Soon Ok Scholarship

This scholarship provides funds for a Transracial Adoptee Storyteller to attend an online or in-person workshop or retreat of their choice.

It was established by author Liz Kleinrock.

She says:

“I was born in Korea and at six months old was adopted to my family in the United States. It’s amazing that in just one day, my identity changed from a Korean national to an Asian American transracial adoptee. As a child, the concept of media serving as a mirror was completely foreign to me. The few books about adoption were almost always written by a non-adoptee (usually the parent of an adoptee) and spoke over us and for us, rather than amplifying our own feelings and experiences.

In 2023, I had the honor of co-authoring Eyes That Weave the World’s Wonders with my friend Joanna Ho, and I was finally able to read a children’s book about adoption that encompassed the complexity of my lived experience. As I wrote in the forward, it is my hope that the book becomes one thread in the tapestry of adoptee stories. With the establishment of this scholarship named after my birth mother, I hope to make the table longer for transracial adoptee storytellers to challenge stereotypes, foster empathy, and promote understanding among those impacted by adoption.”

Liz Kleinrock