A Climber’s Transracial Adoption Story
Cody Kaimmerlen shares his story in a new film by Louder Than Eleven, watch below
Louder Than Eleven has released a new film on Cody Kaimmerlen called Dear Mother – A Climber’s Transracial Adoption Story. According to the article Racial Identity and Transcultural Adoption at the National Library of Medicine, “Transracial/transcultural adoption is defined as a child of one race or ethnic group placed with parent(s) of a different race or ethnic group.”
The film’s description reads: “Climber and transracial Asian-American, Cody Kaemmerlen, searches for connection with his birth parents after a near-death fall leaves him shaken and grasping for answers. Kaemmerlan is a climber adopted out of South Korea in 1984, into rural Tillamook, Oregon. He was raised by a loving family, and thrived in his small town, not fully comprehending what it was like to be a person of color in a white world.
“After reaching out to the adoption agency, he was left with an email stating his birth mother had no interest in meeting her son. He struggled in adulthood, as he started to experience adversity which produced a cycle of anger, divorce, car accident, and finally a near-death free-soloing fall which became a catalyst for change. A few years later, the agency reached out with an apology about a file mix-up, stating his birth mother and father would love to meet. Soon after, he begins to process his adoption and identity with the help of the climbing community and close friends.”
Follow Kaimmerlen on Instagram below and enjoy the film.
Dear Mother
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