On September 17, 2021 a film, Blue Bayou, was released creating more than just a controversial stir amongst the Korean adoptee community. Although, I was aware of the Adoptee Citizenship Act activity since news coverage shared the deportation story of Adam Crapser in 2017, I did not stay updated beyond reading headlines or comments on social media, which brought to light this issue that is estimated to affect around 35,000 adoptees, who were sent to America to be adopted, but for whatever reason no one took the responsibility to ensure these young Korean immigrants became legal US citizens.
So, when I got the chance to preview the film before its official release, I was excited to do so.
The trailer successfully engaged me in the story and made me want to see how a professional film would portray an aspect of angst experienced by my adoptee community. A good friend of mine warned that there was some controversy in that the main role was heavily based on Adam Crapser, but without his permission. With that in mind, I watched the film….
It was a moving story that properly pulled at the heartstrings and expressed both sides of the truth – fairly, in my opinion. I found myself being torn between empathy for the main character with his traumatic adoptive experience along with his bad circumstances that led to the deportation, and judgement on his poor life decisions that prevented him from affording the means to help himself out of the situation. Of course, it’s a vicious cycle, so I am not at all placing blame on the victim himself.
All that aside, what strikes me as most disconcerting in the discussions surrounding the film is the divide that is happening within the Korean adoptee and Asian American community. Those who know Adam directly, along with those who are naturally inclined to activism, have begun to protest against this film stating that it is too closely based on his story, which he had not given permission to tell. They have created a change.org petition to boycott the film altogether and are blasting social media with their protestations. One argument is that Justin Chon, the actor and director, is not an adoptee but a hyphenated Korean-American. This leads to a statement that non-adoptees should not be telling the stories of adoptees, especially without their permission. However, Chon and his media team continue to state that the story was an amalgamation of a number of deportees’ stories despite the uncanny parallels to just one’s. Meanwhile, Adam Crapser has only made social media statements to his limited audience, letting his supporters spew their rhetoric on his behalf, but still not speaking directly to the community to support the protestations being made.
For me, personally, it is not about who is right or wrong per se. Instead, what I see is a swirling cloud of dust that dirties the topic that should have been brought to the light for discussion as to how this issue even came to be in the first place. While the details of whose story it is, whether or not he gave permission, and the like are important, I am afraid that the true purpose of making the film at all is now lost. I am afraid that those looking in from the outside will only see the fighting and look away with disinterest in engaging in the conversation that should have been the focus about deporting forced immigrant populations. I am afraid that an opportunity has been lost.
Should a non-adoptee be allowed to share, take artistic license, or depict the story of an adoptee? Ideally, I’d like to say no and be able to believe that the adoptee’s story would still be heard regardless. However, in the same threads of whether or not a white person should be allowed to do the same with a minority’s story, I feel the same uncertainty in my answer. I would love it if the minority’s story and voice could be heard with the support of the majority, but today and throughout history that is not how the world works – yet. So, is it a matter of just getting the story out there in whatever way possible? Or, do we fiercely hold on to what we believe is our story even if it may never be heard?
~T 😀
