Once They Hear My Name: Korean Adoptees and Their Journeys Toward Identity

A testament to the more than 100,000 Korean adoptees who have come to the United States since the 1950s, this collection of oral histories features the stories of nine Korean Americans who were adopted as children and the struggles they’ve shared as foreigners in their native lands. From their early confrontations with racism and xenophobia to their later-in-life trips back to Korea to find their roots (with mixed results), these narratives illustrate the wide variety of ways in which all adoptive parents and adoptees—not just those from Korea—must struggle with issues of identity, alienation, and family.

Ellen Lee is a licensed clinical social worker. She lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Marilyn Lammert is a psychotherapist. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland. Mary Anne Hess is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in education and family issues. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.