Hoofdstuk 12 - Mimic Diaspora: identiteit en het idee van de ‘Ander’ bij Zuid-Koreaanse adoptiemigranten in Vlaanderen (1968-2021)

Abstract

This contribution examines identity and the idea of the ‘Other’ among South Korean adoption migrants in Flanders (1968-2021)Despite their considerable numbers, the population of South Korean adoption migrants is generally absent in historical migration studies (Cammu, 2021). Due to their unique history, which differs significantly from other migration groups, adoptees are usually not considered migrants. According to Katrien De Graeve, the practice of adoption has more of a connotation of an alternative form of family expansion by white middle-class parents. This privileged desire for children grants adoptees easier access to Western countries than other immigrants, and their migration background often seems overlooked. Growing up in white families and communities would further erase their status as immigrants and be accompanied by a false insensitivity to racism and stereotypes (De Graeve, 2012). Based on interviews conducted in 2021 and 2022, this chapter gives a voice to ten of these adoption migrants from Flanders and examines their subjective world of memories.