Most Read This Week In Adoption

[close] If you have written a book on adoption, if you were adopted or if you are thinking of adopting, why not join this group. There are so many varied experiences to every one of us who have been involved in this process.

[close] Susan Piper was adopted years ago in Thailand. A once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity brings her to Japan for the opening of a new museum. It also gives her the excuse to hop another flight to visit the world of the woman forced to give her away years ago. Beautiful, dangerous, haunting, the encounters there will steer the course of her life and marriage with David, which take surprising turns over the next two decades. . Susan’s quest introduces her to the subculture of the adoption search and reunion movement. There she finds a best friend and mentor, Faith. Her story includes her creative, Jewish adoptive parents, her single, immigrant friend Farah, and her college sweetheart-husband David whose father abandoned the family years ago. . There is also the detective who specializes in adoption reunions, who carries a secret of his own. Her poignant meeting with her birth mother uncovers a deeper tragedy, human trafficking, that they will both begin to fight from their very different lives. . Tapioca Fire will take you with Susan to Bangkok, and rural Thailand, Tokyo and Nikko, Japan, as well as the New York suburbs and rugged Maine shores. Tapioca Fire proves the adage that the most perilous part of a quest is the journey back home.

[close] Did you know the field of adoption is still dominated by the opinions of adoption agencies and adoptive parents who are not aware of or just plain ignore human rights? By staying connected with community peers and family members of adoption-loss, we can balance the landscape of adoption in academia, governments, and even in the privacy of our own adoptive homes. Knowledge is Power. Know more about adoption than the professionals in the field. As global cross-cultural citizens, we stand in solidarity with one another on the issue of human rights. Our combined experiences along with the more information we gather along the way can (and has) shifted the paradigm from the "old adoption script" built on shame, myths, and assumptions, to an equal and rational rights-based standpoint. You are NOT alone. If you are an advocate for social equality, human rights, and child rights, this community will give you the assurances you need as you discuss the topic with those closest to you. When we are secure in our rights, we are unshakeable. Founded on the premise that the rights of all humans should be respected and safeguarded as acknowledged in the US Constitution and in multiple human rights treaties of the United Nations. *This is not the place to dispute whether or not members are "pro-" or "anti" adoption because we all know that adoption consists of a roller coaster of constant ups and downs. This forum is founded on our innate human right to know and have access to all information that pertain to us--if and when we so desire. There should be no dispute on whether or not we have a right to our birth certificates and/or adoption documents. All humans–even people who have been adopted–deserve to have our civil liberties respected. A reminder to give consideration to all members, and to treat individuals the way they want to be treated.

[close] A group created to discuss and share feelings about the book.