conversationpiecepodcast
Conversation Piece Podcast
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A show about the missing pieces of the conversations we’re already having.
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Kira Omans on how folks in film and television can empower Adoptees in the industry, from this week’s episode!
👀 +👂🏼 (link in bio)
The first book I ever read about the Korean Adoptee experience was not written by a Korean Adoptee, but rather a Korean American scholar named Eleana Kim. The book is called Adopted Territory, and it is the first in a set of four ethnographies I consider to be my bibles re: Korean Adoptees.
To write this book, Eleana integrated herself into the Korean Adoptee community to the best of her ability and told as vast an array of experiences as she possibly could. She also acknowledges that while her work is important, she is sharing a lived experience that is not her own — an important, necessary declaration.
I share this because it gets at the heart of what Kira shares here: if you are telling a story or sharing the experience of a community you are not a part of:
“You have a responsibility to try your best to integrate into the community and try to understand what that community needs and understand avast array of experiences.”
When Adoptees are critical of Adoptee storylines like we see in Joy Ride, it’s not because we want to see it fail.
It’s because we want better for our community.
It’s because we have historically not been able to tell our own stories, instead having them told for us.
It’s because that responsibility, or lack of responsible representation, needs to be treated with respect, which, by extension, provides validation to our community.
We’ve got along way to go; this is a great opportunity for us to start going there.
✨ have you listened to the episode yet? Share your thoughts in the comments below 👇🏼
🫶🏼 send me, Kira, and @michellelitv to Austin, TX for SXSW2024 so we can talk about this exact thing! Our panel is up for vote and we need every single one! Help us bring visibility to our community by casting your vote: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/132835
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #Responsibility #Representation #Adoptee #Adoption #Adoptee #AdopteeVoice #JoyRide #Film
👀 +👂🏼 (link in bio)
The first book I ever read about the Korean Adoptee experience was not written by a Korean Adoptee, but rather a Korean American scholar named Eleana Kim. The book is called Adopted Territory, and it is the first in a set of four ethnographies I consider to be my bibles re: Korean Adoptees.
To write this book, Eleana integrated herself into the Korean Adoptee community to the best of her ability and told as vast an array of experiences as she possibly could. She also acknowledges that while her work is important, she is sharing a lived experience that is not her own — an important, necessary declaration.
I share this because it gets at the heart of what Kira shares here: if you are telling a story or sharing the experience of a community you are not a part of:
“You have a responsibility to try your best to integrate into the community and try to understand what that community needs and understand avast array of experiences.”
When Adoptees are critical of Adoptee storylines like we see in Joy Ride, it’s not because we want to see it fail.
It’s because we want better for our community.
It’s because we have historically not been able to tell our own stories, instead having them told for us.
It’s because that responsibility, or lack of responsible representation, needs to be treated with respect, which, by extension, provides validation to our community.
We’ve got along way to go; this is a great opportunity for us to start going there.
✨ have you listened to the episode yet? Share your thoughts in the comments below 👇🏼
🫶🏼 send me, Kira, and @michellelitv to Austin, TX for SXSW2024 so we can talk about this exact thing! Our panel is up for vote and we need every single one! Help us bring visibility to our community by casting your vote: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/132835
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #Responsibility #Representation #Adoptee #Adoption #Adoptee #AdopteeVoice #JoyRide #Film
As a transracial Adoptee, I’ve rarely been the author of my own story. After coming to consciousness (i.e: understanding my identity as an Adoptee outside of the dominant adoption narrative), I learned how to articulate my experience because I became aware that the things I’d suppressed as a child WERE REAL. It was a profound revelation, and one that launched me out of rejection and into reclamation.
During this phase of my life, I began writing about my journey and sharing it on social media. Believe me when I tell you it was one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done. Once I wrote a thing, I’d give it a once-over and post it. The response built up slowly, and gradually, I found community with other Adoptees who were VALIDATING what I was writing and sharing.
I couldn’t stop.
Fast forward three years later and I’m still sharing openly. I’ve learned new language and better ways to articulate. My community has grown, and the validation comes quickly with each new post.
Something’s missing, though.
As I’m meeting folks in Korea who know me because of my story and what I share on social media, I realize what it is: a piece of me. While I am enormously honored, humbled, and privileged that my words and story have resonated and impacted folks in some small way, I also feel like I’ve given myself away too much, too frequently.
Where was I in all this?
Younger me felt so far away, the person who was discovering his story for the very first time, who was uncovering hidden pieces of himself, and I needed to find him. I needed to re-enter reclamation and take my story back, to examine the how and the what and reframe the work I do.
I needed to pick the pen back up and become the author.
So, some further elaboration on why I’m sharing less of my personal story on socials for the foreseeable future.
Again, I’m still out here podcasting and being vulnerable. It’s also a time for me to continue working on myself so I can keep showing up for my people, my community, all communities.
Have you listened to this episode yet?! Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #Adoptee #Reclamation #Adoption #Adopted
During this phase of my life, I began writing about my journey and sharing it on social media. Believe me when I tell you it was one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done. Once I wrote a thing, I’d give it a once-over and post it. The response built up slowly, and gradually, I found community with other Adoptees who were VALIDATING what I was writing and sharing.
I couldn’t stop.
Fast forward three years later and I’m still sharing openly. I’ve learned new language and better ways to articulate. My community has grown, and the validation comes quickly with each new post.
Something’s missing, though.
As I’m meeting folks in Korea who know me because of my story and what I share on social media, I realize what it is: a piece of me. While I am enormously honored, humbled, and privileged that my words and story have resonated and impacted folks in some small way, I also feel like I’ve given myself away too much, too frequently.
Where was I in all this?
Younger me felt so far away, the person who was discovering his story for the very first time, who was uncovering hidden pieces of himself, and I needed to find him. I needed to re-enter reclamation and take my story back, to examine the how and the what and reframe the work I do.
I needed to pick the pen back up and become the author.
So, some further elaboration on why I’m sharing less of my personal story on socials for the foreseeable future.
Again, I’m still out here podcasting and being vulnerable. It’s also a time for me to continue working on myself so I can keep showing up for my people, my community, all communities.
Have you listened to this episode yet?! Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #Adoptee #Reclamation #Adoption #Adopted
Darius Phelps (@mr.dphelps) on accessing vulnerability as Men of Color, from this week’s episode.
Link in bio for the full conversation 👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼
I’ve been thinking a lot about my own vulnerability journey over the past few days, particularly when it comes to owning my story.
For a long time I felt like I was just a bit played in my life: walking the paths drawn out for me, reading the pages written for me, following the script handed to me. As I came to consciousness and began my reclamation journey, I realized I had been acting in someone else’s movie.
Once I reached acceptance, I was ready to star in my own.
A big part of that was tapping into my own vulnerability and sharing as openly and actively as I could. This led to many wonderful connections and realizations. A community formed around me, and I within one. It was something I’d never experienced before; it was intoxicating.
I’ve also come to realize that I may have given too much of myself away in these moments, not holding back what I need to for me and instead laying it out there for all to see.
I wasn’t aware of the ripples, and that cost me.
As men of color, we’ve not been allowed to be vulnerable. When we find it for ourselves, we can dive head first into the water without thinking about our need for air — the necessity of breath.
That’s where I am now: breathing.
Major love to Darius for dropping knowledge and wisdom and vulnerability like this all over our conversation. Make sure you check it out and let us know what you think in the comments below.
If you’re really feeling it, we’d love if you could leave us a rating or review wherever you get your pods (or on YouTube!).
Stay tuned for more incredible conversations like this 👀
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #Vulnerability #Sharing #OwningOurStories #Growth #MenOfColor #Mindset
Link in bio for the full conversation 👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼
I’ve been thinking a lot about my own vulnerability journey over the past few days, particularly when it comes to owning my story.
For a long time I felt like I was just a bit played in my life: walking the paths drawn out for me, reading the pages written for me, following the script handed to me. As I came to consciousness and began my reclamation journey, I realized I had been acting in someone else’s movie.
Once I reached acceptance, I was ready to star in my own.
A big part of that was tapping into my own vulnerability and sharing as openly and actively as I could. This led to many wonderful connections and realizations. A community formed around me, and I within one. It was something I’d never experienced before; it was intoxicating.
I’ve also come to realize that I may have given too much of myself away in these moments, not holding back what I need to for me and instead laying it out there for all to see.
I wasn’t aware of the ripples, and that cost me.
As men of color, we’ve not been allowed to be vulnerable. When we find it for ourselves, we can dive head first into the water without thinking about our need for air — the necessity of breath.
That’s where I am now: breathing.
Major love to Darius for dropping knowledge and wisdom and vulnerability like this all over our conversation. Make sure you check it out and let us know what you think in the comments below.
If you’re really feeling it, we’d love if you could leave us a rating or review wherever you get your pods (or on YouTube!).
Stay tuned for more incredible conversations like this 👀
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #Vulnerability #Sharing #OwningOurStories #Growth #MenOfColor #Mindset
On this week’s episode of Conversation Piece, fellow Korean adoptee Grace Foster joins Patrick to discuss creating opportunities for adoptees and former foster youth that haven’t always been available or accessible. Grace shares a bit of her personal journey, the lack of professional networks available to adoptees and former foster youth, and the work she’s doing to address this via The Inclusion Initiative.
Tune in on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts and join the conversation (link in bio)! 🙌
I connected with Grace on LinkedIn. About 5 minutes into our first conversation I knew we were kindred spirits in a lot of ways, specifically in our vision for where we (adoptees and former foster youth) go next.
I was drawn to her charisma and compassion, not only for the folks in our community, but for her own story.
There’s so much to unpack in our conversation — once you’ve listened I’d love to hear your thoughts! Pop back here and let us know what you think and if you can answer this question: how are you creating visibility for people to be interested in our community (looking at you, allies!)?
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #AsianAmerican #Adoptee #FormerFosterYouth #Community #Visibility #Opportunity #Adopted #Adoption #AsianAmericans
Tune in on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts and join the conversation (link in bio)! 🙌
I connected with Grace on LinkedIn. About 5 minutes into our first conversation I knew we were kindred spirits in a lot of ways, specifically in our vision for where we (adoptees and former foster youth) go next.
I was drawn to her charisma and compassion, not only for the folks in our community, but for her own story.
There’s so much to unpack in our conversation — once you’ve listened I’d love to hear your thoughts! Pop back here and let us know what you think and if you can answer this question: how are you creating visibility for people to be interested in our community (looking at you, allies!)?
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #AsianAmerican #Adoptee #FormerFosterYouth #Community #Visibility #Opportunity #Adopted #Adoption #AsianAmericans
On this week’s episode of Conversation Piece, consultant, podcaster, and content creator Esha Pathak joins Patrick to discuss the diversity of the South Asian experience and the power of specificity. Esha shares the importance of building a personal brand as a means of understanding your identity, the necessity of acknowledging the many cultural divisions within the South Asian diaspora, and why we have to let our love for things be greater than our fear.
Tune in on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts and join the conversation! 🙌
One of the things I’ve been mulling over since Esha and I’s conversation was a reaffirmation of something Liz Kleinrock and I talked about in May, namely that there is power in being able to name what you’re doing.
Or, as Esha put it: specificity is respect.
For Esha, it’s both owning her identity as Indian AND acknoweldging the many cultural divisions that exist within the diaspora.
For me, it’s both owning my identity as an Asian American Adoptee AND acknowleging the many intersections that exist within this diaspora.
As advocates, when we can name who it is our advocacy is for, we take steps toward being a more mindful, more invested coalition. And when we know who our advocacy is for, our work becomes more intentional, more intersectional, and more aligned with communal solidarity.
👉🏼 If you are a Korean adoptee and you only advocate for Korean adoptees, say that.
👉🏼 If you are an Korean American and you only advocate for Korean diasporic causes, say that.
👉🏼 If you put ‘anti-racism advocate’ in your bio/headline, but you’re not actively practicing anti-racism and your work does not reflect anti-racist ideals, remove it.
By being specific, we open the door to the kind of coalition building rooted in abundance, not scarcity. We live in a society that teaches us there is only so much to go around — only so much knowledge, only so much wealth, only so much opportunity, only so much space. The truth?
There’s room for all of us. We all have our space to inhabit, our identities to carry, our work to do. And when we can name what it is we do, we can find the folks who do the work we don’t, and we can build together.
When we build together, we do great things.
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #Specificity #Community #SouthAsian #AsianAmerica #Identity #Conversation
Tune in on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts and join the conversation! 🙌
One of the things I’ve been mulling over since Esha and I’s conversation was a reaffirmation of something Liz Kleinrock and I talked about in May, namely that there is power in being able to name what you’re doing.
Or, as Esha put it: specificity is respect.
For Esha, it’s both owning her identity as Indian AND acknoweldging the many cultural divisions that exist within the diaspora.
For me, it’s both owning my identity as an Asian American Adoptee AND acknowleging the many intersections that exist within this diaspora.
As advocates, when we can name who it is our advocacy is for, we take steps toward being a more mindful, more invested coalition. And when we know who our advocacy is for, our work becomes more intentional, more intersectional, and more aligned with communal solidarity.
👉🏼 If you are a Korean adoptee and you only advocate for Korean adoptees, say that.
👉🏼 If you are an Korean American and you only advocate for Korean diasporic causes, say that.
👉🏼 If you put ‘anti-racism advocate’ in your bio/headline, but you’re not actively practicing anti-racism and your work does not reflect anti-racist ideals, remove it.
By being specific, we open the door to the kind of coalition building rooted in abundance, not scarcity. We live in a society that teaches us there is only so much to go around — only so much knowledge, only so much wealth, only so much opportunity, only so much space. The truth?
There’s room for all of us. We all have our space to inhabit, our identities to carry, our work to do. And when we can name what it is we do, we can find the folks who do the work we don’t, and we can build together.
When we build together, we do great things.
#ConversationPiece #Podcast #Specificity #Community #SouthAsian #AsianAmerica #Identity #Conversation