I have the same feelings. I was adopted into a loving family and I had anything and everything I wanted. Yet, I've always felt different. I can't describe it..
This was a very inspiring video and I thank you for sharing your experience. I am 22 years old and was adopted from Seoul when I was 5 months old. It has been my number one dream since I knew the meaning of being adopted to go back and visit Korea and some how find my parents. Currently, I am waiting on a scholarship opportunity where I may teach English in Korea! I'm very excited and hope to get it.
Wow.. this hits home so much. I am also a Korean adoptee who had the opportunity to meet my birth family 3 years ago. I have a twin brother in Seoul, Korea and an older brother. I can definately relate to this video.. thank you so much for sharing it. I wish I had done a video when I went to Korea too;-( ( I went twice) and am planning to go back this summer.
I has a friend that was a Korean adoptee growing up. She told me at the time that she had similar feelings to Melissa in this video. One difference was that we grew up in Toronto and there are all a lot of Asians there. So, she didn't stand out in terms of her race. But she did feel different as she felt very displaced from her Korean culture. The thing that I do remember was that her adoptive parents encouraged and paid for her to take Korean classes - she really enjoyed that.
Congrats on meeting your mom! I am a Chinese adpptee, which makes it harder to find my birthparents but when I am of the age, i will definitaely look for them
I want to thank you for this video, I am just in the stages of my journey and am both excited and petrified. Your words pierced my heart because I have felt and still feel the exact same way on so many levels. I am hoping for this type of reunion but I am also preparing my self for both outcomes. I know that I don't know you but I am so happy that you were successful and that some of the I hope that the questions, fears, doubts, and anxieties have subsided. I was wondering if you had any advice, cautions or suggestions for someone in my position. I am entering this with very mixed emotions....and would be open to any words you have, having been through this. Thank you in advance.
I met an adult Korean adoptee once time at white flint metro in maryland and I said hello in Korean and introduced myself in Korean and she was surprised and so happy in such a way she was speechless but her adoption mother pulled her away from me and the mother had the most angry look on her face I have ever seen. I hope to run into her again one day away without rudeness.
your honesty and introspectiveness is admired. you touched on so many topics of being adopted, from the very beginning to how you feel about international adoptions, which we all contend with. there is a strong kad presence here in korea, with all the variable views, but one thing that glues us is the "we just get-it" factor. best wishes, and keep us posted!
You were very transparent with your feelings, both good and bad. Very insightful and beautifully done. Glad to see you have forged relationship with your birth mom. Both of you deserve a chance to get to know each other and find healing. Love is the greatest power on earth. God bless you! And good for you for wanting to learn a new language. That'll mean a lot to your birth mom and enhance your relationship.
holy.... I had no idea there were other korean adoptees in augusta, ga! man! I wish I could meet you and hear about your experience! I'm finally starting my birth search too! congrats on finding your birthmother!
There were lots of this happened starting 1950 to 1970. Because South Korea was going through a lot after the war. That is why starting this year, many Korean are searching for their mother or father back in Korea. Korea is now wealthy country and it's very slim to adopt kids there now.
Adoption over abortion. This womans life is a gift to her adoptee family her husband and her soon yo be child, most of all she is a gift to the world from God.
I am so happy for you, that you and your [birth] mother have finally been reunited. I will be meeting my [maternal] siblings for the first time, in less than two weeks. How is your Korean coming along?
I'm sorry you were teased at school. I was bullied because I had poor coordination and was picked last for games. I've also had experience with adoption but it is too sensitive a topic for me to discuss on the internet.
Im 16. I pride myself on being different, but sometimes its not all that great. I feel the same. I can't identify as Korean nor American. Not even korean-american, I never had that life of a Korean. I find myself spending hours studying Korean culture. I always say I don't want/ need to to meet my birth parents...but its a lie. I want to know. I always felt shame to want to meet my birth parents.
I'm not from Korea, but I'm from China. I really want to find my birth parents, or even siblings that I might have. I'm only 14 so I don't think that it would really be possible. I didn't find my parents names on my birth certificate. I feel so odd. Just to not know who the person is who gave birth to me it makes me so emotional. I feel like I can't wait till I'm 18... I don't want to my parents now to feel hurt... :-/
Their are the lucky ones that find their birthparents and then there are the ones like me. My birth mother has no idea who my birth father is, I have no idea who she is, and I doubt I even pass through her mind. Congrats on finding your parents. I seriously mean this, I wish I could find mine, just to know what my future medical health problems could be, that's all I really care about. Harsh yes but I have parents. I just don't have their DNA.
I am adopted from South Korea too. I was adopted when I was 5 months old. How did you find her? When I started, the search, I was an emotional mess, and I still am. My mom will be fairly young since she had me at 18 and I am now 14. I just want to know who she is...
I'm so emotional right now. I cannot imagine the isolation she must have felt as a child being Korean and not being around people she could identify with.
It was so weird and awkward to see that the mother and her daughter don't understand each other's language.......... this is so unfair. This just does not make sense to me..
Sorry, outside of an awesome emotional experience for Melissa, I fail to see the point of this story told this way. Melissa seems more confused with finding her birth-mom than before. This story seems incomplete.
I really wish South Korea would embrace single mothers more, so that this wouldn't happen and so that abortions wouldn't happen so much. A child who grows up with a biological parent doesn't have to go through the same pain as an adopted one. And at least, if adoption is necessary, to have people who are of the same culture.
I have the same feelings. I was adopted into a loving family and I had anything and everything I wanted. Yet, I've always felt different. I can't describe it..
This was a very inspiring video and I thank you for sharing your experience. I am 22 years old and was adopted from Seoul when I was 5 months old. It has been my number one dream since I knew the meaning of being adopted to go back and visit Korea and some how find my parents. Currently, I am waiting on a scholarship opportunity where I may teach English in Korea! I'm very excited and hope to get it.
Both you and your birth mother are beautiful. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Wow.. this hits home so much. I am also a Korean adoptee who had the opportunity to meet my birth family 3 years ago. I have a twin brother in Seoul, Korea and an older brother. I can definately relate to this video.. thank you so much for sharing it. I wish I had done a video when I went to Korea too;-( ( I went twice) and am planning to go back this summer.
Wow, this really opens up my mind to international adoptees! Thanks for this vid!
I has a friend that was a Korean adoptee growing up. She told me at the time that she had similar feelings to Melissa in this video. One difference was that we grew up in Toronto and there are all a lot of Asians there. So, she didn't stand out in terms of her race. But she did feel different as she felt very displaced from her Korean culture. The thing that I do remember was that her adoptive parents encouraged and paid for her to take Korean classes - she really enjoyed that.
thankyou for sharing such a beautiful reunion. you have such a beautiful heart.
Congrats on meeting your mom! I am a Chinese adpptee, which makes it harder to find my birthparents but when I am of the age, i will definitaely look for them
I want to thank you for this video, I am just in the stages of my journey and am both excited and petrified. Your words pierced my heart because I have felt and still feel the exact same way on so many levels. I am hoping for this type of reunion but I am also preparing my self for both outcomes. I know that I don't know you but I am so happy that you were successful and that some of the I hope that the questions, fears, doubts, and anxieties have subsided. I was wondering if you had any advice, cautions or suggestions for someone in my position. I am entering this with very mixed emotions....and would be open to any words you have, having been through this. Thank you in advance.
read your blog all the time. Just found this. Remember what you wrote about it all.
You're amazing and beautiful
I think this woman is Beautiful.. Inside and out!
Thanks for sharing! I was adopted also. I'd love to speak with you. I think you're very courageous - A strong, smart, and truthful person.
I met an adult Korean adoptee once time at white flint metro in maryland and I said hello in Korean and introduced myself in Korean and she was surprised and so happy in such a way she was speechless but her adoption mother pulled her away from me and the mother had the most angry look on her face I have ever seen. I hope to run into her again one day away without rudeness.
your honesty and introspectiveness is admired. you touched on so many topics of being adopted, from the very beginning to how you feel about international adoptions, which we all contend with. there is a strong kad presence here in korea, with all the variable views, but one thing that glues us is the "we just get-it" factor. best wishes, and keep us posted!
That was touching.
You were very transparent with your feelings, both good and bad. Very insightful and beautifully done. Glad to see you have forged relationship with your birth mom. Both of you deserve a chance to get to know each other and find healing. Love is the greatest power on earth. God bless you! And good for you for wanting to learn a new language. That'll mean a lot to your birth mom and enhance your relationship.
I'm aslo 34 who lives in California. Still in search of my birth mother and possible siblings in Hong Kong.
holy.... I had no idea there were other korean adoptees in augusta, ga! man! I wish I could meet you and hear about your experience! I'm finally starting my birth search too! congrats on finding your birthmother!
The love of a mother and her child is inseparable. It doesn't matter why.
What a gorgeous husband you have. Hes do supportive of you.
There were lots of this happened starting 1950 to 1970. Because South Korea was going through a lot after the war. That is why starting this year, many Korean are searching for their mother or father back in Korea. Korea is now wealthy country and it's very slim to adopt kids there now.
It depends on where you live, but there's usually a state agency that will have some details they can share with you.
Adoption over abortion. This womans life is a gift to her adoptee family her husband and her soon yo be child, most of all she is a gift to the world from God.
Her mother has such a pretty baby face!
I am so happy for you, that you and your [birth] mother have finally been reunited. I will be meeting my [maternal] siblings for the first time, in less than two weeks. How is your Korean coming along?
I'm sorry you were teased at school. I was bullied because I had poor coordination and was picked last for games. I've also had experience with adoption but it is too sensitive a topic for me to discuss on the internet.
ahhh that so lovely and you got a great and supportive husband.god bless
Im 16. I pride myself on being different, but sometimes its not all that great. I feel the same. I can't identify as Korean nor American. Not even korean-american, I never had that life of a Korean. I find myself spending hours studying Korean culture. I always say I don't want/ need to to meet my birth parents...but its a lie. I want to know. I always felt shame to want to meet my birth parents.
I'm not from Korea, but I'm from China. I really want to find my birth parents, or even siblings that I might have. I'm only 14 so I don't think that it would really be possible. I didn't find my parents names on my birth certificate. I feel so odd. Just to not know who the person is who gave birth to me it makes me so emotional. I feel like I can't wait till I'm 18... I don't want to my parents now to feel hurt... :-/
How has your story progressed?
Their are the lucky ones that find their birthparents and then there are the ones like me. My birth mother has no idea who my birth father is, I have no idea who she is, and I doubt I even pass through her mind. Congrats on finding your parents. I seriously mean this, I wish I could find mine, just to know what my future medical health problems could be, that's all I really care about. Harsh yes but I have parents. I just don't have their DNA.
I am adopted from South Korea too. I was adopted when I was 5 months old. How did you find her? When I started, the search, I was an emotional mess, and I still am. My mom will be fairly young since she had me at 18 and I am now 14. I just want to know who she is...
I think that adoptees should learn their mother language, so they have the choice to - if they ever want to - to reconnect with their roots.
aww i am adopted to and 11
I'm so emotional right now. I cannot imagine the isolation she must have felt as a child being Korean and not being around people she could identify with.
Forgot to say, you're beautiful! love you Korean sister.
The mother looks younger than the daughter. America ages people.
It was so weird and awkward to see that the mother and her daughter don't understand each other's language.......... this is so unfair. This just does not make sense to me..
행복 하시기를 기원합니다
Sorry, outside of an awesome emotional experience for Melissa, I fail to see the point of this story told this way. Melissa seems more confused with finding her birth-mom than before. This story seems incomplete.
After watching this, I do not think American's should adopt from Asian country's
Wow, you should never feel shame for wanting knowledge about your origins.
I really wish South Korea would embrace single mothers more, so that this wouldn't happen and so that abortions wouldn't happen so much. A child who grows up with a biological parent doesn't have to go through the same pain as an adopted one. And at least, if adoption is necessary, to have people who are of the same culture.