Beneficial for Adult Adoptees to Use a Homeland/Birthland Tour When Visiting Birth Country

Beneficial for Adult Adoptees to Use a Homeland/Birthland Tour When Visiting Birth Country

I believe it is immensely beneficial to visit your birth country as an adult on a homeland/birthland tour, especially if you have not gone before. I used to not think this, but going to South Korea on the inaugural Mosaic Tour hosted by Me&Korea changed my thoughts on this. Why? Because of the natural support group you have, and being on a tour uniquely catered for adoptees.

I noticed on that tour that adoptees who had not gone back to Korea before dealt with many complex emotions and had to face thoughts and issues they had not grappled before or had swept under the rug for years. By being on a tour with fellow adult adoptees they could express their feelings and grapple with their issues among people who understood and could fully support them. It can be hard for an adoptee not having people who fully understand you and can empathize rather than sympathize. For instance, we visited an organization that provides housing for single mothers in Korea and I just broke down hearing their stories. One of my fellow tour buddies just helped me get through that moment without saying a word because no words were needed to understand what I was feeling. This is the sort of moment and support you can only get by going on a tour with fellow adult adoptees.

The other main reason I believe it is beneficial for adult adoptees to take a homeland tour back is because of how it is catered for the adoptee experience. Sure it will include the normal touristy things, but unlike many other tours that I know of, they also include staying with a host family, visiting your birthplace or orphanage, birth family search (some do), and visiting your adoption agency. Those are pretty important items especially for adoptees who have not had the chance to return to their birth country before.

Since I am a Korean Adoptee my experience and knowledge of birthland tours are limited to those on South Korea. I can recommend two tours whole-heartedly, and both offer adult Korean Adoptee homeland tours. One is hosted by ASIA Families, here is their website: http://www.asiafamilies.org/korea-tour/. The highlights of this tour are, “Visit your adoption agency and other locations specific to your roots in Korea, such as your birth place or orphanage. Receive assistance in your birth family search from local Koreans and police officers. Visit tourist sites in Seoul, Gyeong Ju, and Busan with other adoptees. Teach English to an elementary school as an honorary teacher. Volunteer to care for babies at an orphanage.” While I have not personally been on this tour, my brother and friends who used it highly recommend it!

The other tour is hosted by Me&Korea, the website is: http://www.meandkorea.org/mosaic-tour1.html. This tour is described as, “The Mosaic Adult Tour brings adult adoptees back to Korea for a 10-day tour to learn about their roots, research their past and discover more about themselves through meaningful connections with Korean people and communities. The purpose of the Tour is to help adult adoptees fill in the blanks in their own cultural and personal history by exploring Korea through its people -- the Tour includes a homestay with a Korean host family, teaching English at a Korean school, community service alongside a local organization, and the opportunity to visit a "meaningful place" for each adoptee, which could be a birthplace, orphanage, or place where the adoptee was found. Each piece of information and history enables the adoptee participants to add tiles to their own colorful mosaics, which continue to be beautiful works in progress.” I participated in this tour and it helped shape my thoughts on the benefits of adult adoptees going on homeland tours that focus on the adoptee experience.

I hope this has been insightful. I am sure others believe going by themselves or other type of tours is beneficial, and I don’t deny it. I am simply expressing the benefits I observed from being on an adult adoptee birthland/homeland tour.