Meet Brandi.
on what we can make in community
Happy AANHPI & APIDA Heritage month! All month, I’ll be featuring phenomenal humans from the Asian diaspora, along with a snapshot of their creative work. Each of these friends is someone I treasure deeply and think you should know, learn from, support, and follow.
Meet Brandi Ebersole.
Making Kimchi or Making Me
by Brandi Ebersole
I left the house and said, “Going to be Korean, see you later.” My husband’s silence echoed as I opened the car door. I then said out loud to myself, “You are always Korean. It’s not something you do, it is who you are.”
But this is where I am in my unlearning. Being internationally adopted, I grew up equating being Korean with physically being in Korea. And now, I am working hard to feel empowered in my Korean-American ways. Physically birthing half-Korean people gave new importance to my identity. Asking my Korean community questions always takes me an extra amount of courage, but I am ASKING. The generosity and love that they always share is overwhelming. For the past 4 years, the Park family has shared so much with me. Every time the Park's Omma (or Mother) cooks Korean food, I magically am invited. My heart and stomach have found a new type of healing. Omma wants to come with me to Korea. She once shared with me with big tears in her eyes about how Koreans want their people and grieve over adoption. The woman has translated paperwork for me and nicknamed my kids with korean words. Her daughter in-law has also gone above and beyond to bridge the gap that so often feels vacant.
So my car pulled-up to the driveway. I confidently held my jars and walked into the sounds of chopping and chatter. My shoulders softened and I began to chop too. With each ingredient added, my sense of self continues to build. My community's generosity and love calls me home into the truest version of myself. Crisp and spicy just Omma’s and my kimchi.
Brandi Ebersole is a Korean-American woman. Her journey here is a bit different. Brandi is a transnational and transracial adoptee. Growing-up in predominantly white spaces one of her superpowers is her nuanced view. She is a creative that loves to weave so many different mediums together from photographing the beauty of the world around her, writing and speaking about adoption, while balancin hrt motherhood full of diversity and wonder. There is always hope and passion in both of Brandi's hands. Brandi loved people, reading, strong coffee and every crunchie snack. Brandi is on a quest to learn and grow as an Asian Pacific Islander. You can find her musing and sharing on her instagram @brandi_ebersole, her new substack / or any of her podcast appearances.
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