126. The Korean Adoptee Experience ft. Kristen Meinzer

But Where Are You Really From?: An Asian-American Struggle

Kristen Meinzer is a force to be reckoned with. She is an award-winning podcaster with millions of downloads, a culture critic who frequently appears on TV (especially to talk about the royal family!), and an author whose book "How to Be Fine" was an Audible #1 Bestseller in 2021.

Aside from her incredible career, Kristen is also a Korean adoptee. Born in Korea but raised in Minnesota, she grew up disconnected from the country and culture she was born into while raised in a mostly white family and environment. Kristen helps us understand the connection between the end of the Korean War and the over 200,000 Korean adoptees in the US, and why not all of these adoptees are eager to take up the Korean government's offer of dual citizenship. From her reverse culture shock going to Korean culture camp as a kid, to constantly confusing people with her Minnesotan accent, to whether she feels the call to reconnect with Korea and her biological family, we talk about it all.

While no two adoptee experiences are exactly alike, we are so grateful to Kristen for sharing her story and hope that her perspective can help inspire other adoptees struggling with reconciling their identities, as well as non-adoptees to learn more about what this experience is like.

Do you have a question for Kristen, or are you an adoptee yourself? Let us know in the comments on our social media!

Follow us on TikTok at @butwhereareyoureallyfrom and on Instagram at @wherareyoufrompod

Kristen co-hosts the podcast "How to Be Fine" with Jolenta Greenberg, where they discuss and critique all kinds of wellness fads and give advice on how you can get closer to being fine. You can find "How to Be Fine" wherever you listen to podcasts. You can follow her on Twitter at @kristenmeinzer

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