2003, JAN.

Korean Adoptees

Korean Adoptees

By accident,

or maybe was it planned

I had an occasion to meet two Korean adoptees.

One was a young woman with a French nationality

The other was also a young woman with a Canadian nationality

Holding different nationalities

but speaking French as their mother tongue

Both had definite Korean ace

which could not be mistaken

Looking at them

one could not help pondering about the divine comedy of human fate

the forces of life beyond human control

Because the nation was poor

because the parents were poor

our children were given away (sold?)

to this country, to that country

They hold all the nationalities that the planet could offer

but their face is Korean

Faces different from their parent’

eyes different from their sisters and brothers

One wonders what paths of agony they went through

They have grown up

Now they are adults

Building the road for the future

revisiting the road they left behind

Looking for the family of origin

learning to speak the Korean language

they are preparing to visit their mother country

since they could not grow in it

they wish to study it from outside

Even if they do not speak ore an

even if they hold foreign nationalities

let us extend our arms wide open

to embrace them, to hold them tightly in our arms

But also let us reflect on our attitude towards children of mixed blood

the products of the tragedy of war

Because one half of their blood is foreign

we did not allow them a space in our society

Our children given away

Is it their fault to be born with mixed blood?

Is it the responsibility of their parents? of the war?

Or is it the responsibility of the shortcomings of us, the human beings?

These children of ours

who were given away

who are reaching out to their mother country

coming back to find a space in their mother’s womb

Let us open wide our arms

let us receive them warmly

so that they can find a sunshine in their heart

so that they can find a space in their motherland

that space we all need as human beings.

Cloud-river

January 2003

Après la soirée avec Adel et Miori