E14: The Complexities of Identity Abundance with Mark Hagland
Love alone is not enough to protect your transracially adopted child from the difficulties they will face. This episode aims to highlight strategies for raising children with intersecting identities, and shed light on the resources that are available today.
In this episode of the Real World Parenting podcast, Dr. Laura Anderson brings on a special guest to discuss the intersecting identities of being LGBTQ+ and adopted. Mark Hagland recounts his struggle finding himself between interacting with Korean people who don't understand his gay identity and interacting with white LGBTQ+ people who don't understand his POC identity.
Mark Hagland is an adult transracial and international adoptee. He was born in South Korea in 1960 and adopted as an infant by white parents of Norwegian and German descent, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is a professional business journalist and lives in Chicago. He has participated in in-person and online forums around transracial adoption for over 20 years, and has spoken publicly about issues around transracial adoption in numerous settings, both in the United States and in Europe.
What You Will Learn:
What is meant by the concept narrative burden, and why adoptive parents need to understand it
Love is a great place to start, but it isn't enough to protect transracial adoptees from identity harm
How to make sure your kids are getting into spaces where they feel seen and supported for both their racial and LGBTQ+ identities
There are no shortcuts- parents can learn to sit with discomfort now so our kids don't have to later
How different identities can shine in different circumstances
