Second Chances | Eric McDaniel | Legacy Project Korea

KoreanAmericanStory.org
KoreanAmericanStory.org
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Published 2021-10-14
Eric McDaniel was adopted at the age of four to a family in Kansas City, Missouri. On the car ride from the airport, his mom opened up a photo album showing four polaroid photos - one of a car, a big house, his Mom and brother smiling, and his bed. Having vivid memories of being abandoned, it finally clicked with him that he was getting a second chance and this was the family he wanted. Eric learned to adjust and quickly understood that fending for himself and fighting fire with fire was not the only way to live. By the time he entered high school, he had lost his Korean identity and became the catalyst to his own racism.

Eric wanted to keep himself accountable for his actions and reconnected with Korean culture and his Korean identity after making his first Korean friend at university. With flashbacks of Korea coming back to him, he made up his mind to go to Korea as an English teacher and use it as an opportunity to search for his birth parents. The search was successful and he was able to have the chance to rekindle a relationship with his parents and extended family while also discovering he had half siblings adopted to France. Eric shares how second chances allowed him to love his Korean family again and thanks the internet and global adoptee community for helping him locate his half siblings.

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CREDITS
Interviewer: Becky White
Videographers: Becky White ‪@TheHalfieProject‬ + Cedric Stout ‪@skycedi‬
Editor + Motion Designer: AJ Valente ajyval.myportfolio.com/
Music Composer: Jang Hyeong Yoon
Executive Producer: HJ Lee

KoreanAmericanStory.org is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to create and preserve the stories of the Korean American experience.
All Comments (8)
  • @dezigal87
    You’re always an inspiration, Eric.
  • @teesong6801
    Great story thank you for sharing. Believe it or not even Korean kids who have Korean parents go through the same thing as adoptees do in trying to fit in but it’s worse because our parents did not know about American culture. At times I remember I had a Korean adoptee in my class and thought how lucky he was to have American parents who understood American culture. Same as you, I learned in High School that I wanted to more in tune with my Korean culture and be proud rather than trying to hide it. The most impressive thing you mentioned was to treat everyone with kindness because that is universal in any culture. Good luck to you and your future.
  • @elainecampbell8083
    Thank you so much for sharing Eric's story. Wow, bless him. My cousin is adopted, and she just found out she has three sisters. She met them at the end of 2021. I was really happy for her because she grew up as an only child, adopted into my Aunt and Uncle's family. I love that Eric used the "kill them with kindness tactic". Those are the exact words that my Father used when he talked to me about the bullies that haunted me throughout elementary school. I've used that theory to this day.
  • @rik1754
    Wow your story is amazing to say the least. You already had the mindset of self reflection and awareness when you were so young and you set your mind to achieve what you felt was the right thing to do. Many more happy and healthy years to your life’s journey.
  • @Jinnyboymusic
    Thank you for sharing your story. You have this positive vibe and hope all those struggles and identity crisis is a past.
  • @maimkim
    This guy is the MAN! One of the most inspirational people I’ve met. His story and experience helped me big time in finding myself and my own roots.