Daniel Drennen ElAwar, Photo New York Times
NAAM2019 will come to an end, soon. IMO, it has been the best NAAM for adoptees speaking up on their personal experiences and the politics of adoption, since Class Bastard started, a few years ago to “flip–or fuck– the script” (as the case may be) from adoption industry propaganda to adoptee-centric narrative and analysis. At least from my own online readings.
I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend Daniel Drennan ElWar;s wonderful NAAM collection National anti-adoption awareness month: 30 answers to 30 questions. Written a couple of years ago, everything still holds true. The furniture has moved around a bit, but the room is still rotting/
Today is Day 25 of NAAM19. The question for the 25th day is What are you grateful for as an adoptee?
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Daniel totally nails our condition. He links it/us to other marginalized groups and addresses adoption in relation to colonization, neo-imperialism consumerism, white supremacy, privilege, class, economics, misogyny, and our relationship to the state. , The intersections that adoption industrialists and many adopters find inconvenient, threatening, and certainly don’t have anything to with their “forever family” functionality:
From the introduction:
The problem for adoptees arguing about their position in society is similar to what has been experienced previously by other marginalized groups looking to make a space within the hegemonic culture. Namely, how to expand out from what is considered simply a personal issue; an individual hang-up; a “selfish” focus on one’s condition. The individualistic and solipsistic dominant culture ironically turns around and tells its absconded-with children to not be so “selfish” as to complain. In other terms, this was used against other groups as well—”don’t be ‘uppity’”; “know your role”. We should literally be seen and not heard. Those days are over.
At the end of most Q&As, a “debate tactic” is offered.
I love all of Daniel’s work, It’s foundational work that goes beyond the individual problems of adoption. He has influenced me, greatly. and articulated what I often think, but have never be able to put into words. He makes us think beyond our own framework, I’m sure how much it shows up in my writing, but it’s in my head. I’m a technician, He’s a theorist. Thanks for your work, Daniel!
Adoption is broken, It can’t be fixed, but we can. be. . .