I have always been fascinated by families who are spread out across the globe and still keep in contact with each other, trying to maintain their ‘family bonds’. Transnational families are mostly being formed as a result of (geo) political inequalities both in the developing and in the developed countries, resulting in a reorganization of family relationships.
There are different ways of forming a transnational family. One of them is by adoption; children move to another country and becoming part of a new adoptive family. Some adoptive- and birth families choose to enter into an open adoption relationship, which means they keep in touch with each other through mail, (Skype) calls and/or visits.
Inspired by my academic background in Cultural Anthropology and Film and Photographic Studies, as well as being a photographer and image-maker, I am exploring what it means to be part of a transnational family.
An (open) adoption story between the USA and The Netherlands. In progress.