Liani Reeves arrived in the US when she was only a few months old. With no way to trace her ties to her birth family in Korea, she grew up with her white adoptive family in small town America. Coming into adulthood, she had to confront her confusing identities: an immigrant who came involuntarily, a person of color who grew up white, an Asian America who does not feel quite Asian nor quite American. Never quite fitting in, she has found home in a surprising place.
I Am An American Live is a production of the award-winning nonprofit The Immigrant Story. The stories were presented live at First Congregational Church of Christ, Portland, OR on Saturday, November 11, 2022.
This series of events is part of the programming by the Oregon Rises Above Hate coalition, with the aim of drawing attention to the historic xenophobia experienced by the Asian American community in Oregon and across the U.S. This free event is made possible by a generous contribution by Anne Naito-Campbell. Additional funding was provided by a grant from Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation and Ronald Naito Foundation.
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