Filipino Ties - Culture, Travel, Adoption & Identity

22/12/2023

Did you know you can donate to help international adoptees visit their birth countries?

Gift of Identity (http://gift-of-identity.org) provides grants up to $3000 per adoptee to international adoptees visiting their birth country via our Flagship, Lite or Next Gen programs.

GIFT pays out no salaries whatsoever and 99.9% of all money donated goes directly to the adopted person. We buy a stamp here in there and pay for the GIFT website but that is it. If you want to donate and you want to make sure that it’s going to the people who need it please donate to the Gift of Identity.

03/11/2023

17/10/2023

This survey takes 5 minutes and will help a student research the experiences of Filipino Adoptees. Thank you!!

02/10/2023

28/09/2023

For adoptees, our lives don’t begin at placement- our lives begin in utero/at birth. However too often I work with adoptees who were raised in spaces that only fully honor the parts that include adoptive family, seemingly forgetting whole chapters that influenced & impacted our worldviews and challenged our senses of safety.
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“She never had a family until us.”
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“He couldn’t miss birth family, he’s never met them.”
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“You’re being too sensitive, not everything is about adoption.”
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These are examples of phrases- that I have repeatedly heard over the years, that are forgetting the chapters before adoption. These are the phrases that ignore implicit memory, that are rigid rather than curious. These are the phrases that forget we must be looking at adopted children and their experiences through the lens of grief & loss.
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How might our perspective shift about big, challenging behavior , big complicated feelings, struggling to find identity,
High risk behaviors, search & reunion, and other big topics if we were to slow things down and get curious about grief and how it bubbles under the surface - a key factor in all of these.
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For many adoptees, this grief is some of the biggest to hit the system. Often occurring in the most vulnerable developmental stages, which also means it’s occurring in preverbal, pre- explicit memory making phases. How (understandably so) disorienting. We cannot underestimate the impact this has.
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Of course things feel hard when you have lost so much. Of course things feel isolating when there are no solid answers. Of course things feel disorienting when loved ones raise you and will not acknowledge what came before as if it’s a secret, or something to be ashamed about.
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When children are adopted the wholeness of them is adopted, the wholeness of them deserves love & the wholeness of them needs attunement.

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03/08/2023

https://conta.cc/3Kp6428

Exciting things are happening at The Ties Program. For 30 years, we have strived to take international adoptees and their families on extraordinary birth country experiences. We have loved every minu

12/07/2023

Childhood nutrition brand Ge**er announced the winner of its annual photo search for its Ge**er Baby, and the 2023 winner comes from right here in Colorado.

09/05/2023

28/06/2022

An important read.

25/03/2022

Dutertes stepping down

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/24/philippine-presidential-election-dutertes-china-pivot-could-change.html

Duterte's presidency marked a dramatic shift in the Philippines' foreign policy when he declared a "separation" from the U.S. and sought closer ties with China.

31/01/2022

https://gtelocalize.com/which-countries-celebrate-lunar-new-year/

In this post, let's find out which countries in Asia celebrate Lunar New Year and what traditions they have on this special occasion.

09/01/2022

For the first time in its 130-year history, revered fashion magazine American Vogue will solo feature an East Asian woman on its cover.

15/11/2021

YES!

Ji-Young's existence is the culmination of a lot of discussions after the events of 2020 — George Floyd's death and anti-Asian hate incidents. Like a lot of companies, "Sesame Street" reflected on how it could "meet the moment," ...

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/15/1055733980/sesame-street-makes-history-with-the-debut-of-its-first-asian-american-muppet

Seven-year-old Ji-Young is Korean American. She loves her electric guitar just as much as her skateboard, and she'll be introduced to the Sesame Street gang during Thanksgiving day special.

05/11/2021

Jaclyn Skalnik, aka on Instagram, speaks from a place of experience. In her early 20's, she participated in a Ties trip with her family. She then went on to earn her MSW, led an international adoption program, traveled as Ties travel staff, became a parent, and ultimately opened Adoption Wellness.

Most international adoption programs require parents to travel to the country. Parents, what did you experience when you were in your child's country of origin? Did you experience cultural differences? Were you out of your comfort zone? Did you explore new foods? Did your brain fatigue after hearing a different language? I ask you to pay attention to what you felt while in your child's country, but also, what you did to learn. This minute window offers you a glimpse of the adjustment your kids go through when transplanted to their new country. I oftentimes hear adoptive parents complain about their trip; it was smelly, dirty, poor, etc. Please use judgement when speaking about your child's country. What you say may be interpreted as a reflection of them. Children growing up outside of their culture will feel disconnected and can only rely on what they hear about it from others. Listen, we have smelly, dirty, poor areas here too - so let's be culturally sensitive while also acknowledging the beauty of their country.

Speak early and often about a visit, save $ for it and make it a priority. Your children depend on you to provide them with resources to make connections to their birth culture/country. If your child is reluctant, it may be because it was introduced to them too late. "We're going to take you back to China next summer" vs. "We're going to visit China next summer" are two very different phrases. As parents, the language we use is critical. Talk with your children about what they want to do and see during a visit. Will the whole family travel? Do they want to travel with other adoptees? Do they want to visit tourist places or spaces connected to their life before adoption (orphanage, etc.)? Talk about their expectations of the trip, not yours.

Adoptees need time to prepare for and unpack from a homeland trip. Please make sure they are supported to share their feelings. They deserve an opportunity to visit where they are from as it can really fill in the blanks. Eating takeout from the local Chinese restaurant once a year does not cut it for "exposing them to their birth culture."

19/10/2021

10/10/2021

When children learn the world is random and unpredictable, they move into a state of protection. We all do it. It’s natural.
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When children have experienced attachment trauma, they have been taught that caregivers can be random and unpredictable and their response of self protection often plays out in behavior and relationships. However, regardless of how they respond- caregivers must be intentional and devoted to how attuned and sensitive they are in creating moments of connection for children.
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It’s these moments of connection that fuel attachment and feelings of felt-safety. It is within these healing spaces that children can find a sense of worth and belonging.
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Children who are living from the lens of protection need the presence of connection.
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I see you showing up for the hard and uneasy. I see you creating spaces that enhance peace and validate pain. No one said it was easy. You are not alone 💛

29/09/2021

Filipino part-time actor Chris Lagahit didn't just appear in Netflix's "Squid Game" but also in films like "The Negotiation" with Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin.

11/09/2021

We are thrilled to let you know that that Amy (Silverbrandt) Wilkerson will be facilitating a wonderful transracial adoptee panel on September 14. One of the fabulous presenters is Jaclyn Skalnik. Both Amy and Jaclyn have staffed with The Ties Program and are remarkable women.

You can learn more about Amy at https://growhealblossom.com/.

TRANSRACIAL ADOPTEE PANEL
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WHEN : September 14th
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TIME : 7:00-8:30PM CST
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WHERE : Zoom
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FEE: $50 per login
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Thank you to everyone who has been so patient with me as I have had to reschedule this training, but a new date is finally here! Come join these amazing panelist share their wisdom, honesty, and insights on the transracial adoptee experience.
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DM to reserve your spot!
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See you there!

27/07/2021

Hidilyn Diaz's gold medal is the first in Philippines' history and comes after years of intense training away from her family.

07/07/2021

https://wanderingwheatleys.com/best-food-to-eat-in-the-philippines/

The food culture of the Philippines is sometimes overshadowed by it’s northwestern neighbors – Thailand and Vietnam. But the Philippines can easily hold its own on the global culinary stage and even came in second in a 2015 CNN poll asking readers what country was their favorite food destination...

29/06/2021

It's not too late to register for Southeast Asia/Pacific Islander camp, brought to you virtually from Colorado.

https://www.heritagecamps.org

Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families serves as an adoption resource and advocate for children, adults, and families with diverse heritages.

04/11/2020

A baby with leukemia is in need of a very specific donor of Filipino descent.

02/06/2020

The goal of is that we hear the voices that need to be heard. Adoptees have unique and important life experiences and perspectives, often centered around the issues of race and identity. Their voices are among those voices that we all need to listen to and learn from today. Let's gather those voices here. Please comment with a link to posts you've written, seen, or shared created by adoptees sharing their important viewpoints on these topics. Also, see our main page for other resources: https://www.facebook.com/AdoptiveFamilyTravel/

The goal of is that we hear the voices that need to be heard. Adoptees have unique and important life experiences and perspectives, often centered around the issues of race and identity. Their voices are among those voices that we all need to listen to and learn from today. Let's gather those voices here. Please comment with a link to posts you've written, seen, or shared created by adoptees sharing their important viewpoints on these topics.

15/05/2020

For the first time in our 26 year history, The Ties Program has had to cancel all Ties trips due to COVID-19 and our hearts are breaking for the 2020 families who have been so heavily impacted.

We also made the hard decision to furlough our entire in-house team. Each of us is working five hours per week with the goal of helping adoptees and their families through the additional layer of loss and grief the pandemic has created.

Additionally , we are working on projects that will serve international adoptees and their families. We are hopeful about 2021 and to that end, we have set 2021 program dates. See www.AdoptiveFamilyTravel.com for more detail.

Looking forward to what we hope is a brighter future for all.

13/12/2019

In this issue, Lin et al. (1) compared age-specific breast cancer incidence using cancer registry data from several East Asian countries (Hong Kong, Japan, Kore

10/10/2019

In a study by the Evan B. Donaldson Institute, Hollee McGinnis reports, “For international adoptees positive identity development is most effectively facilitated by lived experiences. Travel to the country of birth topped the list.”

Indeed, adoptees embarking on heritage travel are having profoundly significant lived experiences that validate and provide a sought-after first hand knowledge.

What most adoptees know about their birth country, culture, adoption and first family are things other people have experienced and shared with them. The lack of firsthand knowledge is unsettling at best. One Ties participant described it this way.....READ MORE.

https://conta.cc/2OBLyPO

01/10/2019

27/09/2019

When traveling to their birth countries, adoptees quickly begin to unpack years of emotion around fitting in, a process that feels essential to healing.

17/09/2019

For most adoptees on a homeland journey, language and the ability to communicate is an immediate piece of the journey and has a high impact on identity development.

11/09/2019

As international adoptees step off the airplane and onto home soil a universal moment happens. Beneath the airport chaos, it’s like you can hear the thought: “Wow, everyone looks like me.”

10/09/2019

Early Bird Discount for summer 2020 programs ends September 30. Save $100 per person. Korea, China, Kazakhstan, Guatemala, Russia, Colombia, Philippines, Next Gen: Korea, Next Gen: Paraguay,

27/08/2019

In adoption, we need to acknowledge the histories of the adults and children involved before we can move forward in celebration.

11/04/2019

10/04/2019

Before you dive into this important article, have a look at our 25th anniversary pics. You can find them at Adoptive Family Travel - The Ties Program (look at our timeline or the photos tab). We’ll be posting them all throughout the year. Alumni, we hope you are watching. We are going all the way back to our beginnings with pictures!

Here’s the article: :https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/04/transracial-adoption-listen-understand

As a Korean American adoptee, the strength of my connection to my white family is what makes me feel safe, relatable, approachable to some

12/03/2019

There aren't many things I recall from my seventh-grade English class, but one memory is particularly vivid. I'm standing at the front of the room, accompanied