narratives also point out the challenges adopted people face, including issues related to identity, culture, and belonging.

JANINE and her twin submitted their adoption file to be examined by Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2022, along with more than three hundred Korean-born adoptees. Fifty years after her overseas adoption, Janine recently learned that her adoption was "illegal" and a "serious human rights violation."

Since 2004, Janine has written critically about the Evangelical Orphan Movement (EOM). To raise awareness of the crisis of child trafficking, which fills the adoption market, she serves as the Executive Director of Against Child Trafficking in the USA. She is adamantly opposed to the overseas child market spearheaded by missionaries who have profited from the now 20+ billion dollar Adoption and Child Welfare industry and exploited vulnerable women, children, and families globally. 

Various groups have recognized her work, and she has received numerous book awards during her writing career. Janine writes about her private experiences and philosophy using her maiden adoptive name Janine Vance. To discover her past and present, visit Janinevance.com. To learn about Janine's study on the history of adoption, visit adoptionhistory.org.