In today’s episode, we’re joined by Jinna Lee, founder and moderator of the Facebook group. Jinna shares about being adopted to Minnesota and navigating the challenges intercountry adoptees face as the super-minority among predominantly white towns. She talks about meeting her husband at 18 and the overwhelming amount of support he provided as she worked to begin her journey of discovery, and how that led her to create the Facebook group, “Adoption Love: The Very Good, Bad, and Ugly of Adoption.”
Later we celebrate an unofficial Korean Holiday with our final mystery item from Jerry’s Mystery Box of Korean Snacks Individually Wrapped by Jerry for the Janchi Boys, Item #4!
// Meet Jinna Lee!
In this episode we talk about:
- National Adoption (Awareness) Month & Going Back to Korea: 1:27
- Jinna’s Adoption Story, Growing Up in MN, & Starting the Group: 19:32
- Reckoning with Identity, Support Systems, & Reunion with Bio-Parents: 27:10
- Parental Support, Sticking with the Group, & What You Can Do: 44:02
- Pepero Sticks!: 55:33
Show Resources
- Facebook Page: Adoption Love: The Very Good, Bad, and Ugly of Adoption
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- Online at janchishow.com
- Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @janchishow
- Join our Group! janchishow.com/afterparty
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A Quick Janchi Show Bio
We’re three Korean-American Adoptees spread out around the country and each of us are at different stages in life. We’ll talk about the Korean-American adoptee experience and learn more about our shared culture, usually with food. And it won’t just be the three of us; each week we’ll have other adoptees from all over the world joining us to talk about what makes us similar and what makes us unique. So join the party!
// Meet the Janchi Boys!
Nathan Nowack
Nathan was adopted from Seoul and raised in a small town in Oklahoma by a loving family and adopted sister. After college in Colorado he later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a digital media career and eventually started 2 photography companies. He has a wife and 3 kids and has reconnected with his biological family in 2014.
Connect with Nathan!
- Website: http://www.nathannowack.com
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/nathann/
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/nowackphoto
Patrick Armstrong
Patrick was adopted from Seoul and raised in a small(er than Nathan’s) town in Indiana. After dropping out of college, he travelled around, working a variety of jobs before co-founding the All Times Are Local Foundation with his adopted sister in Chicago. He currently lives in Indianapolis with his fiancé and is 7 seconds into his journey of exploring his Korean-American adoptee identity.
Connect with Patrick!
- Website: http://www.alltimesarelocal.org
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin/in/patrickarmstrong219
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/patrickintheworld
K.J. Roelke
KJ was adopted from Daegu and raised in Dallas, Texas with his two biological, older siblings and his younger sister, adopted from Russia. He graduated from Greenville College and has served as the Worship & Creative Director at Schweitzer Church in Springfield, Missouri since then. He is married, with no children (yet!), and has been on his journey of discovery since 2015.
Connect with K.J.!
- Website: http://kj.roelke.info/
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin/in/kjroelke
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/kjroelke
// Listen to/Watch The Janchi Show on all major platforms:
- Apple: http://apple.janchishow.com
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// The Janchi Show is produced by Just Like Media:
- Website: http://www.justlikemedia.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/justlikemedia
Executive Producer: Jerry Won
Creative Director: Michelle Nam
Audio & Video Engineer: K.J. Roelke