741: Erika Hayasaki: Somewhere Sisters: Born Together, Raised Apart, Then Reunified

Erika Hayasaki is a Shameless Mom of 3. She is the author of Somewhere Sisters, the true story of twin girls who were born in Vietnam separated at birth and raised in different parts of the world. Somewhere Sisters was nominated as an NPR Best Book of 2022. She is also the author of The Death Class, a former 2021-22 Knight-Wallace Reporting Fellow, and a 2018 Alicia Patterson Fellow. She has received awards from the Association of Sunday Feature Editors, the Society for Features Journalism, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors.  Erika’s book is a stunning and captivating story of the intersection of nature vs nurture with twins, interracial adoption, identity, and the meaning of family. This was such a powerful conversation.  Listen in to hear Erika share: About her book, Somewhere Sisters, the true story of twin girls, born in Vietnam and separated at birth, and raised in different parts of the world How she reconstructed the sisters Ha and Loan’s stories and their reunion when they were 13  The science around nature vs. nurture from twin studies  The unexpected trauma that can come with twin and adoptee reunification that we don’t see play out in TV and movies How she had to follow the journalistic truth of each person’s story in the book and not be connected to her own hopes for the girls and the story The legislative loophole in which international adoptees are not automatically granted citizenship and the push for legislation to change it The ethical considerations of interracial adoption How sharing our layered identities with one another allows for a more connected human experience Links mentioned: Book: Somewhere Sisters Erika on Twitter Thank you to our sponsors this month: care.com: Get the help you need to make it all work for your family at care.com/book.  Hello Fresh: Get farm-fresh, pre-portioned meals delivered right to your door! Go to HelloFresh.com/shameless65 and use code shameless65 for 65% off plus free shipping! iHerb: Get your health in check with great products and great pricing. Get 22% off your first order when you use the code SHAMELESS at iherb.com.  Last Bottle Wines: Get 10% off your order when you use the code SHAMELESS at lastbottlewines.com. Luvbuglearning.com: Support your child’s social-emotional learning with the world's first social-emotional gaming platform. Go to Luvbuglearning.com and sign up for a 7-day free trial, or simply download from the APP store and subscribe. Peloton: Get access to a massive workout library and save up to $400 on Bike, Tread, and Row packages before April 2, 2023, at onepeloton.com. Ritual: Ritual’s Essential for Women 18+ is a multivitamin you can actually trust. Ritual is offering my listeners 10% off during your first 3 months. Visit ritual.com/shameless10 to start Ritual or add Essential for Women 18+ to your subscription today. Rothys: For stylish, comfortable, sustainably made shoes, shop Rothy’s. Get $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/SHAMELESSMOM.  StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast!: Need another podcast in your parenting podcast library, check out StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast! wherever you listen to the SMA.  Train Her Game - Free Training: Moms of teen daughter athletes! Help your daughter build confidence and overcome negative mindsets in athletics by attending this free training offered by Breanne Smedley, Host of the Elite Competitor Podcast: https://trainhergame.com/shameless Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices