Your introductory story has given me goosebumps. Ten years ago, I was going through customs returning to the USA from abroad; I traveled with my spouse and in-laws who are a different race than I am. The customs agent yelled at me something akin to what the Disney employee shouted to you...that only one family was being processed at a time and I needed to wait, I couldn't go through with them. This was jarring and embarrassing even as a full-grown adult. I can't imagine how it must have felt for a child. Horrendous!
For some reason, at 56, after writing extensively about it, searching for and integrating family, these issues around transracial adoption are very painful alive again. I almost cannot listen to this. It feels too close and so incredible fundamental and unreconcilable because the socially just cannot make room for the truths we carry.
I always felt deeply connected to being Italian, but it had nothing to do with being adopted by Italian parents, with a huge amount of family around, because I always assumed, I was Polish or similar. I figured out my birth name was Maria Chestnut, and I assumed it was Polish, Pennsylvania Dutch sounding. So I found my birth family in 2013 when I was 51 years old. I have 6 sisters, 1 oldest one also being put up for adoption, and 1 brother. My father was BORN IN ITALY. I WAS 1ST GENERATION ITALIAN-AMERICAN. All my grandparents, aunts, uncles were all born in Italy. Most of whom never came to the US. My maternal grandfather, was born Carmen CASTAGNA and at some point changed it to CHESTNUT. Yes, so my deep connection to Italian heritage was genuine. 🇮🇹❤️
Your introductory story has given me goosebumps. Ten years ago, I was going through customs returning to the USA from abroad; I traveled with my spouse and in-laws who are a different race than I am. The customs agent yelled at me something akin to what the Disney employee shouted to you...that only one family was being processed at a time and I needed to wait, I couldn't go through with them. This was jarring and embarrassing even as a full-grown adult. I can't imagine how it must have felt for a child. Horrendous!
For some reason, at 56, after writing extensively about it, searching for and integrating family, these issues around transracial adoption are very painful alive again. I almost cannot listen to this. It feels too close and so incredible fundamental and unreconcilable because the socially just cannot make room for the truths we carry.
I always felt deeply connected to being Italian, but it had nothing to do with being adopted by Italian parents, with a huge amount of family around, because I always assumed, I was Polish or similar. I figured out my birth name was Maria Chestnut, and I assumed it was Polish, Pennsylvania Dutch sounding. So I found my birth family in 2013 when I was 51 years old. I have 6 sisters, 1 oldest one also being put up for adoption, and 1 brother. My father was BORN IN ITALY. I WAS 1ST GENERATION ITALIAN-AMERICAN. All my grandparents, aunts, uncles were all born in Italy. Most of whom never came to the US. My maternal grandfather, was born Carmen CASTAGNA and at some point changed it to CHESTNUT. Yes, so my deep connection to Italian heritage was genuine. 🇮🇹❤️
A dp