Hey everyone, meet our next guest Ashenafi (Ash) Stuart! Ashenafi is an 18-year-old Ethiopian adoptee from Maryland, who was adopted when he was just 5 months old. In this episode, Ash expresses his appreciation for adoption, his openness to adopt one day himself, and the many figures who have helped him become the black man he is today. We also discuss the importance of black role models, being secure in your blackness/identity, and how geography and race can impact adoptee experiences. Ash also talks about his visit back to Ethiopia in 2019, and how that affected his life and his perspective as an adoptee living in America. Stating "there's no bone in my body that wants to be white", Ash coveys his gratitude for adoption and his adoptive parent's active steps in ensuring he had Black mentors growing up. He also stresses the importance of acknowledging race within transracial families because "you have to treat your child like who they are" for them to establish an authentic sense of identity. Ash's story provides a great new addition to those who have come before to establish how the Ethiopian adoptee experience truly exists on a spectrum. The interview also includes a lot of laughs as we share stories about our process of finding/securing our identity as black individuals more generally. Thank you Ash for coming on, being genuine, and sharing your experience as an Ethiopian adoptee. As always, feel free to reach out to me if you want to share your story at ethiopianadopteeuu@gmail.com.

xoxoxo - Lidet