Birth country travel and adoptee identity

Abstract

Since World War II, over one million children have faced international adoption. This represents involuntary relocations to receiving countries vastly different from their birth countries. Travel to birth countries has emerged as a way for international adoptees to explore their belonging and identities. Building on social identity theory, this paper employs an interpretative phenomenological analysis to unpack the role of birth country travel on adoptee identities. The study includes in-depth interviews with six Korean-American adoptees and a follow-up focus group to explore their combined 24 travel experiences to South Korea. The analysis reveals the complex and continuous process of adoptee identity exploration, setting the conditions for international adoptees to be a part of the diaspora tourism domain.