A Panel Discussion with Nate Choi and Kirsten Mathis: Advocating For Our Rights and Expressing Our Truth

In this special panel discussion, we sit down with fellow Korean adoptees Nate Choi and Kirsten Mathis to explore the complexities of the adoptee experience—from finding strength in community to navigating deeply personal emotions. Together, we reflect on the importance of taking pauses, honoring our individual journeys, and creating safe spaces for open expression.

Nate Choi is a Korean adoptee who overcame open heart surgery as a baby and on a previous episode (#19, season 1), he shared his inspiring journey of healing and resilience.

Nate describes himself as a "like able asshole, KAD, father, and husband."

Connect with Nate Choi here:

https://bsky.app/profile/natechoi.bsky.social

natechoi.bsky.social

https://www.tiktok.com/@nathanchoi0906?_t=ZP-8uxObLANhnC&_r=1

Kirsten Mathis is a KAD from PA. She has been in reunion with her birth mother for 7 years. In April 2024 she traveled to Korea to meet her omma for the first time since she was adopted. She also found her birth father shortly after returning home and has started communicating with him recently. 

She is a mom, wife, daughter, and someone with "a gentle curiosity" about her identity which led to seeking answers inside KAD spaces and by traveling to Korea. Her journey and story is over a decade in the making. In her spare time she enjoys iced coffee, reading, and cooking and has even started learning how to make Korean dishes. 

If you would like to connect with Kirsten, she can be reached here:
Instagram @khyejin85

Here’s what you will hear in this episode:

•The impact of connecting with other adoptees

•Processing emotions while engaging with adoptee stories

•The importance of rest and reflection in the adoptee journey

•Respecting individual paths while fostering collective support

•Messages of reassurance for those struggling

•Encouraging each other to seek help and celebrate small victories

We also address the critical issue of deportation among Korean adoptees, highlighting real cases and the ongoing fight for adoptee rights. With the realities of adult Korean adoptees at risk of deportation due to incomplete citizenship processes, we discuss the need for all adoptees to learn to advocate for themselves and for our adoptee community.

Join the Conversation:

We invite you to share your thoughts and experiences with us! How has your community supported you? What messages of hope would you share with other adoptees?

Let’s keep the dialogue going—because healing happens together

We are super excited to announce our upcoming Empowered Adoptee Retreats!

Connection. Healing. Empowerment. 

The Empowered Adoptee Retreat is a transformative journey for Korean Adoptees of all genders to explore identity, heal in community, and learn tools to live life more empowered.

The Empowered Adoptee Retreat

April 25-28 in Lake Tahoe, CA 

Registration is now open until March 30th.

https://www.theempoweredadoptee.com/

The Empowered Adoptee Kimchi Healing With Our Ancestors Retreat!

June 22