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Our Story

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This website was born out of a lifetime of conversations between two openly adopted adoptees who grew up as friends (yes, that's us up there!). We both had very different experiences with our biological and adoptive families, but some of our experiences were quite similar. Many of our similar experiences were rooted in feeling at a loss for what family meant to us, how and where we belonged in the world, and at the very core, what to make of who we were. 
 
In our teen years, we sought other adoptees' perspectives, went down research rabbit holes, and tried to find answers. Much of what were were searching for didn't exist yet. Instead, we mainly found information provided by adoption agencies marketing open adoption as the cure-all for adoption trauma to potential adoptive parents. What little information we did find for adoptees, was geared towards the reality of closed adoption.
 
While we identified with what closed adoptees experienced, some things didn't quite align. The unavoidable difference being we knew (or knew of) our bio parents growing up. Even as the landscape of adoption changed and adoptee voices became stronger, we longed for some perspectives from people who might straddle two families: bio and adoptive.
 
We are dedicating this site to the children of open adoption because, although the choice of adoption for adults is big and life altering, it is the a decision that encompasses the entire existence of the child and follows them for the entirety of their lives. We want to be able to help bring the voices of adopted children to the forefront of the experience and cultivate a sense of belonging and community for those who struggle with and question their sense of identity. 

The People

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TISA

Tisa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tisa received her MSW from UC Berkeley. She is interested in understanding family surveillance systems and designing anti-oppressive systems that are responsive to lived experience .

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ELLIS

Ellis currently lives in Portland with their cat, Lucifer. Ellis attended Evergreen State College, studying Indigenous justice and storytelling through dance. She is deeply drawn to using music and visual art to help understand and integrate our experiences.

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