E35 - South Korean in the USA

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E35 - South Korean in the USA

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In Episode 35 of Coming to America, I sit down with Tom Sollitt, a South Korean international adoptee who was adopted at 18 months old and raised in Oregon. Tom's immigrant story is very different from most we've featured. He didn't choose to come to America, doesn't have traceable records of his biological parents, and grew up separated from the language and culture of the country where he was born. We talk about the complicated history of international adoption from South Korea, Tom's involvement with adoptee activism, and the ethical concerns he and other adoptees have raised about the international adoption system and access to their own records. Tom also shares what happened when he returned to South Korea as an adult and lived there from 2009 to 2016 — teaching English, experiencing Korean culture firsthand, and discovering what it felt like to blend into a society where nobody automatically saw him as different. Today, Tom is a brand strategist, community events producer, and candidate for Portland City Council District 3. We discuss his approach to local politics, listening to community voices, and even the debate over 39th Avenue vs. Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

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