"My mother had a habit of kissing a strange man each night before bed. She would pull back the covers, get onto her hands and her knees, then press her palms together. When she lifted her head, their eyes would meet. This black and white pencil sketch of someone I never knew would be blessed with three kisses..."

"December 10, 2014, changed my life forever. After life-long yearnings to one day reunite with my biological mother, I received a letter from HOLT adoption agency with three photographs of my birth mom. With my adoptive mother in tears beside me, my heart started pounding as I gazed over the documents. A translated autobiography from my birth mother followed..."

"Neither of us shed a single tear. We exchanged a slight hug while a surreal amount of awkwardness permeated the atmosphere. Everyone started taking photos of us while we nervously stood together."

"After dinner, we all went to sing karaoke, something I had never done before. My mother sang a Korean ballad while I sang Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk. Nothing felt natural. My first trip to Korea only lasted a short while. My adoptive family and I spent our last few days with my biological family hiking in a..."

"At that exact moment, the taxi stopped at the traffic light right in front of New York City Times Square. I looked outside. That was my first experience in America. Dreams do come true..."

"These are the stories I’m sure a lot of our parents have. Most don’t like to talk about their struggles and reminisce on that time in their life filled with fear and misery. It’s these stories that we need to dig out of them so we can remember how difficult their lives were and forever appreciate their sacrifices. My father, my idol, my superhero..."

"Have you ever felt trapped inside your parents’ expectations and rules? I don’t mean this in a bad way, that’s for our own good. But as you know, some typical Asian parents expect their children to be doctors, accountants, lawyers... the list goes on. Or have you ever felt like there were so many obstacles in front of you keeping you from achieving your dreams? Being an artist, I have often felt trapped. I faced difficulties on the journey toward reaching my dreams."