Birthmothers: Unspoken Side of Adoption By Yi Chang-ho, Contributing Writer
 Captured screen shots from the documentary “Resilience” about adoptees |
The documentary "Resilience" has some remarkable features. One of them is that it portrays birthmothers, and most of them are single mothers, who unwillingly had to give up their children for adoption, a side of the story often neglected in Korea.
Another is how the documentary came to be. The documentary’s producer, the Rev. Kim Do-hyun, met a Korean adoptee for the first time while he was working and living in Switzerland. The woman was happily married and had a child. The Rev. Kim says, “Everyday she was happy, but one day she told me this: ‘I have a great question mark in my heart, absorbing all my energy.’’’ These overwhelming questions about her adoption, identity, birthparents and Korea made a big impact on him. He came to think that one of the ways to answer the questions of adoptees could be through the birthmothers. “If the adoptee has a question, maybe the birthmother has the answer. They are two sides of the same coin.’’
Harlow's Monkey 
I look forward to seeing this. I have to say that I feel as an IA parent to a daughter from China, the one part of the program I most dislike is the lack of ability to find birth parents, or any info as to where they may be. I feel every adopted child IA or not has the RIGHT to birth family information and contact information. I know most times that because of the countries policies that is not allowed, but it should be. Every parent should be able to leave some link to their child’s past for when they wish to answer those questions. I feel very helpless in this aspect and it makes me mad. I can’t answer why for my daughter. Only her birth parents can and I hate not being able to help facilitate that comtact. Just my .02.
This side of the story was definitely long overdue…