Adopted Territory (At Home & Abroad)

In the second half of Adopted Territory, Kim writes about the contradiction that occurs when Korean adoptees return to Korea and must (again) reexamine their identities and self-view to assimilate or adopt to a culture, location, and socially constructed reality. This amalgamation of a perhaps more “traditional” Korean identity with an Americanized world view causes not only a contradiction of self while the Korean adoptees are in the United States, but also when they return to Korea. In America, their physical differences make complete assimilation impossible. In Korea, their marked “difference” and unfamiliar experiences make complete assimilation impossible. But is complete assimilation possible for anyone? Perhaps the wealthy, cisgender, white, Christian, straight man? Maybe.

            This idea of a split identity and trying to amalgamate the two reminds me of a few things. Firstly, this resonates with me on a personal level. My father is Jewish. I was raised going to synagogue on Fridays and Saturdays, in addition to attending Sunday school. In a small Mississippi town, I often felt ostracized from the other girls in my school, since they usually spent the weekends together at various Church functions. This ostracization turned into intentional taunting. However, when I moved to Birmingham, I became involved with a local Jewish youth group. As soon as it was learned that my mother is Christian (Judaism is typically passed down by the woman in the family), I became forced to reconcile my family’s Christian identity with my personal Jewish one. Secondly, it reminded me of the women working overseas in Children of Global Migration. These women leave the Philippines, for example, and go somewhere with a completely different familial structure and idea of gender roles, women in the workplace, etc. What happens when these women return home after spending so long in a place that is completely different? While they are considered “foreign” where they work, do they come home and feel at home again?

            It should be noted, however, that having a collective identity, or “culture”, makes little sense to me. Kim calls this idea “nation-based citizenship” and this, I understand (267). Location is not the determinant of beliefs and opinions or even world-view.