Today we sit down with Dr. JaeRan Kim, a fierce advocate, researcher, social worker, blogger and needle savvy knitter. Over many years, JaeRan has been very influential in the adoptee community through her academic publications and well-known blog, Harlow’s Monkey, where she connects transracial adoption to the larger forces of white supremacy, racism and colonization. She continues to be a vast resource for adoptees and adoptive parents alike. In this episode, JaeRan generously shares how she helped build her childrens’ racial and cultural identities, critical thinking skills, and sensitivity to the lives and experiences of adoptees. She sheds light on which areas of adoption need more research and publication, and her commitment to fostering community connections among adoptees. Other poignant moments include JaeRan sharing about her singing the Annie Musical song “Maybe” to her child, and pushing back on the idea of adoptive families as always being a “forever family” for adoptees. Please find more of her incredible work at www.jaerankim.com and www.harlows-monkey.com, and her colleagues Rich Lee, Heewon Lee, and Xiang Zhou.