PLACED: korean adoptees reclaiming identity
PLACED is a creative exploration on the emotional bond between person and place and its impact on identity. As Korean adoptees (KADs), we oftentimes find ourselves stuck between two cultures: one we were taken from, and another we tried so desperately to assimilate into, never fully fitting into either. Because of this we lack a sense of place, floating between one another while seeking permanence. Through deliberate, but oftentimes painful effort, we have found one physical space that has grounded these uncertainties and fostered experiences necessary to heal and reclaim our identities.
Creating PLACED has been a life changing process, a surprise & delight driven by curiosity, slowed by heart ache (and COVID), and only completed by perseverance garnered by community support. This project has allowed me to acknowledge the ways in which white supremacy is deeply woven into every single facet of our lives and how I as an adoptee have benefited from such an oppressive system. It’s revealed how the model minority myth pits Asian folks against other people of color, especially Black and Brown folks. It’s taught me about unpacking my traumas and ridding the shame I once held towards this beautiful Asian body; the confusion I felt being an outsider my whole life; the guilt I felt for fronting an inauthentic version of myself in hopes of garnering validation from what I thought to be the most important voice, a white voice.
The final product of this exploration is a 164-page artist book profiling 11 KADs, including myself, each photographed and interviewed in a physical place that has impacted their sense of place. The visual presentation of PLACED took place September 26-28, 2020 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
