Full Transcript

• Téa: This interview was recorded in collaboration with Still Standing Strong Stories on December 29th, with the intention of being in audio-only format. For the full transcript, please visit our website. Coming to you from Girls Adoption Connect, I’m Téa Tamburo.
• SSSS: Um, hi. How are you?
• Téa: Hi, I’m good. How are you?
• SSSS: I’m good. So for our listeners that don't know, what is Girls Adoption Connect?
• Téa: Girls Adoption Connect is an online group aimed at connecting female adoptees. We accept story submissions and other adoption-related media and publish about once or twice a week. There’s a form on our website to submit stories and media, and you can also DM us on Instagram or email us.
• SSSS: So what stories do you plan on telling through your organization?
• Téa: So far, we have a variety of media. The main focus is sharing adoption stories, but adoptees have also shared how being an international adoptee has affected their lives, thoughts about birth parents, and major milestones. We also have posts related to feminism and female and Asian culture, since most of our community is Asian American.
• SSSS: How are some ways you are connecting adoptees through your organization?
• Téa: It’s pretty open-ended. The main way is sharing adoption stories and using Instagram DMs to connect further. Girls Adoption Connect started when I reached out to girls from my adoption travel group. Sharing our stories made me feel heard and validated, which became the driving mission of the organization.
• SSSS: Have there been any struggles you faced starting Girls Adoption Connect?
• Téa: Definitely. One challenge was expanding the community beyond my travel group and figuring out how to stand out among other organizations. It’s been a learning process. On a technical level, managing the website and social media to keep it visually engaging while optimizing the platforms has also been a challenge.
• SSSS: How has COVID affected your organization?
• Téa: We were fortunate. We were already an online platform before COVID, so transitioning to fully virtual wasn’t difficult. Zoom actually helped us grow and collaborate with other organizations. Moving forward, we may connect more locally with Chicago adoptees, but we’ll remain primarily online.
• SSSS: What story have you told about your own experience?
• Téa: I shared my adoption story about being adopted from Hunan province, China at nine months old. More recently, I wrote about my thoughts on my birth parents around my birthday. These pieces are personal, but Girls Adoption Connect has created space for adoptees to speak openly and honestly.
• SSSS: Are there any misconceptions about adoption you want to address?
• Téa: One major misconception is that adoptive parents aren’t “real” parents. My adoptive family is the only family I’ve known. Another misconception is that international adoptees are less American. Many adoptees grow up navigating overlapping identities, and that complexity needs to be normalized.
• SSSS: How has meeting other adoptees impacted your life?
• Téa: Meeting adoptees from different cultures helped me realize how similar our feelings are, even across different backgrounds. It made me feel validated and emphasized the importance of sharing stories and building community.
• SSSS: Finally, what is the importance of stories?
• Téa: Stories create connection, validation, and understanding. Sharing adoption stories helps adoptees feel heard and helps educate others. Stories are a powerful way to connect through shared experiences.
• SSSS: Thank you so much for joining us today.
• Téa: Thank you so much for having me on. And thank you for listening. To learn more about Still Standing Strong Stories, visit their website below.
  
  https://www.stillstandingstrongstories.org/