The Rambler

Peggy Galdamez is a Korean adoptee, adopted at 6 months old and claims Michigan as her home state.  She has an older brother (also adopted from Korea) and has a younger half-brother (adopted from Brasil).   She currently resides in Silicon Valley with her husband and two daughters where they enjoy being fully immersed in a community rich in cultural diversity and food options!  She went to Western Michigan University, studied Art and French, and upon graduating, promptly left to explore the world.  She is a preschool administrator for a Montessori preschool and also enjoys following her other interests such as all things related to wellness and living authentically.  She is passionate about learning more on the subject of internal healing in its many facets and considers herself a student of life.  She is also a Wellness Coach and is working on creating either a local or online support group for other adoptees.  If you are interested in connecting with her, you can find her on Facebook, or email her directly at peggy@peggygaldamez.com.   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.  Final music done by Jacquelyn Wells at https://jacquelynwells.bandcamp.com.

Fitness activist and model, Kevin Kreider designed recalls being bullied for his lanky figure, Asian heritage, and ticks caused by the onset of Tourette Syndrome at a young age. Now a full-time coach and model, Kevin has won several natural bodybuilding competitions, graduated with a degree in exercise science and created a successful business, models, and has a mission to help others feel masculine and confident to contribute to society to their fullest potential despite social stereotypes.  Follow him on Instagram @pursuebykevin and his website, pursuebykevin.com.    Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell and Chillhop Music at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baZvA0eb6rM.

Adam Goodman is a Korean adoptee who grew up in Westchester, NY along side his younger brother (also adopted and biologically related).  He's now living in North Jersey with his girlfriend.  In addition to his day job as a business analyst, he and a group of like-minded friends have launched an online publication, Plan A Magazine, that seeks to carve out a uniquely Asian American progressive voice.  You can find it at PlanAMag.com, on Twitter @PlanAMag, and on Facebook.     Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Michael Mullen was adopted from Korea when he was 2.5 years old and didn’t meet another Asian person for 14 years.  He grew up in Washington State, attended college at the University of Washington in Seattle, and moved to New York in 1997, after living in Seoul and Chicago.  He attended one of Also-Known-As’s earliest events, but then got distracted and didn’t attend his second event until 20 years later.  This is Mike's second year on the Also-Known-As Board of Directors and first term as president.  You can find him on Facebook.   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Samuel Jamier is a Korean-French adoptee and director of the New York Asian Film Festival.  You can get tickets to the NYAFF and speak with Samuel at a screening of the Korean film “Split,” this Sunday, June 9th at 12:30pm in the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center.  Get tickets and follow Subway Cinema, the NYAFF, and more here!  https://www.facebook.com/NYAFF/.  https://www.filmlinc.org/festivals/new-york-asian-film-festival/.  http://www.subwaycinema.com.  https://twitter.com/subwaycinema?lang=en.     Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Emma Rafaelof is a China and Greater Asia policy researcher focusing on technology and trade issues of the US-China relationship. Adopted from Jiangmen, China at 4 months old, she is an only child adopted into a multiracial Jewish family. After growing up and attending University in Boulder, Colorado, Emma is living, studying, and working out of Washington, D.C. Involved in various social action groups, Emma is also an adviser to United Trans-Border Connections, Inc., a DC-based fellowship and service program providing cross-cultural education programs to underprivileged students.   You can find Emma on twitter @erafaelof or get in touch via email at erafaelof@gmail.com to talk about adoption, China, Judaism, activism, and a host of other topics.   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Robby Regal Kim is a Korean adoptee who grew up in northern Minnesota. He is currently writing a work of creative nonfiction that focuses on his coming of age experiences with adoption, American foster care, the Asian-American community, and Texas Holdem poker. He is now a father and residing in Manhattan. In the fall, he will be attending the City College of New York. For updates, you can find him on Twitter @robby_regal_kim  Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!  Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Maline is a Haitian adoptee who is an adoption consultant working in the Boston area. She works to help adoptive parents strengthen, empower, and better understand their adopted children who will one day become adults.  Maline enjoys reading, writing, and also blogging and detests long walks on the beach.    You can find Maline on Twitter, and also on Facebook through her Facebook group called Adoption, Race, and Their Complexities @noomaconsulting and Facebook.com/noomaconsulting. Her Facebook business page is Nooma Consulting:  Understanding the Complexities of Adoption.   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Katie Naftzger is a Korean-adoptee, psychotherapist in Newton, MA. She works with adoptees and families through the life cycle. She is an advisory council member of KAAN and speaks to schools and other organizations about adoption and race issues.  Her website is  www.adoptiontherapyma.com.  Follow her on Twitter @KNaftzger, look for her on Facebook and LinkedIn!    Also, be sure to check out Korean-American Adoptee Network Conference in Pittsburgh from June 23-25 - kaanet.org.   Buy her book! - ”Parenting in the Eye of the Storm: The Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Navigating the Teen Years.”  https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Eye-Storm-Adoptive-Navigating/dp/1785927019/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489838707&sr=8-1&keywords=naftzger   There will be a book launch party in Boston at More Than Words bookstore in a few weeks, so if you’re in the area, check that out, too!   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Michaela Dietz is a voice over artist and performer, whose credits include Steven Universe (Amethyst), Barney & Friends (Riff), Grand Theft Auto V, and some top secret projects in the works! She loves hearing from fellow Korean American adoptees, so find her on Instagram / Snapchat / Twitter: @whammybah and facebook.com/whammybah.   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Jonathan LeBrecque is back on the show!  Listen to his first episode, which is Episode 32 to hear the first parts of his story.  In this episode, we pick up with Jonathan after his second trip to Korea and his reunion with his birth family!  You can still find him on LinkedIn, or at Facebook.com/kantanan25.    Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Jenny Town is the Assistant Director of the US-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and manages programs on North Korea, nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, and energy security in Northeast Asia. She is the Managing Editor and Producer of “38 North,” a web-journal providing analysis of events in and around the DPRK–from social evolution to political developments to WMD. She is also an expert reviewer for Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Index, where she previously worked on the Human Rights in North Korea project. Prior to working in Korean affairs, she was the Communications Director for Peace X Peace; the Director of the Washington (DC) Office/Special Projects Manager for Government Relations at the College Board; and a Project Manager at Clarity Coverdale Fury Advertising, Inc. She holds a B.A. in East Asian Studies and International Relations from Westmar University and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Melton Foundation. Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening! Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.

Saebom SooHoo lives in the Boston area with her partner and kids. She works in higher education administration and runs a pan-Asian adoptee book and film deep dive discussion group called Boston Adoptee Exchange (BAX), bostonadopteex.com. She has been active in the Asian American arts and activism community for the past 16 years, and pieces of her writing will be in the upcoming Asian American Resource Workshop’s collection “Under the Boston Sky” due out mid-2017. As a Korean adoptee married to a Chinese person, Saebom is particularly interested in how other international and transracial adoptee parents go about integrating their birth culture into their kids’ lives, especially given the additional influence of their partner’s heritage. If you have thoughts on transracial adoptee parenting, or interest in joining BAX, definitely reach out and contact Saebom at email@bostonadopteex.com.   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell and Mascaras.   Clip from the Slashfilmcast comes from Slashfilmcast.com

Adopted from Korea at 15 months and then diagnosed as profoundly deaf one month later, raised in Cooperstown, New York. Currently a graduate student at Gallaudet University in Wash DC, doing a MA thesis on “Identity Development of Deaf Female Korean Adoptees in the Framework of Intersectionality” in goals of connecting Adoption Studies and Deaf Studies, and raising awareness of identities of deaf and transracial and transnational adoptees in both Deaf and Adoptee communities. She is married to a deaf mixed asian female immigrant and is an active member in many marginalized communities.   No website but an active user of social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.    Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell. 

Kelsi Macklin is an international adoptee from China. She currently lives and works in Beijing and has been exploring her Chinese and Asian American identity alongside with learning how to be a grown up. She enjoys meeting and connecting with other adoptees coming through Beijing. You can connect with her on Facebook, email: macklin.kelsi@gmail.com, or wechat: kelsim777.   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.  ”100 Days, 100 Nights” is provided by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings at Daptone Records.

Shaaren Pine is a transracial adoptee from India. She was brought to the US in 1975 at the age of 4 months. She grew up in Groton, MA, went to school at Earlham College, and has spent the last decade in restaurant management. In the last few years she’s become a writer and adoptee activist - you can find some of her work on Masala Mommas, Upworthy, and The Washington Post.  She is a member of Lost Sarees, Adoption Links, DC, and the Adoptee Rights Campaign.  When she’s not advocating for adoptee rights or writing about adoptee experience, she can be found running, crafting, or gardening. She lives in DC with her daughter, husband, and three cats.  You can connect with her via email (shaaren.pine@gmail.com) or on Twitter (@shaaren).   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!   Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.  Closing music is “Hallelujah” written by Leonard Cohen and performed by Pentatonix from courtesy of Sony Records. 

Ming Foxweldon currently lives in the Seattle area, having moved last year from New Hampshire where she was mainly raised. Ming was adopted from Kubming China in 1994, at 3.5 years old. She enjoys passing the time traveling, cooking, trying new foods, spending time with friends, watching documentaries, and being involved with other adoptee organizations. Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening! Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.  Closing music is “Montage” from the original motion picture soundtrack from “Swiss Army Man” courtesy of Lakeshore Records.  

Kerri Vitalo-Logan lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children, one of whom is also a Korean adoptee.  She and her twin sister are in reunion with their birth family and are trying to figure out how to navigate post-reunion relationships with them.  You can find her on Facebook or email her at irishgator1@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening! Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.  

Deb Sivigny has been designing in the Washington, DC area for over a decade and is the resident faculty artist in the Theatre and Performance Studies Department at Georgetown University. She teaches courses in design and costume history. She was a Doyle Faculty Fellow in 2015 and a TLISI Summer fellow for two years introducing technology in the classroom.  Recent professional credits include costume design for Round House Theatre, Theater J, Imagination Stage, Theater Alliance, Forum Theatre, and Rorschach Theatre where she is a company member. She has also designed for Kennedy Center TYA, Woolly Mammoth, Young Playwrights Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre ACA, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Everyman Theatre, Olney Theatre and The Hub. She is a member of USA 829.  She is also developing new work as a member of Welders 2.0, working as a generative artist creating design-driven work for a theatre audience. She is a Korean adoptee and her work with The Welders centers around the subject of adoption. She has a BA in theatre design from Middlebury College and an MFA from the University of Maryland.  You can check out her website at debsivigny.com, follow her on Twitter at @indepenguin, or email her at debsivigny@gmail.com.  Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening! Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.  “Alexander Hamilton” and “My Shot” come off of the Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) from Hamilton Uptown, LLC and Atlantic Recording Corporation.

Sophie Samdperil is a Chinese American Adoptee from Nanjing China.  She was raised in Brookline, MA and is currently attending Bates College in Maine, studying Sociology.  Please feel free to contact her via email and facebook! Emaik: ssamdper@bates.edu Emily Kessel was last week’s guest, but she’s come back on to give a quick update on the Adoptee Rights Campaign and how you can help!  Check out the ARC at adopteerightscampaign.org to find out more information! Songs from A Collective Effort are available at SoundCloud (Http://soundcloud.com/acollectiveeffortmusic/sets/a-collective-effort-mix-bag) and other music of the podcast comes courtesy of Needle Drop Records by The Bell.  “Bulletproof Love” comes off of the Luke Cage Original Soundtrack Album by Adrian Young & Ali Shaheed Muhammad featuring Method Man from MARVEL and ABC Studios.   Follow me on Twitter @TheRamblerADHD, email me at TheRamblerADHD@gmail.com, and like/share me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheRamblerADHD.  If you like the podcast, please be so kind as to leave a nice review on iTunes.  Thanks for listening!