Grab a snack and favorite beverage, turn on your computer, and sit back to enjoy a beautiful hour of BIPOC adoptee voices, community, and Palestinian solidarity.
- Date: Sunday, November 30th
- Time: 3-4pm PST / 6–7pm EST
- Cost: Minimum $5
- Format: Virtual
The Zoom link will be sent a day or two before the event; closed captions will be enabled. This will NOT be recorded or distributed.
AUTHORS
Malcolm Hansen was born at the Florence Crittenton Home for Unwed Mothers in Chattanooga, TN. Adopted by two Civil Rights activists, his family lived in Morocco, Spain, Germany, and various parts of the United States. Malcolm left home as a teenager and after two years of high school education, went to Stanford, earning a BA in philosophy. He worked for a few years in the software industry in California before setting off for what turned out to be a decade of living, working, and traveling throughout Central America, South America, and Europe. Malcolm returned to the US to complete an MFA in Fiction from Columbia. He currently lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.
Born in Korea, Alice Stephens was among the first wave of intercountry, transracial adoptees. Author of the novel, Famous Adopted People (Unnamed Press, 2018), she is also a book reviewer, essayist, short story writer, and facilitator of writing workshops. Her work has appeared in LitHub, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Margins, the Korea Times, Consequence Forum, and other publications. She is a co-facilitator of the Adoptee Voices Writing Group, co-founder of the Adoptee Literary Festival, and a member of the Starlings Collective. Her historical novel, The Twain: A Tale of Nagasaki, is forthcoming from Regal House Publishing in 2027. She is currently working on a collection of short stories that tell the story of her adoption.
Stefany Valentine is the author of First Love Language and Love Makes Mochi as well as a contributor to the adoptee anthology When We Became Ours. When she's not writing, Stefany can be found taking pictures for her bookstagram or bird-watching.
***You can buy their books at the BIPOC Adoptees online bookshop.***
MEET THE FAMILIES
Tamara Abu Dayer and the Abu Dayer Family: The Abu Dayers are from Jabalia, a densely populated refugee camp in northern Gaza that has been destroyed. They have been displaced numerous times during the genocide, and thier large family has been separated to various locations. Over the past year, Tamara has become one of our closest dearest friends. To learn more about Tamara and life under occupation, here is a zine that Lisa MM Butler made to illustrate Tamara’s experience. Also, read Joon Ae’s essay, “A Debt of Gratitude” that connects Korean adoption to Palestine. Click HERE for her main fundraising page and consider setting up automatic monthly donations for sustained support.
Alaa Abu Shammalh is also from Jabalia. Alaa is Tamara’s brother-in-law, married to her oldest sister, Mandi. Alaa was separated from his pregnant wife and young son when they were medically evacuated out of Gaza just before Israel closed the Rafah border well over a year ago. He has never met his youngest son, who was born in October. Alaa has been displaced over and over. He needs money to survive, and has depleted his fundraising account that was intended to be for reuniting with his family. Learn more about Alaa at his GoFundMe page.
Nida was a 23-year-old student - about to complete her degree in computer engineering - when her home was bombed. A home she shared with her parents and 6 younger siblings. After the bombing, Nida's father was taken hostage by the Israeli occupation and has yet to be heard from or released. Nida's mother suffers from chronic health conditions - made worse by the occupation's denial of food and medication in Gaza. Nida promised her father she would care for her siblings and she carries this burden alone. Her family relies on the support of others outside of Gaza to survive. Check out this cartoon that Lisa made to help amplify Nida’s story! Here is Nida’s main fundraiser page.
SAVE THESE DATES
We have a whole line up of great authors for you, including folks like: KE Garland, Nicole Chung, Melissa Guida-Richards, Cam Lee Small, Mila Konomos, Katelyn Durst Rivas, Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom, Cam McCafferty, Michael Hoyt, Alice Stephens, Kit Myers, and more! (All the following events take place online from 3-4pm PST/6-7 EST)
- Sun, January 25
- Sun, February 22
- Sun, March 29
HOSTS
Joon Ae Haworth-Kaufka and Lisa MM Butler
Contact Joon Ae with questions at joonae@ajumamaworkshop.com