First Donors from Adoption Truth & Transparency Worldwide Information Network
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
~ Confucius
Philosopher & Poet
Raised by a widowed mother
of, by, and for the people most impacted.
Adoption Today: South Korea's Adoption Reckoning
Featured Documentary
BONUS: "2020 Only in Adoption" Survey Results
International multi-award-winning recipient and gold-medalist author Rev. Dr. Vance has investigated, written, and compiled numerous books in the genres of memoir, anthology, history, politics, and self-help. Vance has been interviewed in newspapers, television, and radio from Seattle, Washington in the United States to Seoul, South Korea, including BBC Radio, Huffington Post, Northwest Afternoon, Northwest Asian Weekly, Dong-A Ilbo, and Chosun.
Inspired by the investigational success of Against Child Trafficking NL, particularly of Arun Dohle, Executive Director and Roelie Post, Civil Servant of the European Commission, Rev. Dr. Vance curated the anthology titled Adoptionland: From Orphans to Activists, spotlighting the experiences of adult adoptees from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. Vance then researched and wrote the investigational book Adoption History: An Adoptee's Research into Child Trafficking, unveiling the tactics used to obtain children for adoption. She shares personal experiences in two memoirs, one focusing on her childhood and the other on her search for her biological family with her twin titled The Search for Mother Missing.
Dedication
Joseph Tae Holt and Lew Eric Jones
For the Korean-born adopted sons of
Bertha & Harry Holt
and
Jim Jones & Marceline
May these memorials serve as a tribute to Joseph Tae Holt and Lew Eric Jones, reminding us of their humanity and the importance of empathy and vigilance in our world. 🕊️🌹
Who is Joseph Tae Holt? (1952 - 1984 | Age 32)
Joseph Tae Holt, one of the Korean-born adopted sons of Bertha and Harry Holt, left an indelible mark on our hearts during his time in life. Joseph Holt’s journey was marked by pain, and in 1984, he tragically took his own life. His struggle was profound. May Joseph find peace beyond this world, and may his life inspire us to reach out to those who are forced into foreign adoptive homes. Let us honor his memory by standing against any form of coercion and by supporting fellow adoptees who are fighting against modern-day child migration schemes known today as intercountry adoption, the legal commodification of children, and the abuse of power over the most vulnerable among us.
Lew Eric Jones
Adopted by Cult Leader, Rev. Jim Jones, Pastor of the Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ Church
Who is Lew Eric Jones? (November 23, 1956 - November 18, 1978 | Age 21)
Lew Eric Jones, a victim of the infamous Jonestown Massacre, lost his life in a tragedy that shook the world. In 1978, he was among the more than 900 who perished in Guyana after consuming poisoned Kool-Aid at the direction of his adoptive father, Rev. Jim Jones. Lew’s life was cut short, but his life as an adoptee serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of blind obedience and manipulation. May Lew Eric Jones rest in peace, and may his story continue to raise awareness about the need for critical thinking and vigilance against the exploitation of fellow humans by elitist and self-righteous authorities claiming to work for Jesus. Let us remember him for the impact he had on those who knew him.
We Protect Local and Global Families from the Crisis of Child Exploitation and Commodification
ACCORDING TO THE VICTIMS: Seventy years later, Harry and Bertha Holt, the pioneers of the "cult and culture" of overseas adoption, are believed to have used their connections with prominent Christian leaders, such as Rev. Billy Graham, to gain fame and attract customers for what has become a global multi-million dollar child-migration scheme, known as an ethical, accredited and glorified international adoption program --hence with its evangelical stamp of approval, its reputation of being the Cadillac of adoption agencies over all other secular facilitators. Many of the Holt Company's customers were pastors, deacons, and elders from various churches, eager to follow the Holts' lead. By the 1980s rolled around, still, no one dared to ask if the children were truly "orphans" and "unwanted," nor did Holt customers request proof of orphan status. Instead, according to victims, the public immediately trusted the Holt company with payment of exorbitant adoption fees per child "processed and matched."
Exhibit 1955: EASY PREY
"We only had our screams and fists."
Why is Korea considered the "Cadillac" of International Adoptions?
Faith-based evangelists Harry and Bertha Holt pioneered one of the largest overseas mid-century modern child migration schemes in South Korea immediately after the Korean War ended, initially collecting donations for their "Orphan Foundation Fund." After receiving worldwide acclaim in Western media, Wanda, one of the Holts' biological daughters, compiled a list of over 500 potential customers who wanted to adopt a Korean baby as early as December 14, 1955. The insatiable demand for babies begins. Rev. Y.C. Murphy, a retired Seattle missionary, expressed his interest in 4000 children or more and was pleased that the Holts intended to give the Korean children to Christians only.
Harry Holt expressed his determination to bring as many children to the United States “as the Lord will allow” before December 1956, when the Refugee Act expired. Harry hoped the number would be 500, referring to the list of potential adopters compiled by his young daughter. Proud Christians, Bertha Holt wrote, “Harry often accompanied a Bible woman and a policewoman to locate babies in areas where mixed-race children were likely to be born.”
A military colleague of Holt noted that “many missionaries are reserving the children” for their friends who want children, but “some [Korean] mothers keep their children hoping their fathers will return to Korea to take them to America.”
Even into the 1970s, the children were exported overseas with certificates claiming Korean adoptees were “orphans,” “abandoned,” and “unwanted.”
Rev. Graham, seen preaching below, held a five-day Crusade in Korea from May 30 to June 3, 1973, during which approximately 4.4 million Koreans attended across different cities. The largest gathering occurred in Seoul, with an estimated 1.1 million people in attendance on June 3, 1973. The religious-motivated “adoption cult and culture” expanded to recruit babies to better “forever-families” and “loving-Christian” homes.
Contrary to the notion that Confucius, Buddha, or an infatuation with “blood-ties” has been the cause of the massive migration of Korean children, the overseas adoption industry has been spearheaded by faith-based adoption agencies, driving this historic child market into Korea's culture, which continues today. The fundamentalist mission was to “save orphans” from an inferior culture, yet the children came from loving mothers and living families and conveniently met the insatiable demand for adoptable children. All it took was to set up a legal child welfare system in Korea while it recovered from the war and then repeat the process around the world. For a comprehensive investigation into overseas adoption and its aftermath inspired by its victims, Adoption: What You Should Know, curated by Rev. Janine Myung Ja, Ph.D., sheds light on what has become an accredited and "ethical" global multi-billion dollar industry.
Featured Article by Yuri Doolan:
NOTE: Adoption: What You Should Know is also available on audio. The audio does not contain the 2020 "Only in Adoption" survey results. Today, the adoption price per Korean child is only $64,000 compared to $66,ooo for a child from South Africa, according to an adoptive parent and former customer of Holt International Children's Services.