Joe Toolan
Category: Identity
•
1h 26m
Adopted people often find themselves caught in a web of different identities, systems, and predicaments, all of which intersect in complex ways that can be very difficult to navigate. Joe Toolan, a transracially adopted person born in Guatemala discusses what those intersectional roots meant for his experiences growing up in a white family. Transracially adopted people often find themselves in situations where they do not feel like they fit in, and can struggle with identity and self. At the same time, they are attempting to navigate challenging conversations with their adopted parents around race, class, and identity formation. As a queer person, Joe talks about navigating coming out, being authentic, and living a truthful life, both with his adoptive parents and in reunion with his birthfamily. Joe also discusses working as an advocate for the community, as a leader in the non-profit and advocacy world, and how education and relationships can make a better world for adopted people.
Up Next in Category: Identity
-
Isaac Etter & Julie Etter
It can be difficult to see the full picture in adoption, because we often only hear from one side of an adoption triad at a time. However, adopted people and adoptive parents within the same family have individual and unique perspectives and struggles that require the context of the rest of their...
-
Isaac Etter
Transracially adopted person Isaac Etter is an activist, racial bias consultant, and social entrepreneur, and the founder of Identity, where the focus is on re-imaging post-placement support for adoptive and foster families. He is also the founder of the podcast Inside Transracial Adoption, which...
-
Nam Holtz, LMSW
Meggin (Nam) Holtz, LMSW, a transracially adopted person born in Korea, has been involved in adoption advocacy, awareness, and support for a decade. Her award-winning documentary film, Found In Korea 한국에서 발견된 , about birth search, identity, and adoption was created to serve as a point of entry fo...
