Family Search

What is the origin of the universe? Exactly where and when did human evolution begin? People have been searching for answers to these questions for thousands of years. Just as it is natural for people to wonder about the origins of humanity, it is also normal and natural for an adopted person to wonder about their own personal origins. Various types of a search are part of every adopted person’s journey. From childhood fantasies about who your original family could be to scrutinizing every face on the street for physical characteristics like yours to hiring an investigator to assist you in finding your first family, we as adopted people are all searching, in some way, for our origins.

The question whether or not to search for our biological or first family can be a complicated and challenging one. It is important to ask what your purpose of searching is? Is it to find out about your medical history, curiosity, to meet family that actually looks like, and or to learn more about your origin and roots. It could be a combination of all of the above and all are valid either way :)

You may wonder if you are ready. Perhaps no one can be 100% ready but we'd like to offer some things to consider before searching. What support do you have during the search; friends, therapist, partner, family or chosen family? A search can take a while or it can move quickly  with possible surprises; therefore it will be important that you have 1-2 people that you can lean on regardless of the outcome. If you are in a part of life that you know that no matter what the outcome or what happens that you will be ok afterwards at least 90% then it is safe to move forward. Other things to consider: What other life changes and/or events are happening right now in your life? If there is a lot of change occurring, maybe waiting a little until things settle down a bit could be helpful so that you have the emotional energy that is needed in the process. Having ways to stay grounded and good self care habits will come in handy as well.     

While scholarly research on Colombian adoptees and their experiences with search and reunion is currently limited, Branco et al.’s (2022) study, “aimed to uncover the experiences of Colombian transnational adoptees in first family reunion as it relates to their understanding of family and identity.”

References

Branco, S. F., Stella, S., & Langkusch, A. (2022). The reclamation of self: Kinship and identity in transnational Colombian adoptee first family reunions. The Family Journal, 30(4), 514–522. https://doi.org/10.1177/10664807221104112 

• If you are contemplating a search for your first family, please check out Contemplating Searching for general guidelines and recommendations for intercountry search. 

• For search information specific to Colombian adoptees, please read through the Specific Search Information for Colombian Adoptees guide as well as the Investigator Code of Conduct.