Max Wieland & Ian Vidovic

Finding Home in Two Worlds: Max's Journey from China to Minneapolis and Beyond: A Story of Courage, Identity, and Belonging  

What does it mean to belong when you're caught between two worlds? In this deeply moving episode of The Anna Jinja Show, host Anna Jinja sits down with Max, a Chinese-American adoptee whose story challenges everything we think we know about family, identity, and home.  

Adopted from Northern China at just 15 months old by a single mother in Detroit, Max grew up in Minneapolis navigating the complex terrain of being an international adoptee. But his journey took an even more courageous turn as he embraced his identity as a trans man, adding another layer to his already multifaceted experience of belonging.  

"I think one misconception about adoption is that people think it's a single event," Max shares. "But for adoptees, you have to realize it is an ongoing journey... something you do have to carry and that grows with you throughout your life."  

Max's story is remarkable not just for its honesty, but for its hope. From attending a Chinese immersion program in high school to finding love with his girlfriend Alexis (thanks to Alexis working at Anna’s workout location!), Max demonstrates how we can create families and communities that celebrate all parts of who we are. 

This conversation touches on the unique challenges faced by Asian adoptees - from microaggressions to the constant feeling of being "not enough" in either culture - while celebrating the resilience and wisdom that comes from navigating multiple identities.  

Whether you're an adoptee yourself, part of an adoptive family, or simply someone seeking to understand the beautiful complexity of belonging, Max's story offers profound insights wrapped in genuine warmth and authenticity.  

Don't miss this essential conversation about finding your place in the world and creating the family that truly sees you.

Creative Content:  |

Heart Of You by Ian Vidovic 
 
 (Verse)
 Hello! Mr Sun
 Starved from lack of Moon, feeling blue?
 Seeking out the whispers
 Of enchanted gloom
 Pardoned by your heart
 From the room, It's so true
 
 (I am part of you)
 
 Goodbye Mrs. Moon
 Burned with flames we loose with a clue
 Fretting with a tangle
 That comes unglued
 Sparring with nature
 From the few, Its so true
 
 (Verse 2)
 Joined by
 An oath
 Of new life
 That I hold 
 (I am a part of you)
 
 
 Light binds
 Where you go
 With star shine
 At your throat O-at, O-at
 
 (I am a part of you)
 
 I sparkle you close
 in my mind
 that overflows
 
 Chorus
 Twisting, turning, feel my burning
 gears for winding, a love so binding again
 and We'll wrap ourselves instead
 
 Cause I am the heart of you

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