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Once They Hear My Name: Korean Adoptees and Their Journeys Toward Identity Paperback – September 1, 2008

by Ellen Lee (Author), Marilyn Lammert (Author), Mary Anne Hess (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 22 ratings
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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.

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  1. Print length
    200 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tamarisk Books
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 2008
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0979375606
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0979375606
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Featured on AARP: The Magazine's "Hot Reads" list

"The honest voice of each adoptee makes for riveting reading and provides a window into the lives, minds and hearts of these children, almost all of whom wrestle with not just occasional teasing, but more profoundly, with . . . the duality that's at the core of their being." —Judy Woodruff, PBS journalist

"In this important, groundbreaking book, the long overdue voices of Korean-American adoptees, grown-up and reflective, tell their stories with rare insight and breathtaking emotional honesty." —Helen Zia, author, Asian American Dreams

"Nine Korean adoptees tell their stories of growing up in American, white families." —Seattle Post-Intelligencer



"Help[s] families teach transracial adoptees to celebrate rather than regret the cultural riches that come with their backgrounds." —The Christian Science Monitor



"Based on oral histories of nine adoptees, the book illustrates the variety of ways adopted children and their parents wrestle with life's inescapable question: Who am I?" —Houston Chronicle



"Intensely personal accounts of the pain and pride of growing up straddling two very different cultures. Many of the adoptees describe getting teased or stared at because they did not look like their Caucasian family members." —The Gazette, Bethesda-Silver Spring, Maryland

"Riveting reading for any adoptive parent. Nine adoptees share candid stories of growing up adopted, struggling to fit in with classmates or colleagues, and searching for their birth families." —Adoptive Families magazine

From the Inside Flap

The oldest among them are senior citizens; the youngest are still in diapers. Yet, the more than 100,000 Korean adoptees who've come to the United States since the 1950s share a common bond. Raised in small town, suburbs and cities, they are the largest group of children ever adopted across racial, cultural and geographic lines. ``Once They Hear My Name'' is a revealing collection of oral histories where nine adoptees, in their own words, talk about how they became the adults they are today: Americans with ties to a homeland that, for many, grow stronger as they age. They speak candidly about acceptance and rejection, about struggles and successes - experiences unique to each, yet connected by common threads. At their core these stories chronicle the ongoing, and often difficult, quest for identity. The narratives illustrate the wide variety of ways all adoptive parents and adoptees, not just those from Korea, wrestle with identity issues. The subject is far too complex for a one-size-fits-all approach, yet hearing and learning from these voices may smooth the path for the growing number of families being formed today through international and transracial adoption.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tamarisk Books; 1st edition (September 1, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0979375606
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0979375606
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 22 ratings

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Ellen Lee

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4 out of 5 stars
22 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Mary M. Smith
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource…
    Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    My husband and I have two children adopted from Korea. Our oldest is 34 and was adopted as an infant in 1989. Our younger child is 30 and was adopted as an infant in 1992. I started reading this book, in anticipation of giving one to each of them, thinking “Surely my kids did not experience any of this.” I finished the book in tears thinking, “I’m sure my kids experienced all of this.” It was hard to read in that respect but very instructive and eye-opening. A highly recommended read!
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  • June Garfman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Once They Hear My Name
    Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    What a heartwarming book. As a parent of 2 adopted children, I needed help to try and understand some of the heartaches these young children were going through growing up.Some as adults are still struggling with many of the issues. My heart aches as a parent because we do not know how to protect our children from that pain nor how to take it away except through continuous love. Thank you all for sharing those precious feelings. I now know we are not all alone on this journey and now I hope my children will as well as I share this book with them.
    This book is a must read for parents and adoptees.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • NK
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    As the grandparent of a young grand-daughter adopted a year ago from China, I found this book to be highly informative, and have passed it on to my daughter and her husband. The book brings home, through the poignant words of the adoptees and the sensitive treatment of the authors how important it is for families adopting from other cultures to expose their adopted child to the culture of origin and to encourage the child to explore his/her origins, even if the biological parents cannot be identified. I highly recommend it to prospective parents who are considering cross-cultural adoptions as well as to the current parents of such children.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Susie Q
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good read - a series of short autobiographical accounts of ...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A good read - a series of short autobiographical accounts of Korean children who were adopted by American parents.
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  • DMN
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must for families touched by Korean adoption
    Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Precious book. I bought this for my daughter who was adopted from Korea. She has been struggling with her identity lately and I think this will help.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Yi Woo Ae, the Krazean Poet (formerly Ame Ai)
    5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The author and the people who contributed to this book were accessible. I have spoken with two of the contributors (I lived with one of them) and met the author in person. These are very real people with very real stories.
    One person found this helpful
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  • K. Milone
    5.0 out of 5 stars Once They Hear My Name
    Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Great book! A must read for all Korean adpotees. The book was very well put together especially at the end of each chapter when the authors revealed the adoptees' name, age, town and profession.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Elizabeth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I received the book quickly and it was in excellent shape, even though i had had my doubts! Great service!
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