Webster University Hosts Discussion on the Asian Adoptee Experience

From left: panel moderator Michelle Li, and panelists Bailey Martin-Giacalone, Courtney Clark, and Jim Zimmerly.

On Sept.19, Webster University and the St. Louis Japanese American Citizens League (STL JACL) hosted a panel titled "Exploring Asian Identity, Belonging, and Community: The Adoptee Experience." The discussion was moderated by Michelle Li, a news anchor for KDSK and herself an adoptee from South Korea. Li led the conversation with panelists Courtney Clark (adopted from South Korea), Bailey Martin-Giacalone (adopted from China) and Jim Zimmerly (adopted from Vietnam), as they shared their personal stories of finding belonging in St. Louis.

This event, held in the Browning Hall auditorium on Webster University’s campus, is the first in a two-part series funded by a Missouri Humanities Council grant awarded to Elsa Fan, associate professor of anthropology, and Noriko Yuasa, professor of graphic design. The series focuses on themes of identity, belonging and community, with an emphasis on two groups: adoptees from Asia and biracial/multiracial individuals. Each panel delves into the complexities of what it means to navigate Asian identity, particularly in the Midwest, where the Asian population is relatively small.

The event drew a notable turnout from the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in St. Louis, including many adoptees. Robin Hattori from the STL JACL and co-organizer of the series emphasized the importance of the panel. “This program gave adoptees an opportunity to voice the struggles they face with alienation from both home and adopted cultures, feelings of gratitude and guilt and navigating a community where Asians can sometimes feel invisible.” For many attendees, it provided a meaningful space to connect with others who shared similar life experiences.

The panel was accompanied by a community resource fair featuring local AAPI organizations, including the Very Asian Foundation, STL Pan Asian Collective, Asian American Civic Scholars, OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates, Japanese American Citizens League and the STL PAC Adoptee Group, co-founded by Claire Lott, who was also part of the planning team for this event. These organizations provided information about available resources within the community.

Attendees explore the community resource fair featuring local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations in St. Louis. 

Additional support was also provided by The Speakers Committee, Webster’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office, and the Department of Global Languages, Cultures and Societies. 

The next event in the series will take place on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. in the Browning Hall auditorium featuring a panel of speakers of biracial/multiracial Asian heritage. This event will explore similar themes of identity, belonging and community.