Virtual Panel: Effects of Racial and Pandemic Crises on Adoptees
Sunday, November 14, 2021 || 1pm - 230pm PST/4pm - 5:30pm EST
For many, this is a time of transition, change, and the emergence of new insights about self and relationships. The murder of George Floyd sparked new dialogue and considerations about race, belonging, social justice advocacy, and ourselves. The politicization and polarization that emerged following the murder of Floyd has also influenced dialogue and dynamics amongst family systems, and elevated conversations about race, equity, justice, and identity. For transracially or transnationally adopted individuals, they often find themselves as spokespeople for the BIPOC community, and many adoptees of color, have reconsidered their own racial identity relative to their adoption history and the racial and cultural identities of their constellations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also been a catalyst for many to reconsider their own values, sense of meaning, and purpose. The pandemic has laid bare the inequities of society writ large, and again, the politicization and polarization of beliefs about the pandemic and its impact have further complicated many family relationships.
Join SAPCA panelists, Robert O’Connor, Amanda Baden, Chaitra Wirta-Leiker, and Tony Hynes as they explore the prospect of returning home for the holidays for adopted individuals, amidst the emerging dialogues, attitudes, and beliefs of the last year. Join panelists and each other in breakout rooms to consider the intersection of adoption, identity, and family expectations, and how we as adopted individuals or members of the constellation can support ourselves and each other as we consider returning home for the holidays.