The Adoptee Next Door

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Angela Tucker is one of America’s most recognizable voices in transracial adoption (she's black, her parents are white), and the subject of the documentary "Closure." She goes beyond her experience, inviting adoptees from all backgrounds in an effort to u

Angela Tucker


    • Dec 15, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 41m AVG DURATION
    • 11 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Adoptee Next Door

    Alexandra "ALX J": Transgender adopted teen discusses race, adoption, and LGBTQ intersectionality

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2020 50:40


    Back in 2016, Angela had 12 year old transracial adoptee Alex, as a guest on her web series, The Adopted Life. In this episode, Angela reconnects with Alex, now a 17 year old transgender woman, to discuss adoption, the intersections of LGBTQ culture, and how quarantine provided a silver lining for Alex's transition period.

    Tiffany Henness: Could The Book Of Psalms Help Us Rethink The Fairy-Tale Adoption Narrative?

    Play Episode Play 48 sec Highlight Listen Later Dec 1, 2020 43:58 Transcription Available


    Angela talks with Tiffany Henness about the surprising grief she experienced during her pregnancy and childbirth of her two biological kids. As a Christian she challenges the fairy-tale narrative about adoption and wonders if Christians may be use the book of Psalms to think differently about helping children through adoption. 

    Kristen Garaffo: Everyone Just Assumed I Was White

    Play Episode Play 58 sec Highlight Listen Later Nov 10, 2020 51:03 Transcription Available


    Kristen and I talk about her identity as a white-passing Latina, adopted from Paraguay to Washington DC. The first time Kristen and I chatted she told me that she has only recently begun identifying as Latina.

    Torie DiMartile: Amy Coney Barrett and the White Savior Narrative

    Play Episode Play 41 sec Highlight Listen Later Oct 20, 2020 53:02 Transcription Available


    Over the past week it's become clear that most U.S. Americans view Amy Coney Barrett's transracial family as noble, good and representing all things decent. However, transracial adoptees have a different take. It seemed to showcase white saviorism and virtue signaling. Torie and Angela discuss why the Supreme Court nominee's comment was so polarizing and why conversations about transracial adoption are so divided that even hearing directly from transracial adoptees, isn't enough to counter the dominant fairytale narrative. 

    Jay Johnson: "What Is a Late Discovery Adoptee?"

    Play Episode Play 29 sec Highlight Listen Later Sep 29, 2020 47:40 Transcription Available


    The impacts of being told that you were adopted late in life are far reaching. One Late Discovery Adoptee (LDA) says "It feels like a cruel joke. Finding out that you are adopted late in life destroys part of your identity and turns your life upside down." Some parents think they are protecting their child by not telling them. However, finding out as an adult is undoubtedly a shock and for many LDA's they can't help but wonder what else their parents' may have lied about? But Jay sees it differently. He explains how he differentiates a secret versus a lie.

    Maya Holmes: Is Same-Race Adoption The Answer?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2020 36:02 Transcription Available


    Angela speaks with Black adoptee Maya Holmes, who was adopted by Black parents as an infant. Maya shares her perspective and challenges Angela's assumptions about racial identity formation for black same-race adoptees.

    Nancee Winslow: Who Would I Be If I Hadn't Been Adopted?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2020 49:48


    Angela speaks with adoptee Nancee Winslow, about nature vs. nurture, reuniting with birth family members, and adoptees feeling the need to prove they are "well-adjusted" with their adoption. Nancee shares a powerful story about the moment she told her 4-year-old son that she was adopted, and his emotional reaction. 

    Tony Hynes: A Black Son with Two White Moms

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2020 43:10 Transcription Available


    Tony Hynes is a transracial adoptee, and was adopted by white lesbian moms in the mid 1990s. A judge told his parents “A white, same-sex-headed household is not the right household to raise a black child in,” and at the age of 7, Tony was asked to choose between his birth family and his adoptive family. Tony and Angela discuss racism and homophobia in this podcast. 

    Jessenia Parmer: Did My Adoption Give Me a "Better Life?"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2020 33:38 Transcription Available


    Angela speaks with transracial adoptee; Jessenia Parmer about the need for more mental health awareness among adoptees. They both address the fear and courage it takes to challenge the mainstream positive narrative of adoption, by acknowledging stories of trauma and loss.  

    Sam Collier: “She Can't Have the ‘Mom' Space”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2020 43:05 Transcription Available


    Angela speaks with Black adoptee; Sam Collier about the complications of reuniting with his birth family. They discuss Sam's new book “A Greater Story” and why he considers himself to be “rescued.”

    Introducing "The Adoptee Next Door"

    Play Episode Play 60 sec Highlight Listen Later Jul 25, 2020 3:18 Transcription Available


    Welcome to The Adoptee Next Door! This podcast will feature conversations with adoptees revealing unique insights about racism, religion, immigration, trauma, and the many layers of unconventional families. Hope you join us for Season 1!

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