What drew you to take a heritage journey and why now?

Michelle, adoptee: It's been a couple of years that I've been wanting to go back. I turned 40 and I finished my studies and I lost my job all at the same time - it just seemed like a perfect moment to do something for me, to take some time for me, and maybe to redefine, think about who I am. And I realized that in order to do that, I needed to know a little bit more about where I came from.  And it just felt like a right time. I mean, there's never a right time: I've got two kids, got a lot going on, never a right time. But the more and more I thought about it, the more and more I thought the time is now.

What impact has this trip had on how you see yourself, your identity, or your story?

Lizzie, adoptee:  This trip has given me more of a sense of pride in who I am. I feel like visiting this country has been so important to me. I've wanted to do it for a long time.  I used to feel a lot of shame about being Indian or being born in India. I had maybe a negative impression of India growing up. I didn't know a lot about India growing up, and I had false impressions about India growing up. But by taking this trip and visiting my birthplace, as well as other cities in this country, exposed me to so many things I didn't know about India, and I've learned a lot about this country. I'm very happy that I took this trip.

Michelle, adoptee: This trip has had a huge impact in only two weeks on how I see myself. I think I came over here with a narrative that had been told to me. The narrative of adoption, of being grateful, and being here has given me this space to create my own narrative and to see it for myself.  Yeah, and the option to, maybe not the option, but the opportunity and the possibility to see where I was born, to see this country, to see India through my own eyes, as opposed to through the eyes of how I've been raised to see this country as a poor country, as sick and dying children, poverty, to see it for what it is today. It's an amazing country, and I'm actually really proud to be from here.

Molly, adoptee: This trip has really shaped both my identity and my story because I was able to change my narrative… The community, the trip, the people, it's really changed me in a way that I'm more connected. Places where I felt lost in the United States, I now feel whole.

What was most meaningful or eye-opening about this experience for you personally or for your relationship with your children?

Bob and Toni, adoptive parents: The thing that surprised me first was how important this was to the adoptees once they got here and began to experience this. Initially, I think for us it was almost a sightseeing trip, but to come here and experience their roots, where they came from, to be with other adoptees was so powerful. It really was eye-opening.

And I think they felt a closeness with the other adoptees. And I think this is something that's going to be lifelong relationships with these young people. And I think our kids will value that for the rest of their lives.

I didn't realize until we got here how important it was going to be for our kids to experience this with other people who have gone through it. It was apparent from the first day we got here, just the connection and the power of this experience for our kids.

And with our daily visits with one another and our group sessions were valuable. I mean, it was wonderful to have the parents and the adoptees separated so that they could share what they wanted to share and we could too.

And I think it gave them all an opportunity to feel comfortable to share whatever they wanted. And it really, it was very educational, like I say. I think it was so well done and it was the only way to come here was with the Ties Program and the group of people that have organized it.

What was most meaningful or eye-opening about this experience for you personally or for your relationship?

Jason, partner to an adoptee: Probably the most meaningful thing in eye-opening that I got was seeing how adoptions were done in the country and seeing different areas where they're trying to improve that and make that sequence better, but hearing stories of how bad it was for adoptees was really eye-opening for me. I did not know that it was that bad. I did not know that there was those other things going on, so learning about that really opened my eyes and then being able to visit and see other areas that are currently trying to improve that and keep the culture in with these kids as they grow up was really nice to learn that and know that it's not just, "Hey, here's the way it was," and it's going to continue that path that it's starting to see a change for better going into the future.

One of the biggest things I would probably say is it has really brought me a lot closer to my wife. Our relationship has gotten so much stronger. So for those thinking about going on a trip like this, it's going to really allow you to make your relationship better with your child, with your wife, with your significant other. When you come on these trips, it makes it so beneficial to learn about that culture and have that understanding of them and being able to have those conversations on the line and not be in the dark.

What was it like experiencing the Ties? Would you recommend it to others? And why?

Lizzie, adoptee: Being with other adoptees on this trip gave me a very good sense of comfort, knowing that other people had the same start as me at the beginning of their lives. Other adoptees I'd never really encountered in growing up, so knowing that there are other people around me with the same start was very comforting. And we were able to discuss how we were feeling very openly and honestly if we chose to.

Michelle, adoptee: So I hesitated for a long time before booking with ties because I travel a lot. And I could have booked this trip on my own. I really did hesitate. And I was worried about what a group travel experience might look like at my age. But I am so grateful that I came on this trip with Ties. In fact, I think that it provided me with a space that I didn't even know that I needed. I didn't know that I needed it. I knew that I needed help and that having some conversations might help. But I didn't know how much I needed a space where everyone shared the same story. And I can say for the first time in my life, I've been with this group of people who we just get each other. We all grew up with different backgrounds, but we all started the same.  And that's huge. Feeling like part of the majority for the first time in my life is huge. The level of belonging and just fitting in and just getting people without having to explain myself or without having to appear grateful or show off my resilience just being me with this group of people. Is huge. And I'm so grateful for having met them that I can't wait to plan something else. And I'm actually thinking now that I need to come back on a Ties trip with my children, because my children are also part of this adoption story. And they're also part of this identity search, because they don't know what it means to be Indian.

Bodhi, adoptee: I can't imagine doing a heritage journey without the support, love and kindness of the Ties program. Doing this solo would have left out a lot of intentionality that I felt was needed to experience a place where I come from, to experience India at my birthplace. And Ties helped facilitate that from the time I left my house in the States to the time I am heading to the airport in India. That whole process has been taken care of with such intention. Our guides have been incredible. Everything that we've seen has been remarkable and it has allowed us to experience things - it wasn't just go to this temple, go to this event, go do this. Everything connected to have a sense of identity and to have a sense of truly a journey that will continue beyond. Ties is just a way to simply tie you back to your roots. And I think that if you're considering it, if you're scared to do a Ties journey, just do it. I've had friends that went to their birth countries that were adoptees without a Ties program and they came back feeling less connected with even more questions. Versus with the Ties program, you have that built in support and that's something that I'm forever grateful for.

Join Us in India!

This winter, join us on our India Ties trip — a heritage experiences designed for international adoptees and their loved ones to explore, reflect, and connect with culture, history, and each other. From visiting local communities to engaging in meaningful cultural experiences, these trips provide a space to pause, discover, and deepen your sense of belonging.

Note: Early bird registration ends March 31st. Save $200 per person and visit our trip page to learn more, request info, or register today.

In July of 2025, my sons—ages 15 and 17, both adopted from China—and I had the opportunity to travel on a heritage trip through The Ties Program.

From the moment my boys joined our family, I carried an internal commitment: someday I would help them explore, experience, and understand their birth culture. I knew that meant traveling back to China at some point. The truth is, I had no idea when “someday” would be.

With one son headed into his senior year and the other beginning high school, it suddenly felt like the right window. And if I’m honest, I also wanted something that would connect us during this particular season of their lives.

“I’d Rather Go to Japan”

What surprised me most over the years was that the boys rarely expressed interest in visiting China.

Every now and then I would ask if it was something they might want to do someday. They never seemed opposed—just indifferent. Often the conversation was met with a shrug and something like, “I’d rather go to Japan,” as if I were casually offering free trips around Asia.

But after speaking with a friend who had gone on a heritage trip and encouraged me that “it was time,” I began researching options.

Our adoption agency emailed annually about heritage travel opportunities, and initially I assumed we would go with them. But as I began comparing programs, I realized this trip would be a once-in-a-lifetime investment. I wanted to choose carefully.

After a lot of research, the choice became clear.

Why We Chose The Ties Program

What set The Ties Program apart for me was how thoughtfully the experience was designed for adoptees. Several elements stood out:

• Trips are led by adult international adoptees, bringing a level of empathy and understanding that felt invaluable.

• The itinerary intentionally provides time for adoptees and parents/travel companions to process experiences separately.

• Visits to adoptees’ home provinces occur in the middle of the trip, allowing time beforehand for preparation and time afterward for reflection.

• Program staff travel with the group throughout the experience while also working with local guides in each region.

Many heritage travel options offer the chance to visit a birth province either before or after the group trip and often rely solely on local tour guides. The structure of the Ties program felt far more holistic and supportive.

Once I had made my decision, there was just one step left: convincing the boys.

The Surprise: Immediate Buy-In

I printed the itinerary and travel packet and sat down with them to present the plan—complete with specific dates, destinations, and what the trip would include.

I also prepared them for what they might miss at home, including the Fourth of July and a week of beloved summer camp.

I braced myself for a long conversation full of convincing and persuasion.

Instead, I got near-immediate enthusiasm.

One son was excited about the prospect of eating his way through China (which he absolutely did). The other simply said, “This is important. We should do it.”

Apparently, the idea of a vague “someday trip to China” had felt too big and abstract. Seeing a concrete itinerary—knowing exactly where we would go and what we would do—removed the uncertainty and allowed them to look forward to it.

Preparing for the Journey

Once the decision was made, preparation began in earnest.

We consulted with the program manager of the program, began budgeting for the financial investment (which was considerable), and gathered every piece of adoption documentation we had. The Ties team used that information to begin preparing the deeply personal portions of each boy’s trip.

Then came the logistical tasks: making sure our passports were current, applying for travel visas, and working through the recommended packing lists.

We also invited my dad—75 years old—to join us. He had traveled with us years earlier for one of our adoption trips, so it felt meaningful to include him in this return journey.

Heritage Trips vs. Adoption Trips

One of the things I came to understand more clearly is how different a heritage trip is from traveling to a country to adopt.

When families travel internationally to bring home a child, the purpose of the trip is singular: safely completing the adoption and helping the child begin their transition into the family. A child’s physical and emotional well-being becomes the sole priority, while navigating complex paperwork, legal steps, and international travel.

There is very little space to absorb the culture around you.

And the children themselves are often very young and navigating trauma, grief, and enormous life changes. It simply isn’t the moment for them to experience and process their birth culture.

A heritage trip is entirely different. It creates space for adoptees—often for the first time—to explore their birth country in a thoughtful and supportive way.

Watching My Boys Step Into Their Story

We all came home with a deeper appreciation for China and a more grounded understanding of our stories.

For me, one of the most powerful moments was watching my sons bond with the other adoptees in their birth country. That connection was something special.

The group on our trip included twelve adoptees ranging in age from 15 to 31, along with their travel companions. Seeing my boys share the experience with others who understood their story in a unique way was deeply meaningful.

Even though their individual portions of the trip were very different, they experienced it together—and that shared journey mattered.

I also watched my boys carry themselves with a new confidence and peace, holding their identities and histories with strength and grace.

Even now, writing this, it still makes me tear up.

An Invitation, Not an Ending

One important thing I learned in preparation for the trip is that heritage travel isn’t about finding every answer.

It’s an invitation.

An invitation to explore, to be curious, and to begin assembling pieces of one’s story.

For some adoptees, the experience may feel like closure. For others, it may become the beginning of a deeper search. Both are valid.

What matters most is that, for many adoptees, this may be the first opportunity to have ownership in their adoption journey.

After all, adoption involves a series of life-altering events that adoptees themselves never chose: losing birth parents, leaving their birth country, losing connection to language and heritage, and being placed in a completely new family and culture.

A heritage trip may be the first time they are invited to participate in the journey—to ask questions, explore their past, and decide for themselves how much they want to know.

Some participants on our trip chose not to visit their birth province. Others pursued deeper searches.

Both choices were honored. That autonomy is powerful.

About the Money

Much like adoption, heritage travel is a significant investment and one that requires intentional preparation. For our family, this was a considerable amount of money to spend on a two-week trip. Between the program fees, international flights, passports, visas, and travel expenses, it is not something most families can do on a whim.

But I also knew this was not simply a vacation.

A heritage trip is an investment in identity, understanding, and connection. It is an opportunity for adoptees to stand in the place where their story began and to experience their birth culture in a meaningful and supported way. That kind of opportunity is difficult to put a price tag on.

Like many families considering something like this, I had to plan carefully. We budgeted, saved, and made financial choices that allowed us to prioritize the experience. I also reminded myself that the window for something like this is relatively small. Teenagers grow up quickly, schedules become more complicated, and the season when they might be willing to take a journey like this with their parent does not last forever.

For families considering a heritage trip, it can also help to know that some programs offer scholarships or financial assistance, and many families plan ahead by saving over time or inviting extended family members to contribute in meaningful ways. Like adoption itself, the path to making it possible often looks different for every family—but with intention and planning, it can become achievable.

In the end, I came to see the cost in the same way I had once viewed adoption itself: not simply as an expense, but as an investment in my children’s lives and futures.

And now, having experienced it, I can say without hesitation that it was worth every bit of the investment—because I watched my boys stand in the place where their stories began and carry that experience forward with strength, confidence, and peace.

A Journey Worth Taking

If someone asked whether I would do this trip again, my answer would be simple: absolutely.

Not because it answered every question—but because it opened doors, created space for reflection, and gave my boys the opportunity to engage their story in a way that was entirely their own.

Even though our birth and early life stories may differ, one truth holds: knowledge is powerful. Sometimes simply standing in the place where your story began can offer a sense of grounding that words cannot.

Join Us in China!

This summer and fall, join us on our China Ties trips—heritage experiences designed for international adoptees and their loved ones to explore, reflect, and connect with culture, history, and each other. From visiting local communities to engaging in meaningful cultural experiences, these trips provide a space to pause, discover, and deepen your sense of belonging.

Note: Summer trip registration closes April 1, so don’t wait to secure your spot! Visit our trip page to learn more, request info, or register today.

Growing up I always knew I was adopted - Mom calls our family our rainbow family - I knew I was from Guatemala from a young age. Whenever we talked about Guatemala in school or it was in the news, I would get really excited.  Mom had always asked us kids if we wanted to go back to where we were born.  My eldest brother, also adopted from Guatemala, has a complicated relationship with being adopted and Guatemalan. He hasn’t been interested in going back, but Emma and I were always really interested. Mom, unbeknownst to us, started looking for a way to travel there.

Within days of Mom finding the Ties Program she brought it up to Emma and I and we started planning our trip for 2020, but the trip got postponed due to COVID-19. My Mom, Dad, Emma and I finally ended up going on the Ties Heritage trip in July 2023 -  the first trip Ties did after the COVID-19!

The trip gave me self-awareness of not only who Guatemala people are from a cultural and living perspective but also the realization of how cool Mayan culture is (of which I am). I gained clarity, self-realization and understanding that being different is ok, being adopted is ok, and there are more people out there like me.  It also made me want to learn more and go back! The trip wasn’t over and I was planning my next one!

In 2024 I joined the inaugural Service & Language program (S&L). It was my first time being away from my family and traveling alone. I felt so much better when I saw that Ties sign outside the airport, welcoming me. The S&L trip enlightened me with what it feels like for someone to live in Guatemala and being with a group of adoptees all my age gave me a sense of belonging.  The independence and amount of personal responsibility within a set of rules and expectations made me feel like an adult. I made deep connections with the other participants and now I call them my friends. I volunteered at El Amor Children’s Home. At El Amor was a volunteer who was living there for several weeks, which opened me up to the idea of being able to stay at El Amor (I was already planning my next trip to Guatemala, see a theme here?).  

In 2025 I took a gap year; I figured college wasn’t going anywhere, but I had this amazing opportunity, so I took it. I worked for almost a year to pay for my third trip to Guatemala. I lived at El Amor in their guest house for six weeks in the summer of 2025.  The hardest part with this trip was the language and how exhausted my brain felt.  I would literally sit on WhatsApp and listen to my family talking in English so my brain would get a rest from all the Spanish. This trip I connected with the younger kids at El Amor and it showed me how much I love working with kids! And, I got to help plan my next trip to Guatemala - one I’m hoping you’ll join me on.

Rebecca (Guatemalan Ties Program Manager) was already cooking up Language at the Lake (did you know new trips usually take years to plan), and needed someone to go check out the community and language school she was considering for the program. I, along with Bella, and Marisa (Ties travel staff member, check out her post about her trip to Ethiopia!) got to go to San Pedro la Laguna (San Pedro) and experience the possibility of a new Ties program.  My job was to take pictures and to look at things from the perspective of being a participant with a new Ties program.  I instantly fell in love with San Pedro, the language school, and the school (the view!!!).

In November, when I got the email announcing the Language at the Lake program and without any hesitation, I signed up that night.  I talked with Emma, my sister, about things that we would see and get to do and asked if she was interested in going and she said yes! I was filled with so many emotions because I never thought I would be going back so soon, and with my sister this time! My mom is talking about coming now too!

I love the way Language at the Lake is designed to gain a greater understanding with new experiences in Guatemala. I’m excited to take classes at the school. It’s immersed with plants and nature and has the most stunning view of the lake, not like any school I’ve ever attended.   The classes will be small groups (two students to one teacher, often) so I’m excited and nervous for the individual attention. 

Last, but certainly not least, I’m excited for the different housing options: homestays, hotels, and Airbnb’s. I’m planning on staying in a homestay for a more immersive and deeper experience. My sister is hoping to stay at a hotel. I love that this program provides us both the opportunity to stay where works best for us. 

I can’t wait for San Pedro (join me!)! I am looking forward to new experiences, meeting more Guatemalan people, making more connections, and having authentic memories with my sister and other adoptees and their family (maybe you?). I may also be looking forward to escaping some of Minnesota winter (the trip is Dec 26, 2026 - Jan 3, 2027). I hope you come and join me!

Language at the Lake early bird registration ($200 off) ends March 31st, register today.

Why is the trip over US Christmas time?

We chose December because we want to give the best possible experience to adoptees and their loved ones and we felt like December did that. 

There are various factors that go into when we run a trip, one of them is the best time of year to travel to a country. June to September is the rainy season in Ethiopia, which can make travel challenging, especially in rural communities.

Many of our December trips run right after Christmas, departing often on the 26th. Vietnam, Cambodia, and India have all long been run in December because of similar better-time-of-year to travel reasons. However, Ethiopia is largely Christian Ethiopian Orthodox, which celebrates Christmas on a different calendar (January 7th). While traveling in Ethiopia before/during/after Orthodox Christmas (or any major holiday in a country) can be a really wonderful experience, it tends to be more expensive, crowded, and complex, so in this case fitting the trip in before Orthodox Christmas was necessary. This made traveling during December 25 the best option.

Additionally as Ties and adult adoptees grow and age, we’re offering trips at all times of year. When Ties first started, most trips ran in the summer because adoptees who were traveling were school-aged, but that’s changed. We have trips to China and Korea in the fall and our India Ties Kolkata trip is in February. Now many of our participants are required to take PTO or in some cases unpaid time off from work, and we’ve seen success in traveling over U.S. holidays as it reduces time taken off work.

How did the inaugural Ethiopian Ties trip go?

Great! Check out Inside the head of our Travel Team: Marisa reflects on our inaugural trip to Ethiopia for more information.

What’s changed from the inaugural trip to the 2026-2027 trip? 

We’ve added two days to the trip! The 2025 trip had two families on the trip. One family traveled a day early and it seemed to help with their jetlag and overall experience so we decided that all Ties participants should have this time to settle in before exploring the country as a group.

We added a third day to the Uniquely Yours portion to provide additional wiggle room, should there be any issues with travel for birth family visits.

Note: there were no issues in 2025, but we foresaw that with even one more family added to the trip there could be challenges that would affect the group as a whole. This also allowed us to provide an optional excursion to Lailibela for those not having reconnection visits. Participants can also add this to the end of their trip or choose to visit Blue Nile Falls as extensions. And we switched up the hotel in Addis to reduce hotel costs and provide easier access to sights in Addis at the beginning of the trip, and to the airport at the end.

I want to search for and reconnect with birth family or other important people and places to me - is it possible?

We are happy to help you with reconnecting with birth family and other people and places that are important to your adoption story. In regards to searching, we provide you with the contact information of four searchers that adoptees have had positive experiences with (this does not mean birth family is always found). We believe adoptees should choose the searcher that works best for them as it’s a very personal process. You’ll work with the searchers directly, looping us in as the search progresses. In country we set aside several "Uniquely Yours” days, which are designed for adoptees and loved ones to have personal experiences. Those who choose to reconnect usually reconnect on these days.

What Ethiopian adoptees are on your Ethiopian Ties team?

Ties does not currently have Ethiopian adoptees on staff, and we wish we did! I think this is largely because we’ve only had one group trip to Ethiopia and haven’t had time to develop long term relationships with potential Ethiopian travel team members (many of our adjunct team members were participants in Ties trips previously). Our staff includes adoptees from Korea, China, India, Vietnam, Guatemala, Peru, Paraguay and many more! We are always looking for adoptees to join our team.

Note: After 30+ years, we’ve learned that it’s not always best to have adoptees staff in their country of birth. Staffing is an emotionally challenging and complex experience (and also so rewarding!). It’s one that can be especially challenging for adoptees, who are constantly being forced to look at their individual identity through the lens of assisting other adoptees and their loved ones navigate the experience, all while managing the logistics of a group trip. Piling on the emotional challenges of having your own birth country experience can be too much for some. Staff for each trip is discussed by a group of our core staff and tailored to the needs and experiences of the group traveling.

Are your in-country Ethiopian staff former adoption agency workers? What training on adoption issues do they have?

We vetted at least six travel agencies in Ethiopia and chose a company that is not run by former adoption agency workers. Our in-country teams across the globe are experts in travel, and not always in adoption and identity. We want the in-country team to successfully get a group from point a to point b, accounting for cultural sensitivity while our adjunct staff brings in the experience and expertise on adoption by helping adoptees and their loved ones navigate the emotional experience. We chose our in-country team in Ethiopia for their experience with taking amazing care of travelers. That being said, all the travel agencies we spoke with ended up having some sort of connection with adoption in Ethiopia. The company we chose did not have experience while adoptions were occurring in Ethiopia, but rather, has assisted adoptees and their loved ones on heritage trips in the last ten years. We felt like this was the right level of experience, given the complexities of adoption in Ethiopia when they were occurring.

This trip seems expensive for a trip to Ethiopia, why the price?

There are many factors that go into pricing trips. Our rate reflects the costs of Ties staff traveling, in-country partner costs, activity costs, in-country transportation, meal inclusions, and much more. Given the political climate in Ethiopia, we prioritized safety over cost reduction in some places (it’s far cheaper to drive from Addis to Hawassa, for example, but it isn’t as safe so we have participants flying instead). Finding places to eat where people could explore and feel safe was another, so we included more meals on this trip then trips in other countries (in Korea, for example, we almost never include hotel breakfast because it’s SO EXPENSIVE and easily accessible on your own). Lastly, having not just local guides, but experts on adoption travel with the group is expensive. If we could find a way to provide the same level of services we have found works best for adoptees and their loved ones at a lesser price, we would, but every time we’ve tried, it hasn’t worked out well and we’re not willing to compromise on the level of service we provide.

Ways to help defer the cost:

1. Gift of Identity gives out generous grants for Ties trips. Gift of Identity is a separate entity that has a limited number of funds and prioritizes those who are in greatest need. Questions about the application and the process can be directed to Info@GiftofIdentityFund.org. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that applications for the Ethiopia trip are due by March 31st.

2. Past Ties participants have seen success with GoFundMe campaigns and we’ve been pleasantly surprised over the years how many people provide support however they can.

Have more questions?

Feel free to reach out to Ben Kaanta, Ethiopian Ties Program Manager, at ben@thetiesprogram.org or by text or phone at +1 (303) 381-3041.

Q: What brought you to creating this type of seminar?

Sarah: I’ve been steeped in the Post-Adoption Support landscape for many years, and to my knowledge, I haven’t seen a seminar or longer form class like this for significant others before. There are so many parenting courses out there for adoptive parents and increasingly more spaces for adoptees to connect and share their experiences (like Adoption Mosaic’s great We The Experts series, among others). And many partners don’t fit into those spaces - I myself am not an adoptive parent, nor am I an adoptee. But I’ve always leaned into learning about the adoptee experience in the hopes to be a better partner to my adoptee spouse, and a better support system for all the adoptees that Ties serves. 

Ben: I was leading one of our travel programs when I noticed we had a significant number of both adoptive parents and spouses traveling with us. It became immediately clear that these two groups were wrestling with very different topics, so I began working with them separately to address their specific concerns.

At the end of that trip, one of the partners asked where they could find more resources specifically focused on being in a relationship with an adoptee. I searched, consulted our team, and - just as Sarah described - I was surprised to learn that there really isn't much out there. Since then, every time I travel with a group, I’ve been tuning into the unique needs of partners and keeping notes on what would help them.

Sarah: So now with two spouses on Ties staff, and with our groups more and more often traveling with spouses, it feels like the right time to step into this space and create a seminar with our experiences both professional and personal, bringing our backgrounds in both therapy (me) and coaching (Ben). 

What do you hope to accomplish? 

Sarah & Ben: We hope to create a space rooted in curiosity, learning, and listening — a place where partners can deepen their understanding and feel more grounded in how they show up for the adoptees they love. Ultimately, the goal is greater empathy, flexibility, and connection - for our romantic partners and their journey as adoptees, but also for each other in this space. We hope to underline the importance of spaces like this for those who love adoptees in a variety of ways - from partners to siblings to friends. In our work at Ties, we’ve seen how important it is for an adoptee to have a variety of people witness their journey - and we’re excited to have a space that explicitly focuses on significant others. 

Who is this course for? 

Sarah & Ben: This course is for anyone currently in a romantic relationship with an adoptee - and that’s really the only pre-requisite. If you previously have traveled on a Ties journey with us - welcome! If you haven’t traveled or aren’t thinking about traveling in the future - welcome!

Sarah: Whether you’ve traveled with Ties before, are considering a heritage journey, or have no travel plans at all, you are welcome here. We also welcome couples across the full spectrum of experience, from those just beginning a relationship to those with decades together.

Ben: Our approach acknowledges that while Sarah and myself share the experience of being married to transracial Korean adoptees, every relationship is different. The course is designed to hold that diversity while offering tools and perspectives that can translate across many adoptee-partner experiences.

Topics we anticipate covering

Understanding the "Why": Moving past the frustration of "Why can’t they just get over this?" by exploring the biology of adoption trauma and how it shows up in a relationship.

The Art of Holding Space: Learning how to sit with your partner’s loss, pain, or grief without trying to "fix" it or center your own experience.

Navigating the "Where are you really from?" Moments: Practical ways to affirm and acknowledge your spouse’s unique identity in your hometown and daily life.

The Dynamics of Birth Country Travel: How to make a heritage journey meaningful for your spouse while managing the specific "identity fog" and emotional fatigue that can hit partners.

New Chapters: Discussing how adoption history impacts major life transitions, like introducing children into the family mix.

Adoption Literacy: Why learning the actual history of your partner’s birth country and adoption era is a game-changer for empathy.

Interested in joining us?

If you’re in a relationship with an adoptee and have ever wished for a space to ask questions, share honestly, or better understand the dynamics shaping your relationship, we invite you to join us. This seminar is designed to be thoughtful, practical, and grounded in real experiences — a place where you don’t have to already “get it” to belong. You can learn more about upcoming dates and registration here. We’d be honored to be in conversation with you as you continue finding your own way of walking alongside the adoptee in your life.

This misunderstanding has left adoptees overlooked in policy conversations, excluded from legal protections, and in some cases vulnerable to detention or deportation from the only country they have ever known as home.

It is time to name the assumption clearly and examine its consequences.

Adoption Does Not Automatically Mean Citizenship

Many people are surprised to learn that adoption and citizenship are not the same legal process. 

Adoption establishes a parent-child relationship.

Citizenship establishes legal membership in a country.

While they often happen together, they are governed by different laws, handled through different systems, and historically have not always been completed at the same time.

In past decades, particularly before the Child Citizenship Act (CCA) of 2000, which took effect in February 2001 in the United States, citizenship for internationally adopted children was not automatic. Families had to complete a separate naturalization process after the adoption was finalized. This included additional applications, fees, interviews, and documentation. If these steps were missed or delayed, the child did not become a citizen, even if they were legally adopted and raised in the U.S.

The Child Citizenship Act was passed to address this gap. It granted automatic citizenship to many internationally adopted children under age 18, as long as specific requirements were met, including lawful permanent residency and finalized adoption status. However, the law was not retroactive. Adult adoptees who were already over 18 when the law took effect were left out, even if they had lived in the United States since early childhood.

In many cases, families were never fully informed about the earlier requirements, paperwork was mishandled, or systems failed altogether. Adoptees grew up believing they were citizens because everyone around them believed it too. They attended school, obtained driver’s licenses, worked jobs, paid taxes, and built families, only to later discover that their legal status had never been secured.

Assumption replaced verification, and adoptees carried the risk.

The Silence Around Adoptee Citizenship

Citizenship conversations often focus on immigration broadly, such as border policy, visas, and undocumented migration, but adoptees are rarely centered in these discussions. They fall into a blind spot between immigration systems and child welfare systems.

Because adoptees are raised in citizen families, speak the local language, and are culturally integrated, they are often perceived as unquestionably belonging. Their status is not questioned until a legal issue surfaces. By then, the adoptee is usually an adult and left to navigate a complex legal maze alone.

This silence has consequences:

• Missing from Reform: Adoptees are frequently absent from broader immigration discussions.

• Underestimated Need: Because the issue is "invisible," support services for impacted adults are limited.

• The Identity Fracture: Discovering a lack of citizenship is more than a bureaucratic error; it is a traumatic event that challenges one’s very sense of belonging.

When a group is assumed to be protected, they are rarely prioritized for protection.

The Human Impact of a Paperwork Gap

When citizenship is never finalized, the consequences are far-reaching and severe. Some adoptees may face the loss of employment opportunities, barriers to higher education funding, the inability to travel, and the denial of public benefits. In the most serious cases, these gaps can lead to detention and deportation from the only country the adoptee has ever known.

These outcomes are not simply bureaucratic errors, they are identity fractures. Intercountry adoptees were placed through legal systems intended to create permanence and belonging. Discovering that one’s legal status is incomplete can be destabilizing and traumatic.

This raises a profound ethical question: If a child was placed through a government-recognized adoption process, should the burden of correcting systemic citizenship failures fall on the adoptee decades later? Many adoptee advocates argue that it should not.

Why Assumptions Persist

The assumption that adoption equals citizenship continues for several reasons.

It feels morally logical. People believe that if adoption is permanent, citizenship must be too. Systems are fragmented: adoption and immigration processes historically operated separately. Adoptees are not visibly categorized - they are rarely counted or tracked in immigration narratives. The issue is uncomfortable: It challenges the belief that adoption systems always produce secure outcomes.

Moral logic does not replace legal reality, and discomfort does not erase harm.

Centering Adoptee Voices

Adoptee advocates have been raising awareness about citizenship gaps for years. Their work emphasizes a simple truth. Adoptees should not have to prove they belong in the countries that placed them through legal adoption systems.

Citizenship is more than a legal status. It provides access to safety, mobility, opportunity, and protection. When adoptees are excluded from citizenship conversations, their lived realities are overlooked and their vulnerabilities continue.

Centering adoptee voices shifts the conversation from assumption to accountability.

Moving From Assumption to Action

Correcting this issue requires more than awareness. It requires policy clarity, administrative follow-through, and public understanding. It means letting go of the comforting myth that adoption automatically resolves citizenship status.

Important questions include:

• Are adoptive families clearly informed of citizenship requirements?
  

• Are post-adoption legal processes verified and tracked?
  

• Are adult adoptees given accessible pathways to resolve status gaps?
  

• Are adoptees included in immigration and citizenship reform efforts?
  

Assumptions simplify stories. Reality requires precision.

Stay Informed and Get Involved:

• Intercountry Adoptee Rights and Safety Guide: What to Know in 2026

• Is Your Citizenship Status Correct?

• Support: Follow the work of adoptee-led organizations on the front lines:

  • Adoptees United

  • Adoptees for Justice (A4J)

  • Adoptee Rights Law Center

  • Intercountry Adoptee Voices (ICAV)

As a Korean adoptee who traveled to South Korea in 2011 solo to teach English for my first trip back to my birth country, I am keenly aware of the benefit of adoptees and their loved ones traveling together. Since I started working with the Ties travel team in 2016, I’ve traveled with groups to China, Kazakhstan, and Korea and seen first hand how beneficial it is to have a support system around you. For the last several years, I’ve been staffing Ties’ adoptee-only Guatemala Service & Language program.

So, when Rebecca approached me to lead the inaugural Ethiopian Ties trip, I was nervous and excited.  Heritage trips are deeply meaningful, and with that meaning comes responsibility. I worried that my heritage trip team member skills were rusty as the Service & Language tours are a very different cadence and require different skills as a team member.

Regardless of the tour focus, before every journey, there are always the same worries running through my mind:

• Logistics: Do I have the right information? 

• Travel: Will we get from point A to point B without any issues?

• Group dynamics: Will everyone get along? 

• Individual participants: Is everyone doing okay? I should talk to that adoptee later, make sure they’re OK?

• How I’ll show up: Will I be rested enough to be present for others? Since I’m the only travel team member, what will happen if I get sick?

Once I landed in Ethiopia, some of that stress went away. One behind-the-scenes practices at Ties  that makes a real difference is having the travel team arrive before participants. That extra time allows us to settle in, recover from jet lag, and coordinate final logistics with our in-country team so we can be fully present when travelers arrive.

The first thing I noticed as I walked off the plane, coming from Wisconsin in December, was the warmth of the air in Addis Ababa. The sun was beating, and the air was warm, heavy and unfamiliar. One of the adoptees later shared that stepping off the plane and taking a deep breath felt like coming home - that the smells seemed familiar and welcoming in an unexpected way, but that more importantly, it served as a way to ease into the trip.

When Tarik, our head Ethiopian guide, picked me up, I instantly knew that Ties had chosen the perfect in-country partner. Tarik is adaptable, friendly with everyone, and goes the extra mile to ensure adoptees and their loved ones are well cared for. Tarik’s presence throughout the trip created a sense of safety and trust that allowed participants to fully immerse themselves in the country, their heritage, and the journey itself. His dedication reminded me why having the right local partner is not just helpful, it is essential to the success and emotional impact of a heritage trip. 

My nerves often still remain until adoptees and loved ones arrive and we hold an orientation meeting. Then things start to click! Our inaugural group was small, with two families totaling twelve participants. This included four adoptees from Ethiopia, an adoptee from Kazakhstan, two sets of parents, a sibling, and one set of grandparents. Smaller groups bring both challenges and beautiful opportunities for deeper individual connections, and we experienced both on the trip. 

Throughout the trip, we saw powerful moments of belonging unfold. While we were out and about, people would often speak to the adoptees in their local language. These small, everyday interactions carried a lot of meaning and often became some of the most memorable parts of the journey. 

It was especially visible one evening in Hawassa, a beautiful lakeside resort town, when a small group of us went for a walk after dinner during the festival of Saint Gabriel. Ethiopia is a deeply Orthodox country, and saint festivals are widely celebrated with large public gatherings. A local church named after Saint Gabriel is a central gathering spot for the holiday and throngs of people come from all over the country to worship together. Two of the adoptees walked slightly in front of the group and blended in naturally in the crowd. I’ve seen adoptees in China, Kazakhstan, Korea, and Guatemala do this same thing. It’s a universal desire for adoptees to “fit in” among people who look like them. It does not always come easily, because many of us grow up navigating different cultural systems than those of our birth countries. During our Connect & Chat* time, we talked about what it’s like to be visibly different in the United States, and how meaningful it was, even briefly, to move through a crowd without standing out. For both adoptees, that experience felt founding and affirming. 

On another day, we visited a coffee farm in the Sidama region, a rural area about an hour from Hawassa known for its superb coffee. The regional guide was able to identify the various regions that the adoptees were from based on physical features and regional characteristics. Ethiopia has many distinct tribal communities with their own traditions and identities that are recognizable to those who know what to look for. Adoptees in the group LOVED being seen as part of their tribal community instantly. Being recognized at a more personal, regional level felt even more meaningful. The warmth they received from people we met along the way mattered not only to them, but also to their loved ones traveling beside them. I think it also speaks to the legacy and impact that this kind of trip has for folks. It’s really meaningful and it’s a joy to be able to experience this alongside these families. 

One of the most impactful moments I’ve experienced on any Ties trip happened when Tarik and I spent a full day with a young Ethiopian adoptee exploring the details surrounding their adoption story. At one point, a former caretaker rushed from her home to see them, filled with emotion and joy. Seeing the adoptee’s smile in that moment is something I will carry with me. Later in the trip, I needed to explore hotel options for the 2026 trip and the adoptee joined me, just so he could see more of his birth country. That one on one time was special and rare, since larger group trips do not always allow for that kind of space. Those shared hours will stay with me for a long time. 

When families plan these kinds of journeys, I’m always struck by how much love and intention surround the process. Adoptees are often supported by loved ones who may or may not travel with them, but who are still actively rooting for them and holding space in meaningful ways throughout the journey. I consistently see loved ones working to center the adoptee’s needs and choices, giving them the freedom to decide what they want to explore and what they would rather not pursue, even when that can be emotionally challenging. On this particular trip to Ethiopia, it was especially powerful to witness how families honored each adoptee’s pace and preferences, supporting them throughout the experience and during their “Uniquely Yours” days, whether that meant participating fully or stepping back when needed.

On these trips, some adoptees discover a deep love for their birth country, while others come away with a renewed appreciation for their adoptive country. Often, it is both. The same can be true in how they hold their connections to birth family and adoptive family, with space for complexity, gratitude, and growth all at once.  

For some, the legacy of the trip is the conviction that they will return one day and build a life there. For others, the legacy lives in the memories they created, the questions they explored, and the connections they strengthened. No two journeys look the same, but each one leaves a meaningful imprint that continues long after the trip ends.

Early Bird Registration for Ethiopian Ties 2026 is now open! Review the itinerary and optional excursions here.

*Connect & Chat is now virtual! Connect & Chat is held monthly for those who have been on a Ties tour, are interested in joining in the future or who just want to be in community with other adoptees and loved ones. Sign up today.

What are a few things that make you you? This could include your interests, passions, personality, or anything you’d like to share.  

I am a foodie and love to try most dishes, although I am not a fan of curry flavor or brussel sprouts. I like to be out and experience life; I constantly look at my schedule to try to fit in meeting up friends or going out wherever there are open slots. I love flying out of town somewhere close but also periodically internationally.

How do you usually describe your adoption story, if at all?

KAD (Korean Adoptee) adopted around 2 years old to a Caucasian couple when they were 21; they were told they could not have children. A-parents were very physically and mentally abusive to myself and the other KAD adopted with me.  The state of Texas took co-KAD when we were 11 years old and I was sent to a Children’s Home when I was 15. In a nutshell, my adoption story was a nightmare.

Before traveling with Ties, how would you describe your relationship to your birth country?

I only very recently started acknowledging South Korea.  Before that, I stayed in a state of denial and told everyone I had zero interest.  Almost two years before the trip, I started extreme binge-watching K-shows and went down the rabbit hole of everything BTS.

What inspired you to join the Ties Program to return to your country of birth? What made you decide this was the right time to travel? 

When I saw TIES was going to organize a group of 50+ aged KADs (First Wave), I was hooked.  As it started getting scheduled, I really liked the idea and the mid-October season was so ideal.  Plus, as I mentioned, my binging of K-shows and BTS really gave me a better sense of the country and people instead of just the ‘wild unknown’.

Was there a moment during the trip that stands out to you most? Please explain. 

I thought the organizers, Tanya and Ben Kaanta, meeting me at 5:30am at the hotel entrance when I arrived was such a poignant moment for me. At that moment, even though I was tired from barely any sleep, I really felt like, ‘wow.  This is going to run way more smoothly than I could have imagined’.

How did it feel returning to your birth country?

At the beginning, I felt strange, awkward, wide-awake, hyper-curious.  It was so hard to soak it all in.  As the tour went on, I was trying hard to remember the rest of the KAD’s names and listening to stories; I was feeling overwhelmed.  I think the travel days by trains and vehicles were amazing because it allowed for us to feel comfortable with each other in ways that were different than in our Meet-Ups and spectating at the different experiences we toured.  At the end of the trip, I was starting to pull back on my level of comfort within the group, as I was mentally preparing to no longer see the rest of the group daily.  I think our pasts growing up KADs likely made this transition almost automatic.

How did being in community with other adoptees shape the journey for you?

This was the only way I wanted to go visit South Korea for the first time.  It was draining mentally with constant thought: where would I have lived growing up here? Where would I have gone to school?  What would I have done for a job? Would I have been able to pass the tests/interviews to get a job at a company? Would have had to travel hours from small farm towns  to work? Would I have wanted to get married, had children? I know KADs understand these thoughts.

How has traveling with the Ties Program changed the way you think about identity, culture, or connection?

I did not care about these things before going to South Korea.  Going back to where my lineage is from, I finally understand why others feel such connections from countries where they are from.  Especially the specific tours - before I never really had an interest going to places like the folk village, or having a traditional instrument lesson, Hanok village, palace grounds, watching comedy performances and listening to the language live.

What is one tip you would share with other adoptees from your birth country on how to have an amazing time in your birth country?

Pick the right group to go with for YOU (whether it be with families or with solo travelers or by age-range) and just go.  Do your research online if you need financial assistance to make this happen.  

What would you say to another adoptee or family considering a heritage journey like this?

Speaking just to other adoptees - do it.  Nothing you read online or hear from another will be able to explain how it will feed your soul.

Every journey begins with a sense of self. To start, we invited Liz to answer a question that opens the door to their story: What are a few things that make you you?

I would describe myself as an avid learner who lives for community building. I grew up in a small city without many people of color, so I felt alienated for much of my childhood. In lieu of community, I pursued knowledge and experience. I tried anything I could, although focusing on the things I thought colleges liked to see, which led to my many interests in adulthood. 

My main areas of interest are East Asian history and culture, volleyball, education, and leadership development. I am a part-time graduate student, working in tech, and volunteering where I can. I love trying new restaurants, attending community events or workshops, or learning and practicing languages.

My communities are very important to me–being able to come together around a shared identity is so enriching. 

How do you usually describe your adoption story, if at all?

I always knew I was adopted. Growing up, it was simply a fact of my life—something I understood on a surface level but hadn’t yet grasped in its full complexity.

That changed in high school. Suddenly, I became acutely aware of the comments:

“Are you an international student?”

“Where are you really from?”

as if being from the United States wasn’t a possibility for someone who looked like me. Random students would call me “Ling Ling,” despite my simple, legal, English name. These moments made me conscious, for the first time, of what it meant to be a transracial adoptee.

Late in high school, I began reflecting on my birth family and how much their absence made my identity feel incomplete, less whole. I took a DNA test, and in the back of my mind, I was always wondering what it would mean to be reunited with them. Coming to terms with my identity became increasingly important to me. In a racialized America, not having those answers left me feeling like I existed in some sort of limbo.

College brought a deeper sense of consciousness. I started examining how the way I was raised shaped who I became. Meeting other adoptees with similar backgrounds—transracial, internationally adopted, and specifically transracial, Chinese adoptees—grounded my experiences in ways I hadn’t expected. For the first time, I felt validated. When I discovered the psychological frameworks researchers and mental health professionals were developing around adoption, I felt seen and heard.

Around this time, I also started hearing stories of more and more Chinese adoptees finding their biological families. I thought: “Why not me?” After college, I intensified my search, pursuing opportunities through nonprofits like The Nanchang Project traveling to China to connect with birth families. And eventually, I found my own, and that’s where my experience with The Ties Program began.

Before traveling with Ties, how would you describe your relationship to your birth country?

Before traveling, I didn’t have a strong impression of China outside of what I saw in C-Dramas that mostly depicted Shanghai and Guangzhou as modern cities and cheesy romance. Aside from that, I only knew about what I read about in historical texts in college and the propaganda and stereotypes perpetuated in western media that I didn’t put much stock into.

What inspired you to join the Ties Program to return to your country of birth? What made you decide this was the right time to travel? 

I began looking at travel groups after I had been digitally reunited with my family and was planning a return trip to meet them. I was going to be traveling with my adoptive parent and knowing there would be a lot of overwhelm and emotions on both ends, I was looking for a way to offload the tedious aspects of planning and scheduling to a third party. Finding Ties was all I could ask for. Run by and for adoptees, they had everything I needed: adoptee centering and community, support for loved ones, and an interesting itinerary that allowed me to travel home to meet my family. I was also lucky to have decided to travel when the 21+ adoptee trip began in the fall/winter which is my preferred seasons of travel!

Was there a moment during the trip that stands out to you most? Please explain.

The moments that stuck out were the casual moments between the scheduled activities. Eating at a small restaurant with just the adoptees, shopping at the mall, taking silly photos all made me feel like a normal Chinese person just hanging out with friends. I couldn’t help but think, “Is this what my life would’ve been like if I hadn’t been taken from my family?” and how it hardly differed from my life in the U.S.

How did it feel returning to your birth country?

It felt like an affirmation: this place is my home too. I love my current city, but I didn’t feel out of place in the various cities in China either. Being a part of the majority, it didn’t feel like the weight of being racialized defined who I was or how I should act. It was like releasing the breath you’ve been holding your entire life. Being back in China, knowing where I came from, gave me a greater sense of confidence, independence, and assuredness in myself that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

How did being in community with other adoptees shape the journey for you? 

Having people who could relate to my life experiences made me feel empowered and affirmed. There may have been things I hesitated to do because I wasn’t sure if I could communicate well or if I was being silly for wanting to try. We could support each other through hard emotions and laugh at our cultural faux pas.

How has traveling with the Ties Program changed the way you think about identity, culture, or connection?

Traveling with the Ties affirmed to me the importance of connection with birth country and how everyone’s relationships to country and adoption are unique. We can all be at different places in our self-discovery but there will always be more to learn about ourselves and our places in the world.

What is one tip you would share with other adoptees from your birth country on how to have an amazing time in your birth country? 

Don’t spend too much time dreaming up specific expectations about how you should or will feel in a specific situation–just be open to the experiences (or foods) that come your way. 

What would you say to another adoptee or family considering a heritage journey like this?

Don’t wait until you think you or your adopted loved one is ready. This isn’t a trip that requires us to be fully realized or healed individuals. The program staff meet you where you’re at and everyone can find something they didn’t know about themselves or their relationship to the adoptee in their lives. Commit to the journey and get your travel documents, the rest will enrich you along the way!

Feeling inspired?

We invite you to explore what a Ties trip might mean for you or your loved ones. Whether you're ready to travel or simply starting to ask the big questions, there's a community here for you.

Learn more about our 2026 China Ties Adult Adoptee Heritage Journey. Request the info packet to explore the itinerary, pricing, and what makes this trip so special.

The current political climate has surfaced a question many of us never expected to ask:
“Am I truly safe here?”

For intercountry adoptees, moments like this—when immigration enforcement is highly visible and emotionally charged—can stir deep uncertainty around safety, belonging, and identity. This isn’t just a political issue; it’s a profoundly personal reckoning with our status as immigrants. Even adoptees who are U.S. citizens may feel impacted, as adoption exists at the intersection of family, borders, and systems that have not always protected us well.

First and foremost: you are not alone. Whatever you’re feeling - anxiety, anger, numbness, confusion - is valid.

Whether you’re preparing for a return trip to your birth country or simply navigating daily life, increased attention on ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) can trigger a real sense of insecurity. At Ties, we are holding space for that anxiety—while also helping turn fear into preparation. Below is what we encourage adoptees to focus on right now.

Know Your Status and Your Documents

Regardless of how confident you feel about your citizenship or legal status, the most important step is eliminating gray areas in your documentation. Many adoptees assume they have citizenship because they were adopted by U.S. citizens, but paperwork gaps, especially from decades ago, can create risk.

The “Travel Pack”
If you are traveling—or living in a high-enforcement area—we recommend keeping a digital and physical folder of essential documents. Ties has compiled checklists and can connect adoptees with immigration attorneys who specialize in citizenship-for-adoptee cases.

If you are unsure about your status, connecting with an immigration attorney experienced in adoptee cases can bring clarity and peace of mind. Two widely respected, adoptee-centered resources include:

• Adoptee United – A national organization advocating for citizenship, legal protections, and rights for intercountry adoptees

• Adoptee Rights Law Center, founded by Gregory Luce – A law firm focused specifically on adoptee citizenship, documentation, and legal status

  • The Citizenship Clinic: Adoptees United’s Citizenship Clinic assists intercountry adopted people with US citizenship or immigration issues. The clinic’s services include legal screenings, consultation and advice about legal options, and legal representation to secure a Certificate of Citizenship or, if needed, a Certificate of Naturalization.

We also encourage you to read our blog, “Is Your Citizenship Status Correct?”, which outlines what every adoptee should be doing to ensure their documentation is accurate and complete.

Stay Informed and Stay Connected

Staying aware of what’s happening matters, but so does protecting your mental health. Being informed should empower you, not paralyze you.

We encourage adoptees to:

• Choose trusted, reliable sources of information

• Limit doom-scrolling and constant exposure to distressing news

• Step away when information becomes overwhelming or triggering

• Do not post or write/document your immigration status on public spaces, forums or social media if you have questions or unknowns about the status of your citizenship.

At the same time, lean into community. Adoptee spaces, whether online or in person, can be deeply grounding during uncertain times. Shared experiences remind us that we don’t have to carry this alone.

It’s okay to reach out to:

• Fellow adoptees

• Therapists familiar with adoption and identity

• Community-based organizations and support networks

Seeking connection and support is not a weakness—it’s a resource.

What to Know as an Adoptee (Without Panic)

It’s understandable that the visibility of ICE and immigration enforcement can feel especially unsettling for adoptees, whose identities and legal histories may already feel layered or complex. Regardless of citizenship status, the U.S. Constitution grants certain rights to everyone on U.S. soil. 

• Right to Remain Silent

  You do not have to answer questions about:

  • Your immigration status

  • Where you were born

  • How you entered the country

  If asked questions, you can respectfully say:

  “I am exercising my right to remain silent.”

• Right to Refuse a Search

  You do not have to consent to a search of your person or belongings without a judicial warrant (a warrant signed by a judge). This includes:

  • Search your home

  • Search your belongings

  • Search your phone

  If there is no warrant, you do NOT have to open your door, you can say:

  “I do not consent to this search.” AND/OR “Please slip the warrant under the door.”

• Right to Ask for a Lawyer

  This applies to all encounters with law enforcement or ICE.

  • Do not sign documents without a lawyer present.

  You can say:

  “I want to speak to a lawyer before answering any questions.”

  If you do not already have an attorney, it’s important to know where to find reliable legal support. The Immigration Advocates Network Legal Directory is a national, nonprofit search tool that can help you locate free or low-cost immigration legal services in your area. You can filter by location, language, legal issue, and fee type to find attorneys or organizations equipped to assist with citizenship, documentation, or other immigration-related concerns.

Know Your Rights Red Card

If you are concerned about potential interactions with law enforcement or ICE, the ILRC’s Red Card is a practical tool you can carry with you. A Red Card is a one-page, pocket-sized summary of your rights and key phrases to use during encounters with police, ICE, or other authorities. It’s available in multiple languages and can help you remember what to say and what to politely refuse if needed.

Learn more and download a Red Card here: ILRC Red Cards

Additional Resources:

• Through Peace: Immigrant Rights Resources offers free, multilingual “Know Your Rights” booklets and clear guidance for immigrants navigating enforcement encounters. These resources are designed to be accessible, easy to understand, and empowering, giving you the information you need to act confidently and safely.

• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) – Know Your Rights page. ILRC is a trusted, nationally recognized legal organization, and their materials offer clear, plain-language explanations of individual rights during encounters with law enforcement or ICE. Their resources are widely used by legal advocates and community organizations and are designed to be practical, accurate, and accessible.

• Know Your Rights For Immigrants App, provided by NAKASEC Empower yourself to know your rights with the Know Your Rights Immigrant App. Use this App to prepare, learn and respond if you are at risk of being detained. 

Apple:   https://apps.apple.com/us/app/know-your-rights-4-immigrants/id6740367633

Google Play:   https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nakasec.chunk  

What to Do If You Are Approached by/Encounter ICE or Law Enforcement

In Public

• Take a breath and remain calm

• You do not need to argue, explain yourself, or volunteer information

• Do not lie or present false documents

You may calmly ask:

“Am I free to go?”

• If the answer is yes, you may leave calmly and without further conversation

• If the answer is no, you may remain silent

If you are asked questions:

• You do not have to answer questions about your birthplace, immigration status, or travel history

  You may say:
  
  “I am exercising my right to remain silent.”

If they ask for documents:

• You can show identification if you choose. If you are a U.S. citizen, you may state that calmly—but you are not required to engage further.

You do not have to volunteer additional information

If they try to question you further, you may repeat:

“I wish to remain silent and speak to a lawyer.”

In Your Home

• Stay calm and do not open the door

• Ask to see a signed judicial warrant.

  You may say:

“Please slip the warrant under the door”
or
“Please hold the warrant up to a window.”

If they do not have a signed judicial warrant:

• You may refuse entry

• You are not required to open the door

If they do have a valid warrant:

• Do not physically block entry

• Remain calm and avoid confrontation

If you are able to do so safely, try to document:

• The time and date

• Names or badge numbers (if visible)

• The agency involved

What to Do If You Witness ICE or Enforcement Activity

Being a “connector” means looking out for our broader community.

• Observe from a safe distance

• If you choose to document:

• Film from a safe distance

• Do not touch or block anything

• Record:

• Date & time

• Location

• Agency name

• Badge numbers if visible

• Vehicle license plates

Your First Amendment right protects your ability to observe and record in public so long as you do not interfere with law enforcement activity.

If you feel comfortable and it is safe to do so, you may also share general, non-identifying information about enforcement activity through tools like ICE Map (icemap.dev). This independently developed, community-sourced map helps track reported ICE activity across the U.S. and can be useful for understanding broader enforcement patterns. It is not an official government tool and should be used for awareness—not real-time intervention.

Once officers leave:

• Check if anyone needs support

• Offer trusted legal contacts or local rapid response networks

• Share documentation with legal advocates if appropriate

• If someone is detained or taken into custody, you can use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) to check on their location and connect them with legal resources.

If You Encounter ICE or Law Enforcement While Traveling or Returning from Abroad

Many adoptees are U.S. citizens, but some may have documentation gaps — especially if adopted before 2001.

Before You Travel

• Confirm your citizenship status

• Check that your passport and Certificate of Citizenship/Naturalization are current

• Keep physical and digital copies of:

• Passport

• Certificate of Citizenship

• Adoption decree

• Naturalization records

• Any immigration paperwork

You can contact immigration lawyers experienced with adoptee status — such as those at the Adoptee Rights Law Center or organizations like Adoptee United — for a pre-travel documentation review.

For Adoptees: A Gentle Reminder

Many adoptees carry layered trauma related to displacement, authority, and belonging. Encounters—or even the thought of encounters—with enforcement systems can activate those wounds.

Please remember:

• Feeling triggered does not mean you are weak

• Preparing does not mean you expect the worst

• Seeking clarity is an act of self-care

Grounding practices that help many adoptees:

• Prepare your documentation ahead of time

• Talk with trusted friends, mentors, or a therapist

• Join adoptee community groups for support

• Limit exposure to stressful news and social media

• Find activities that help ground you, whether exercise, crafting, journaling, reading, yoga, meditation

You deserve to feel safe, informed, and supported—wherever you are in your adoptee journey. Preparation is not expecting the worst — it is building confidence and agency.

Moving Forward, Together - You Are Not Alone

This moment calls for grounded awareness, not fear. Preparation without panic. Community without overwhelm.

If you’re unsure where to begin, start small:

• Check your citizenship status

• Locate and copy your key documents

• Save trusted legal contacts

• Practice how you would respond in a calm, privacy-preserving way

• Build a support network of people you trust

Your safety matters. Your identity matters. Your peace of mind matters.

This is a moment to be prepared, grounded, and connected, not to live in fear. If you ever feel unsure about your rights, documentation, or legal status, reach out to trusted adoptee legal advocates and communities.

You belong here.

* Certificate of Citizenship - Child Citizenship Act of 2000, effect Feb. 27, 2001, granted automatic citizenship to most foreign born children adopted by US citizens if they were under 18, or born after Feb. 28, 1983. These adoptees were and are eligible for the Certificate of Citizenship. Adoptees born before 1983 or who didn’t automatically receive citizenship must have acquired citizenship through the naturalization process, and would then receive the Certificate of Naturalization. If adoptees were born before 1983, and their parents never applied for citizenship, it’s possible they never received citizenship, as the Act is not retroactive for adoptees born before Feb. 28, 1983.

These year-end reflections are usually about celebration, about growth, transformation, and the reasons we do this work. And yes, there was all of that in 2025. But if I’m being honest, this year was exhausting, and I’m not sad to see it go.

Still, I’m a romantic at heart. And like the stories I love, this one has a hopeful ending, not because the year was easy, but because of the resilience I witnessed across the adoption community. Adoptees, first and birth families, and loved ones showed up with courage, even when the weight felt unbearable. We’re still here. Still questioning. Still healing. That matters.

The exhaustion of 2025 became the groundwork for action. And 2026? That’s where we shift from reaction to resolution.

Let’s recap, shall we?

The Political Climate and the Cost of Fear

The new administration's policies on international travel and immigration have significantly impacted the perceived safety of immigrants, a category that includes adoptees. For many, these policy shifts created a deep sense of uncertainty and vulnerability, particularly for those whose identities and legal statuses have long existed in complex systems. These new policies immediately caused a noticeable drop in interest for Ties’ travel programs, as families expressed paralyzing fear regarding re-entry, detainment, and necessary documentation.

While Ties has had no incidents of US entry issues following a trip, it cannot offer guarantees, leading many families to postpone their 2025/2026 travels. In response, Ties has pivoted to become a critical resource by compiling essential information, connecting families with immigration lawyers specializing in citizenship-for-adoptee cases, and hosting and/or sharing adoptee-led conversations on rights and documentation. Our team is committed to holding space for this anxiety, turning fear into informed action, and reinforcing its dedication to serving the community through the complex process of heritage travel. Through this work, Ties continues to prioritize safety, transparency, and trust, ensuring that adoptees and their loved ones are supported not only in travel but in navigating the broader realities that shape adoptee lives.

The Uncomfortable Truth: Adoption's Reckoning

The year 2025 was indelibly marked by a community-wide conversation of Truth and Reconciliation. Intercountry adoption is not all rainbows and unicorns. The Frontline documentary South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning came out in September of 2024, and organizations and governments across the globe have taken 2025 to respond to its allegations of fraud and abuse in South Korea’s foreign adoption policies, Ties included.

The documentary, a collaboration between the Associated Press and Frontline, examined allegations of corruption throughout South Korea’s 70+ years of intercountry adoption policies and the resulting economy. The documentary was a catalyst, bringing academic and advocacy truths to a mainstream audience. What academics and advocates have known for over 25 years, that corruption emerges when social structures fail to protect the vulnerable and profit enters the picture, was finally brought into public view. While not all adoptions were corrupt, corruption did exist in all countries. We also know trauma occurs when children are separated from their first/birth families, regardless of how loving the adoptive family is. Add to this the reality that many parents were ill-equipped to support the trauma adoptees carried, and that some experiences included abuse. The reality of intercountry adoption and the sheer weight of this reckoning cannot be overstated. It is a necessary, painful process that demands honesty from every facet of the adoption constellation because adoptees continue to carry the burden of this trauma, especially the burden of often navigating personal journeys of identity exploration and healing on their own.

In response, Ties helped create intentional space for the community to process this moment. In collaboration with Adoption Mosaic, I am Adoptee, and KAAN (Korean American Adoptee Network),  by hosting webinar sessions to help the community have a place to process, respond, and connect. There were three sessions: Fishbowl, Adoptees Only, and Loved Ones. Each session was created to allow space for the adoptees to process, connect, and reflect. The first session was with the reporters from the Associated Press, where the community was allowed to ask questions, engage with the facts presented and understand the journalist's intent. The second session was for adoptees only - a sanctuary where adoptees could express raw, unfiltered pain, frustration, and anger - a space for validation, and acknowledgement of trauma and loss in intercountry adoption. The third session was for adoptees and loved ones - adoptees in their own session and loved ones in another - which allowed for mediated, expertly guided environments for all members of the adoption constellation.

These spaces for reflection are a cornerstone of our mission, offering time to celebrate our origins and mourn the cultural loss inherent in intercountry adoption. They are safe spaces for adoptees to share emotions without having to manage the feelings of non-adoptees, and for loved ones to connect with each other.

New Programs for Ties

In 2025, we traveled together to India, China, Guatemala, Korea, Kazakhstan, and Colombia. We had our first-ever adult program for Korean adoptees in their 50s, as well as a program for adult Chinese adoptees aged 21+. Last but not least, we had our inaugural program in Ethiopia. Each program reflected our continued commitment to meeting adoptees where they are and honoring their stories.

To truly serve our community, we continue to evolve our program with intention, focusing on depth, specialized support, and adoptee-centered care. Three  programs, in particular, stand out for their profound impact and forward-looking vision:

• Korean Ties First Wave: This program is specifically designed for our First Wave of adoptees from Korea aged 50 and older, a cohort that faced unique challenges as the pioneers of intercountry adoption. Their parents were often taught assimilation, and narratives about their birth country were frequently narrow and ignorant. Therefore, providing this opportunity to return to Korea and instill a sense of cultural pride is not only imperative but also personally meaningful to me, as I am one of those adoptees. The inaugural program included 11 participants and 3 staff—2 Korean adoptees and 1 spouse of a first waver—and marked our first experience with file reviews through the NCRC (following the transfer of all files from adoption agencies to the National Center for the Rights of Children).

• Language at the Lake: A new program designed for any adoptee and their loved ones interested in learning Spanish in Guatemala. Open to all adoptees from any country - including domestic adoptees - you’ll spend time on Lake Antigua, immersing yourselves in the language, and enjoying the beauty and authentic tastes of Guatemala.

• China 21+: Our inaugural China Ties 21+ trip marked a deeply meaningful milestone for Ties and the adult Chinese adoptee community. This program welcomed both solo adoptees and those traveling alongside loved ones, honoring the many ways adults choose to return to their country of birth. For many participants, this was the first time returning to China on their own terms and within a space designed specifically for adult adoptees. The trip honored the reality that identity exploration does not have an expiration date, and that readiness may often come later in life. This program mattered because it centered adoptee autonomy, made room for complexity without pressure or expectation, and recognized that return can be about witnessing, feeling, and understanding just as much as it is about searching for answers. 

As one organization among many, Ties strives to provide a community for healing and conversations around topics that challenge the simplified narrative that adoption is all good. Our programs offer adoptees a critical opportunity to explore the identity—the connection to their birth/first country, language, family, and ceremonies, smells, tastes, images—that was removed without their consent. It is a journey to experience belonging and to feel affirmed in one’s identity. Of fitting in and not having to question or question as much as you want.

Traveling in community with others on a similar journey builds confidence and offers a deep sense of peace. That is the beauty we promise to continue in 2026.

Appearances

Beyond our travel programs, Ties has made a concerted effort to bring awareness and advocacy to the fore through other avenues. 

Podcasts: In the spring, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Simon Benn and discussing adoption and healing on his podcast, Thriving Adoptees. Our conversation centered around how adoption is indeed a part of our adoption story, but it’s not the only ingredient. Healing, at least for me, involves recognizing and understanding the trauma and then addressing the foundations of the trauma. I hope the podcast helps other adoptees find connection and know they have support as we navigate our own journeys of understanding identity and healing. Read our collaborative blog post here.

Conferences and Heritage Camps: We were busy connecting with other adoptee individuals and organizations across the country. Listed below are some of the places we visited: 

Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York
Korean American Adoptee Network
BIPOC Adoptee Network Conference
Families Rising National Conference
Korean Heritage Camp
Latin American Heritage Camp
Summer Adoption Research Institute - UMass Amherst

• One of our Program Managers, Liz Kwon, represented Ties at the BIPOC Adoptee conference, as we collaborated with AireRoots and Adoption Mosaic, hosting a happy hour and a dessert social for adoptees attending the conference. This collaboration allowed us to provide spaces for the adoptee community to unwind and connect. Two Ties alumni from our India Ties 2024-2025 program also joined us. 

• Meanwhile, Sarah Kurtzahn and I attended the Summer Adoption Research Institute of the Rudd Adoption Research Program for the first week in August, learning about the new trends in adoption research, while presenting a poster on adoption identity formation. A non-linear model developed from my doctoral research 17 years ago, which we will be submitting for publication later this year. Read our reflections from the conference here and here.

• We welcomed special guest speakers, including:
  - Dr. Amanda Baden conducted a 2-part workshop on Parenting 101
  - Dr. Sara Docan-Morgan presented on Birth search and reunion
  - Cam Lee Small presented a webinar on his experience returning to Korea

Collaboration is a cornerstone of our work at Ties, vital for both educating ourselves and supporting our community. By partnering with adoptee-led organizations, thought leaders, and advocacy groups, we create meaningful avenues to deepen our understanding of adoption, heritage, and identity. These connections allow our community to explore complex questions, gain nuanced perspectives, and build a framework for processing difficult experiences. Perhaps most importantly, collaboration offers the permission and support to sit with the unknown—whether it's uncertainty about identity, unanswered questions about birth families, or navigating the complexities of heritage travel—cultivating a necessary sense of peace, resilience, and shared understanding along the way. We are not alone, and we are stronger together.

Let’s Talk Resources

Looking ahead, I hope to make 2026 a year of awareness and abundance. While travel expenses are a reality, Ties does not currently receive government or institutional funding, which prevents us from fully subsidizing program costs. Moreover, we remain committed to working with vendors in-country that also pay livable wages to their staff. However, we believe 2026 must mark a fundamental change, as we are determined to secure the necessary funding to make these essential journeys more affordable and reduce barriers for adoptees to return to their birth country. 

This commitment is driven by the conviction that the moral compass of the adoption industry requires a dramatic realignment because every adoptee deserves the right to return to their birth country without finances being the main barrier. Substantial funding exists to facilitate adoption, yet almost none is available to help an adoptee return to their country of birth. We assert that if an organization profits from the separation of an adoptee from their country of birth, it bears a moral obligation to fund the adoptee’s reconnection. Therefore, we are actively seeking grants and major philanthropic support to directly subsidize an adoptee’s journey back to their birth country. 

The true value of Ties lies in the emotional support and expertise we provide. Recognizing that heritage travel is emotionally intense, our approach ensures comprehensive support at every stage from an adoption-competent team — before, during, and after the program. This care begins with pre-trip sessions to prepare adoptees and their loved ones, is sustained by on-the-ground, adoption-competent team members who facilitate emotional discussions and guidance throughout the journey, and extends well beyond the trip's end with post-trip care, resources, and options for continual engagement, including monthly chats. This exceptional level of care is a defining feature of a Ties trip, reflecting our belief that every participant deserves to be fully supported. The Ties Program itself embodies the adoption constellation: we are the adoptees, partners, siblings, and loved ones guiding participants with understanding, empathy, and lived experience.

And so, we say goodbye to 2025. We release the fear of travel and the fear of scarcity, and open ourselves to the abundance of 2026—a year for exploration, connection, bonds, and fulfilling the deep human desire for belonging.

We kick off 2026 with a renewed sense of determination, compassion, and sense of renewed hope. Here is a look at what’s ahead:

• February: Kolkata, India

• March: Korea

• Summer Trips: Korea, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, China, and Paraguay

• Fall: 21+ for China and Korea (Korea to land just before IKAA).

• August: Our first and most likely only Moldova

• December: Vietnam, Ethiopia

And so, 2026, I greet you with open arms. I’m ready for a shift in energy. A shift in perspective. From fear and anger to determination and service. For my fellow adoptees. This year is for you. Who will join me?

Just after the start of Korean Ties First Wave, I walked with some adoptees to the police station to drop off DNA samples. Like a lot of things in Korea, there are forms that need to be filled out before anything can happen. As I sat there with the adoptees, the police officer pointed out where to fill out names, addresses, check boxes, and to sign. I asked, “How many matches were there last year?”

The police officer replied, “two.”

As many Korean adoptees know, the Korean government now holds all of our adoption records. Instead of adoptees going to each respective agency, they now have to contact NCRC directly - fill out forms on both the English and Korean site - and essentially wait to hear back. NCRC will also issue DNA and F4 certificates - something that used to be handled by the Korean agency (Holt, Eastern, SWS or KWS) and send out the three postcards to your birth parent(s) if you want to initiate a reunion. 

When Ties first announced the First Wave tour, we knew the file transfer between the adoption agencies and the government would be rough. We also had no idea what to expect, exactly: the information NCRC put out made sense to them but did not make sense to adoptees. And once you tried to access the site, it wasn’t clear what to do. Tanya, the owner of Ties, had to personally dissect the information herself and distribute it to the adoptees on our tour so it would make sense for those who wanted to complete a file review.

Despite Tanya’s help, the adoptees had to submit their information two or three times minimum, before NCRC could find the request. After the request was found, there was more bureaucracy and hoops - requests need to be reviewed before NCRC will allow the adoptee to move forward with anything. At the end of the day, file reviews were completed but for some, the process was too frustrating and the request was abandoned.

Still, there were enough adoptees who wanted to do a file review for half of the day to be blocked off. I joined the adoptees in the room at NCRC as a Ties representative for emotional support to the adoptee traveling with us - to help ask questions and to advocate for the adoptee based on their story. In addition, a G.O.A.’L. case worker joined each of the reviews as they were able to touch the files directly, reading and interpreting the files alongside the NCRC representative. I believe that the adoptees would have been allowed a secondary person in the room beyond our Ties staff, such as a translator or Korean national they trusted, however, every NCRC staff member I interacted with had a good command of English.

The reviews I sat in did not garner very much new news - there were a couple of new documents that the agencies had not disclosed that the NCRC representative showed the adoptees but they did not have anything actionable on them. The adoptees also received a copy of their file, minus any sensitive information - there is the Korean privacy law that takes precedence and even applies to adoptee’s adoptive parents’ information. The reviews that Tanya sat in gleaned more information, enough that an impromptu search day was arranged for one adoptee as well as a document being found at the local government that never made it to the central government for another adoptee. 

The process with NCRC definitely still has some roadblocks - the website that adoptees have to use is clunky and having to switch to the Korean site to make an appointment is not clear. Additionally, once on the Korean site, the dates were wrong because time zone differences weren’t taken into account. Having adoptees submit their information over and over because it cannot be found is another concern - at the time of our tour, there was no way to really tell if your information was received on both sides. Ties had the help of G.O.A.’L for the file reviews because we were a group - something that the NCRC didn’t seem to understand or be willing to accommodate at first. And, as always, it seems that the file review will entirely depend on who reviews it with you. Just like there were more empathetic social workers than some at the agencies, the same applies to NCRC. Fortunately the NCRC employees I interacted with seemed to want to help as much as they could without getting fired - however, there are still limitations: for one adoptee, the name of their parent was in the file (but not their ID number) and NCRC said they did not have the manpower to conduct a search.

That adoptee left the NCRC in tears and chose to spend the rest of the day alone - something that is completely understandable and acceptable. There is nothing like learning you can have so much more if only the person or entity who holds all the cards would be willing to fight for you: your human rights, your dignity, your past, and your future. If only everyone who was in a position to help us was like the orphanage representative in Mokpo - wanting answers as much as adoptees. 

Ties offers three heritage tours to Korea - Korean Ties (all ages), Korean Ties 21+ and Korean Ties First Wave (ages 50+). View our heritage tour page to learn more or sign up for more information here.

Want to ask questions about the process in person? Join Ties and G.O.A.’L. for our presentation, Finding Roots and Finding Files at KAAN 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Follow wearekaan.org for registration information.

The Friday before Korean Ties First Wave officially started, I found myself trying to convince a translator that 20 minutes was more than enough time to go get a toast (a breakfast sandwhich with egg, ham, veggies and a gochu-based sauce) and coffee and still make the KTX train bound for Mokpo. When the train pulled away from Seoul station, myself and fellow adoptee, Sara, were already halfway through our toasts.

View from the KTX train on the way to Mokpo.

The train to Mokpo was as uneventful as any other train ride across the country: we chatted, scrolled on our phones, and enjoyed the scenery outside. Once in Mokpo, the smell of the ocean was immediate: rolling softly through the area as we went to a café to grab some pastries for the orphanage workers. I’ve come to find that bringing pastries and coffee to the orphanage and agency workers is normal and almost expected, although no one who receives the food ever lets on that they knew it was coming.

A 20 minute taxi ride brought us to the orphanage, a visit that the translator had arranged earlier in the year. She had already been to Mokpo to look through the police records and didn’t find anything on Sara. Visiting the orphanage, completing a DNA test, doing a file review with NCRC, and making a plea on national television was all on the Sara’s agenda for this trip - something that is a lot to do alone, which is part of the reason why I told Sara that if she needed support, I was happy to accompany her. It is important for adoptees to have someone in their corner to hold space for them while the other people in the room are focused on other things.

The room where the orphanage completed the file review wasn’t private but the rest of the employees didn’t let on they could hear us even though I am sure some of them were eavesdropping. The orphanage representative brought out several binders arranged by year with dark, aged papers that indicated children who were dropped off or found. One binder was for children that were found and then later returned to their families who came to pick them up - names, ages, and identifying information laid out neatly on the pages. The other was a binder that had children that were dropped off or found and no family ever came forward to collect the child. Both of the binders for the year that Sara was found were roughly the same size in thickness, with the unidentified children’s binder being slightly bigger.

The binder of unidentified children that were adopted out. We were given permission to film at the orphanage.

It is interesting to sit in file review meetings and realize that some parents a) didn’t want to be found and b) weren’t expecting to be found. I speculated that since Sara was brought directly to Mokpo City Hall during the day and in the winter, that whomever dropped her off knew who she was. There was no note left but her birth date was written down as “certain.” We all went back and forth on this for awhile - unfortunately with so few clues often the beginning part of an adoptee’s life is all speculation - but with the date being left at City Hall being in December, during the week in the morning just after opening, it made sense that the family member talked directly to a city hall employee and that employee honored the family member’s wishes and did not log any record of family name other than Sara’s own. The orphanage representative - who appeared to be slightly older than us - apologized several times for not having more information: back then, they did not know that it would be important to keep good records. Now, they make sure to take as much information as possible on the child because they realize that the more information is given, the better.

During the file review, a camera crew walked in and started setting up without so much as a hello. The staff at the orphanage pushed them out until the file review was complete and then allowed the crew back in to film. It was jarring how quick it was. The journalist introduced herself, asked a few questions while the film crew moved about the room and then it was over. It took maybe 5 minutes total for the piece to be filmed.

Sara’s news segment requesting her birth family to contact her. Shared here with Sara’s permission.

Leaving the orphanage, it was very clear that the representative wanted to provide better news to Sara. It’s possible that there are very few adoptees who are reunited in Mokpo - the port city was very poor and in some parts, remains almost unchanged. The islands that dot the area are full of fishermen and their families; finding someone who left little information would require going to every single habitable island off the city as well as the city itself. There are more than 100 islands to traverse - a feat that would take more money and time than adoptees have. And as adoptees get older, the chances of finding a relative who is alive or a neighbor who is willing to talk, dwindles down to the tiniest atom. 

As we pulled away in the car to our next destination, we waved at the orphanage representative - the one who went so diligently over Sara’s file with us - crying next to her boss, who squeezed her shoulder in comfort. It’s people like her who want so desperately to help but can’t, that adoptees need to cherish.

Ties offers three heritage tours to Korea - Korean Ties (all ages), Korean Ties 21+ and Korean Ties First Wave (ages 50+). View our heritage tour page to learn more or sign up for more information here.

About the trip: Guatemalan Ties Language at the Lake invites adoptees and loved ones to slow down, connect, and experience Guatemala in a warm, authentic way. Set along the stunning shores of Lake Atitlán in San Pedro La Laguna, this program blends meaningful Spanish learning with cultural exploration and community connection. Each day offers something memorable: morning language lessons, afternoons exploring local markets and Tz'utujil traditions, and peaceful moments by the lake. It is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with Guatemala, build community, and feel truly welcomed into the heart of this vibrant lakeside town.

Who’s the trip for? After we launched our Service & Language program one of the most common comments we got from loved ones was, “Wait, I want to take language classes too!” And adoptees (especially those over 25 years old) remarked, “I’d love to do a program with my spouse/parent/friend/sibling.” And we said, “Okay, we can make that happen!”

Adoptees and loved ones (up to 30 participants) can participate. Loved ones can even participate without adoptees, if that’s something they want to. Adoptees (and their loved ones) do not have to be from Guatemala, but everyone should have an interest in exploring Guatemala and learning Spanish (Tz'utujil classes are available for those who are fluent in Spanish, at an additional cost). The program is best for able-bodied participants as the roads and paths in San Pedro can be a challenge, even for active individuals. If you’ve been to San Juan, remember that hill from the boat dock up the hill? Some of the hills in San Pedro laugh at that hill, so be prepared to walk up AND down lots of hills if you join this trip. And you know what hills mean? Houses built on hills and steps!

Why San Pedro la Laguna? We’ve long been asked to expand our programming on Lake Atitlan. After reviewing the range of language school options on the lake, we found Cooperativa Spanish School in San Pedro La Laguna (San Pedro) as the best option. This summer our staff and two former Ties and Service & Language participants visited San Pedro and fell in love with the town of approximately 11,000 people. San Pedro is traditionally inhabited by the Tz'utujil people, with over 90% of the population identifying as indigenous. San Pedro maintains the authenticity of a Guatemalan village along the lake while welcoming students for Spanish language schools and proximity to the lake and volcanoes. If you’ve been to Panajachel or San Juan on our trips, San Pedro is less touristy than both of these towns. San Pedro sits on a plateau with steep roads and paths running down either side of the ridge towards docks on the lakeshore. The east side is also home to la playa (the beach) where people enjoy snorkeling, canoeing, and kayaking.

When is the trip? December 26, 2026 - January 3, 2027, with a possible extension in Antigua from January 3 - 6, 2027. 

Why December and January? We already have two programs that run in Guatemala in the summer and we often get asked to provide more trips throughout the year. The week after Christmas works well for many young adult adoptees and their work schedules, as many have some time off then, or find it easier to get time off. The trip is a week long to accommodate busy schedules of adult adoptees and their loved ones.

Where will participants stay? San Pedro is a small town with limited accommodation options, therefore, the whole town will be welcoming us! This allows us to provide a range of options to participants including homestays (which include most meals), hotels (three star, which includes breakfasts, and private homes (meals not included). The program price includes a homestay, hotels and private homes are additional fees. To get the most out of the program, we recommend staying in a homestay. Local families host two to three participants. We’ll do our best to ensure that families are located at the same homestay but larger groups may need to divide between several.

I want to reconnect with birth or foster family on this trip, is that possible? Reconnections can occur in Guatemala City on Dec 26 in the morning or during the extension in Antigua from Jan 3 - 6. We may also be able to arrange reconnection visits at the lake. You’ll work with our Guatemala Program Manager Rebecca Blessing to determine the best options for you, those you are wanting to connect with, and the searchers/translators.

I want more info! Great, request our information packet. Still have questions? Reach out to Rebecca. 

Sign me up! Even better, register here. Receive $200 early bird discount until March 30, 2026

Check out Ties’ other trips to Guatemala here.

Introduce yourself to the Ties community! What is your name and what country were you adopted from? What are things that make you unique? What are your interests? When did you travel with Ties?

Hi Ties Community, my name is Gabby Mendez and I was adopted from the beautiful country of Guatemala. I was raised in the Bay Area and am currently a third year student at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I’m a Political Science and Sociology major with a minor in Legal Humanities in hopes of going to law school. Some of my interests include watching and playing sports, going to the beach, and traveling the world. I was fortunate enough to travel with the Ties Program in 2023 and visit my home country for the first time since being adopted. I also was a part of the first group to experience the Guatemalan Ties: Service and Language Program.

Prior to going to your country of birth, how did you feel about visiting your birth country while having inaccuracies in your adoption records? Once you were in your country of birth, how did your experience differ from what you were expecting?

Prior to visiting my birth country, I felt that I had so many unanswered questions about myself, my biological parents and even just the culture of Guatemala. I feel like I hardly knew anything about my culture and Guatemalan people. But I also think that there was a part of me that was scared of knowing prior to visiting because I never wanted to see my country in any negative way. When I was fortunate enough to visit Guatemala in 2023, after 3 years of waiting due to Covid-19, I felt a sense of clarity to an extent which I don’t think I expected. While it was difficult to know that I didn’t have any family to visit or to meet, I still felt so connected to the culture of Guatemala. It felt like I was seeing a part of myself that I had never known before, and it felt amazing to experience that with my parents who have raised me to be the person I am today.

When other adoptees on the tour were reconnecting with their birth family, did that impact your experience? What is one piece of advice that you would give to other adoptees with inaccurate records who are traveling with adoptees who are reconnecting?

At first, it was hard to watch and hear about the other adoptees on the trip meeting their birth family. However, the support and love that my parents gave me helped me so much. They never forced me to talk about it but also created an environment where I knew I could talk about it if I needed. [The tour] made me appreciate the fact I was able to immerse myself into my culture and see the beauty of my birth country. The only way I could describe my experience was grieving someone I didn’t know. But some advice I would give is, don’t let this one piece of you stop you from learning about the other parts of you. Everyone's experience is different and I truly believe that the more you give this trip a chance, the more you’ll get out of it. The Ties Program is truly a life changing program and has helped me meet some amazing people and help me connect to my culture more than I thought I could.

What was the most meaningful part of your trip to your birth country?

I think the most meaningful part of my experience was meeting people with the same background as me. I’ve never really had anyone in my life that has a similar background of being adopted, let alone from Guatemala. Having people around my age that also had the experience of being adopted made me feel so understood and I felt like we were able to connect about similar things even though we all grew up differently. It made the trip more special to be surrounded with people experiencing Guatemala for the first time as well. To know that I wasn’t the only one experiencing the culture of Guatemala for the first time made me feel so much better and really helped me gain life-long friends.

Since visiting your birth country, do you find yourself taking on aspects of your birth culture in everyday life?

Ever since I traveled to my birth country, I’ve been fortunate enough to take more academic classes about Guatemala that helped me dive into the culture more and learn more about Guatemalan history. As a political science major at my college, understanding the political science of Guatemala has always been interesting to me. When I first traveled back with the Ties Program, it just happened to be during the presidential election which was such a good experience to see. I have found myself more interested in learning about Guatemalan culture and want to make more traditional Guatemalan dishes to immerse myself in my culture even more.

What is one tip you would share with other adoptees from your birth country on how to have an amazing time in your birth country?

I would say, take every opportunity that is given to you. Traveling back to my home country was such an amazing experience and I feel like I truly got so much out of traveling back because I immersed myself into the culture. While I didn’t get all the answers I wanted to get when I went back, I was still able to get so much out of my trip. It’s much easier said than done, but if you give it a chance and don’t dwell on things you cannot control, you’ll have an amazing time and meet amazing people.