112 – My Whole Life Is a Success - a podcast by Damon L. Davis

Andrew called me from Connecticut after a move from Maryland. He told me that he’s been through a lot in his life. He’s a transracial, international adoptee who grew up in a predominantly white community there in Connecticut. He shares how he strode to overachieve in athletics and performing arts to try to overshadow his brown skin, the unmistakable mark of being an adoptee in his community. However he credits his strong Catholic faith for getting him through everything, including coming out as a gay man. This is Andrew’s journey.
Andrew (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/fg3W_Fs7UVw-H_Or5OPpAs0TGNl5xVJzumKGPAFj_-SWnxNzRcA5Z0ExA5b3ypGYFXk_3IE8lzuvtgembSFNiFsIiTo?loadFrom=SharedLinkandts=2.61 (00:02)):
On top of all the other portions of my identity, I prayed my little heart out because as an adoptee here, as someone brought into this family, my biggest fear was that they could potentially send me back because I'm gay. So with that fear, I prayed even harder.
Damon (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/fg3W_Fs7UVw-H_Or5OPpAs0TGNl5xVJzumKGPAFj_-SWnxNzRcA5Z0ExA5b3ypGYFXk_3IE8lzuvtgembSFNiFsIiTo?loadFrom=SharedLinkandts=32.84 (00:32)):
Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? This is who am I really a podcast about adoptees that have located and connected with their biological family members. I'm Damon Davis and on today's show, you're going to meet Andrew. He called me from Connecticut after a move from here in Maryland, Andrew told me, that he's been through a lot in his life. He's a trans-racial international adoptee who grew up in a predominantly white community there in Connecticut. He shares how he Strode to achieve in athletics and performing arts to try to overshadow his Brown skin, the unmistakable mark of being an adoptee in his community. However, he credits his strong Catholic faith for getting him through everything, including coming out as a gay man. This is Andrew's journey.
Damon (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/fg3W_Fs7UVw-H_Or5OPpAs0TGNl5xVJzumKGPAFj_-SWnxNzRcA5Z0ExA5b3ypGYFXk_3IE8lzuvtgembSFNiFsIiTo?loadFrom=SharedLinkandts=96.44 (01:36)):
Andrew was born in the Philippines, but grew up in Brookfield, Connecticut. His parents were white and they had one son who was biological to them. And six years, Andrew senior, when she was pregnant with Andrew's brother, the doctor told his mother her pregnancy was so difficult that having another child was not a good idea. When Andrew was adopted, he was about 10 months old. His parents received him at the airport. Andrew said, growing up in that area was quite an experience. He was loved, accepted and cared for as part of the family. But back in the late eighties, trans racial adoptions, weren't as prevalent as they are now, especially in a small town in Connecticut. He said his mother experienced a fair number of interesting encounters with members of the community.
Andrew (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/fg3W_Fs7UVw-H_Or5OPpAs0TGNl5xVJzumKGPAFj_-SWnxNzRcA5Z0ExA5b3ypGYFXk_3IE8lzuvtgembSFNiFsIiTo?loadFrom=SharedLinkandts=148.16 (02:28)):
So, I mean, this was all stories told back to me, um, as I have grown, but, uh, there was one time when she had me in her, in the baby carriage. And, uh, she was in the department store shopping around, um, and a fellow shopper looked into the carriage you see me the, uh, the Brown baby, the Brown son that adopted, um, and looks back at my mother almost with a face or perplexed face, um, and simply asks, why did you do that? Um, and that was, that was one of the first moments that my mother and family experienced something to that effect because prior to that, they already had me and showing me around the community. And, uh, I grew up Roman Catholic. So, uh, you know, meeting all the fellow parishioners and neighbors and, and loved ones and they received nothing but positive feedback of, of acceptance. Uh, but this is one of the first occurrences that I have been told that my mother remembers experiencing racial...

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