This month I was once again reminded of the stark difference between adoptee stories told by adoptees, adoptee stories told by non-adoptee allies, and adoptee stories told by those who use us as plot points, perpetuating inaccurate and harmful tropes. I read books that are examples of all three in April.  

Please support adoptee authors, such as Sarah Myer (author of Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption story), first and foremost. If you come across a non-adoptee author writing an adoptee, seek to understand whether they have done their research by consulting a wide range of adoptees before putting into print a marginalized person’s story that is not their own. Gretchen Sisson, author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, is a good example of such allyship.

Finally, this goes for both nonfiction, as well as fiction writing. You can read more in my Statement on Adoptee Characters in Print.