The Myth of Resilience

• In Event: Un-M-Othered: Stories to Resist and Redefine the Othering of (Our) Mothers

Abstract

This piece challenges how the term resilience is used regarding adoptees. This poem explores how children who are un-mothered are expected to “bounce back” despite being un-mothered. Drawing from my experiences as an adoptee and those of my biological mother, I explore adoption trauma and contest conventional definitions of resilience. I contend that the term resilience is not adequate for adoptees and un-mothered children, and the concept is a goal created from a stance of privilege and unattainable by those of us in the margins.

Presenter

• Angelle Elaine Richardson, Bethune-Cookman University