FamiLee Life

Separated at Birth and by an Ocean

In the United States, it was common practice in the mid to late 20th century to separate twins at birth and have them adopted into separate families. You still occasionally hear about twins separated at birth who later come into contact with each other by chance or, as some suggest, by a sort of genetically-driven familiarity. These unique circumstances became a type of natural experiment to study the interplay of genetics and environment. Actually, the Dept of Psychology at the University of Minnesota (where I work) has become quite famous for conducting groundbreaking research on the role of genetics in twins (click here).

A few years ago, while attending an international conference on Korean adoption in Denmark, I learned about a set of Korean triplets where two were adopted internationally to Denmark and the third remained with the birthfamily. The adopted siblings thought they were twins and knew nothing about their sibling until they were in their 20s or so (and vice-versa for the triplet in Korea). It's an unusual story but not unheard of. It also added to the complexities of negotiating what it means to be adopted and to be Korean.

Now comes a Star Tribune story about a local Korean American woman who was adopted from South Korea by a Minnesota family and has learned at 21 years old that she is a twin and her sister still lives in South Korea.

As I continue my research on adopted Korean children and adults, I have heard of other such cases among Korean adoptees. It's a question that floats through the minds of many as they begin to search their family histories. Let's hope this story brings some answers for all involved.