On Tues. Feb. 7, 5 to 7pm, all
members of the BFS community are invited to a discussion with Professor
John Palmer of Colgate University on Transracial Adoption, Identity, and Empowerment. This event will take place in the Pearl Street Meetinghouse. Parents, faculty and friends are encouraged to invite their friends and neighbors as the evening is free and open to the public.
In his work with parents and teachers, Professor Palmer typically discusses cultural representations of Asian Americans, and speak about his own experience as an adopted Korean American growing up in a predominantly white environment.
Learning about and understanding the various cultural representations of race, class, adoption and non-US culture is a valuable exercise for all in the BFS community as the experience will make us more attuned parents, neighbors, coworkers, teachers and friends.
Tranracial Adoption, Identity and Empowerment:
Dr. Palmer's book, The Dance of Identities: Korean Adoptees and Their Journey Toward Empowerment (University of Hawai'i Press, 2010) delves into identity explorations and reflections through the lens of Korean adult adoptees by portraying the participants from their own perspectives as they reflect upon their journeys to discovering their multiple identities. The manuscript specifically investigates how the participants dispute, contemplate, resist, and defy the notion that there is an authentic Korean, authentic White, and authentic Korean adoptee identity. The Korean adoptee participants provide valuable insight into racial identity development, race relations, and social justice activism by reflecting upon their lives of growing up cultural white, yet constantly being identified as Asian.
The very nature of being raised in culturally White informed homes and communities by White parents, while at the same time they are genetic/phenotypic Korean forces us to add new questions regarding racial classification and terminology such as sellout, banana, and White wannabe as they redefine what it means to be Korean, Korean adoptee, Asian, and White all at the same time. Thus, the manuscript is larger than just the Korean adoptee community. As a researcher and educator of color who focuses on race relations, it is Professor Palmer's belief that through understanding how racial identity development impacts people’s lives, we can develop a stronger understanding of the complex influences that race and racism have upon our society.
When he visits BFS on Feb. 7 and 8, Professor Palmer will present workshops with middle and upper school students on the following topic:
Karate Chops, Geishas, Nerds & the Asian Invasion: Reflections of a Korean Adopted American
Many Americans strongly believe that Asian Americans are the "model minority" and thus do not suffer from racial discrimination and oppression. Moreover , Asian Americans are not typically considered "real" Americans due mainly to being depicted in the media as the forever foreigner (i.e., speaks English with a strong "Asian" accent, masters of martial arts, submissive and exotic women, unaccustomed to "American" culture, and overall a basic "nerd") . By taking a closer look at these stereotypes, I hope to show how these stereotypes have caused not only anguish within the Asian American community, but have also upheld the belief that Asian Americans are second-class citizens. Through an in-depth investigation into the stereotypical portrayals of Asians and Asian Americans in the American mainstream media and the impact these stereotypes have had upon my life as a Korean Adopted American growing up in a predominantly white and culturally white environment, I hope to inform the audience how stereotypes damage and limit one's identity. More importantly, I intend to provide the audience with a "model" in which we can self- empower our identities and ultimately challenge oppression that stems from these stereotypes.