Please join the Transnational Adoptee Support Group on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, for a panel discussion. The Transnational Adoptee support group has opened this special topic meeting panel for all members of the adoption constellation community to join us to listen and learn from our panelists’ perspectives.
This meeting will feature a panel discussion on Multicultural Identity Exploration and Development. In almost a year & a half since creation, the Transnational Adoptee Support Group has grown with over 70 attendees representing 24 different countries. Our panel will feature adoptees from Kazakhstan, Panama, Peru & Japan, and Russia.

About the Panelists

Judi Rhee Alloway (pronounced-Jud-eye), (she/her)
Judi is a transnational Korean adoptee, raised in American Irish, Polish, and Russian cultures. Her transformational life story from "a wheelchair to health is wealth" is in The Coach’s Journey, a book she co-authored with Ed Abel and Dr. Joseph Amanfu, among others. Considered a “Top Woman Innovator” by the U.S. Department of Labor and “Top Minority Business Leader” by the Philadelphia Business Journal, Ms. Alloway is the founder of the “Best Business Center” Women’s Biz Coop. She has been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Business Journal, City of Philadelphia’s Office of Public Engagement, ABC, CBS, Fox, MBC America, Korean Quarterly, Forbes.com, and Nickelodeon. She is available for coaching, consulting, and speaking engagements. Learn more at womensbizcoop.com and judirheealloway.com.

Sandi Morgan Caesar, LMSW (she/her)
Sandi is one of the cofacilitators of the ANC Transnational Adoptee Support Group. She was born Cristina Rodriguez in Panama to a 14-year-old girl who parented her for most of her 1st year. Ultimately, she was placed for adoption by her maternal grandmother without the knowledge or consent of her birth mother. Sandi was adopted by a Black US Air Force family stationed in Panama at the time. Sandi was naturalized as a US citizen then brought to the US at 3 years old. She grew up in Dayton, Ohio and currently lives in Virginia. Sandi has been reunited with her birthmother and maternal family in Panama since 2004. Sandi is a graduate of Howard University and Indiana University. She also cofacilitates a support circle for BADAN, the Black African Diaspora Adoptee Network.

Yukiko Marisol Flores Shishido (they/elle)
Yukiko is a Peruvian and Japanese immigrant. They identify as Brown, Indigenous, Asian, queer, and nonbinary. Yukiko was born in Tokyo, Japan in the early 90s and raised on Long Island, NY with their white, Irish- Italian American, Catholic family and their three younger biological children. Yukiko is currently living in VA and they identify as multiracial and multicultural. Yukiko has experienced estrangement with adoptive family, loss of biological parent, reunion with biological family, and reclaiming their birth names - legally. They have a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Old Dominion University. Currently, Yukiko is in Lima, Peru, where they are in a Spanish immersion program for three months.

Jacob Knight, (he/him/his)
Jacob is a transnational adoptee from Tver, Russia and has always known he was adopted. Jacob is currently exploring changing his name to his original Russian name, Sasha. He has been in reunion with three of his biological sisters for about a year and a half. Jacob has been coming to ANC programming and has been connecting with fellow adoptees in the adoption community for almost two years. Jacob currently lives in northeast Ohio.

Anel Fore, MSW (she/her)
Anel is a transnational, transracial adoptee from Kazakhstan. She was adopted in 2000 from the province of Taraz. Anel grew up in a small rural town in southern Virginia and currently lives in southeastern Virginia. Anel is navigating her birth mother’s decision to not continue contact as well as estrangement from her adoptive family, and has navigated name change to her birth name. Anel graduated University of Virginia with a Bachelors in Psychology and from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with her Masters in Social Work (MSW). She currently works as a social worker and case manager in the post-adoption space, supporting and providing resources to adoptees & adoptive families while centering lived experience.

Participant Guidelines
While this meeting is open to all, we ask that questions, comments, and chat messages during the meeting are reserved only for those who are part of the transnational (intercountry, international) adoptee community to respect and preserve the uncompromised space the regular attendees have cultivated while allowing others to learn about the experiences of transnational adoptees.
All transnational adoptee attendees (whether regular attendees or just attending for the first time) are invited to speak and participate in discussion and meeting chat following the panel discussion.

FAQ About Attending this Meeting:
Q: I’m a friend/family member of an adoptee, birth parent, domestic adoptee, or have another connection to adoption. Can I attend this meeting?
A: Yes! We are opening this meeting for anyone to attend to listen and learn.
Q: If I’m an adoptee but not a transnational adoptee, can I participate in the discussion at the end of this meeting?
A: No, we ask that only transnational adoptees speak or comment using the meeting chat feature during all parts of this meeting.
Q: What if I have a question for the panelist about something they shared?
A: Our panelists are generously sharing their expertise and lived experience at this meeting and will not be taking direct questions during or after this group from attendees regarding what is shared. This ensures that the panelists have an uncompromised, safe environment to share their unique lived experiences without needing to manage the reactions of those with different lived experiences. We ask that you respect our panelists’ privacy and do not attempt to contact them directly following this group discussion and keep what is shared private.
Please reach out to Svetlana Sandoval Svetlana.sandoval@adoptionnetwork.org for direct questions or comments following the meeting conclusion, and she will connect you with resources where you can learn about the meeting topics.