The Anna Jinja Show
The Anna Jinja show focuses on the stories, issues, and questions connected to adoption and foster care experiences.
The host is an international adoptee with biological roots in Korea and adopted roots in the United States. As you can imagine, her journey and experiences as a transracial adoptee are multifaceted. Her experiences have been with the pain of discrimination and rejection as well as the joys of self-discovery and learning to embrace all aspects of her identity.
Along the way, she has discovered that she is not alone. We’re all – in some ways – adopted into or out of homes, cultures, communities, and relationships as we grow and evolve. This show illuminates the theme of adoption, in all ways, in our lives. And how those experiences create who we are and who we are yet to be.
Her hope is that through engaging with the guests and creative content, we are welcomed home in this world, cradled in the belief that we belong, that we are worthy, and that we are loved.
So stay tuned, and you may discover your own adoption story.
Episodes
123 episodes
Stephanie Russell & Jillian Kay
What does it look like to offer sturdiness to someone navigating one of life's most complex systems? That's the question at the heart of Episode 2 of The Anna Jinja Show's Athens County Children Services Season — and Stephani...
Otis Crockron & Bruce Dalzell
Something special is happening in Athens County — and it starts today. The Anna Jinja Show is launching its first season ever, and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you. This season was made in partnership with ...
Linda Pevac & Jim Pilgrim
I just want to know your name." Five words. An entire life behind them. For this episode of The Anna Jinja Show, author Emma Stevens and singer-songwriter Jim Pilgrim came together for something rare — a song ...
Betsie Norris & Ready Aim Flowers
What does it take to advocate for 400,000 people — over 25 years — to access something as fundamental as their own birth certificate? For Betsie Norris, it started with her own search. As an adoptee in her mid-twent...
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Amba Elieff & Anna Jinja
What if a poem could hold every part of you — even the parts you've been afraid to name? On this episode of The Anna Jinja Show, host Anna Jinja sits down with poet Amba Elieff, a woman who has...
Linda Pevac & Rev Dr Rob Martin
Some conversations don't just move you. They find you. On this episode of The Anna Jinja Show, host Anna Jinja sits down with Linda Pevac — known to readers by her author pen name, Emma Stevens — a do...
Steven Strafford & Scott Minar
There is a line in the poem "Stage Gift" — written by Dr. Scott Minar for this special episode — that will have you return to over and over: "I see kindness radiates in a theater exponentially and the magic blooms in movement an...
Bob Pohl & Patrick Part 2
"Don't overthink it." — The best adoption advice you'll ever hear. Part 2 of this remarkable conversation on The Anna Jinja Show is here — and it goes even deeper. Bob Pohl and Patrick are back with host Anna Jinja, pi...
Bob Pohl & Patrick Part 1
What does it truly mean to say YES to love?On this deeply moving episode of The Anna Jinja Show, host Anna Jinja sits down with two extraordinary men — Bob Pohl, adoptive father and husband to author Susan Strong, and Pat...
Kristina Denbow & Mather Family Part 2
What does it mean to have two homes, two families, and two lives — and to love both fully?In the latest episode of The Anna Jinja Show, host Anna Jinja sits down with Kristina Denbow, a transnational adoptee who was adopt...
Kayla Obenour, Emily Singer, & Marlene L'Abbe
What does it mean to truly love someone exactly as they are — not as a project to improve, but as a whole and complete person? That question is at the heart of this episode of The Anna Jinja Show, and the answers from our three gue...
Dr. Gretchen Sisson & Jim Pilgrim
This episode of The Anna Jinja Show brings together two powerful voices for a conversation that will stay with listeners long after they press pause. Dr. Gretchen Sisson, author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and th...
Deb Gold & Wendy McVicker
Deb Gold is a certified ICF coach who helps globally-focused individuals and organizations take practical pathways to transformation to create purposeful and impactful transformation out in the world. Deb feels that it is important to share her...
Levi Merrill & Diane Merrill
Full Circle: A Mother, Son, and the Music of Belonging This week's episode features both Diane and her son Levi Merrill for an intimate conversation about adoption, identity, and what it really means to create family through ...
Aidan Curran & Ian Vidovic
What does it mean to truly change the world? Sometimes it starts with creating spaces where people belong. Join us on The Anna Jinja Show as we sit down with Aidan Curran—a video producer, community builder, and pass...
Dr. Susan Branco & Meredith Francom
Have you ever felt caught between two worlds—not quite belonging to either, yet somehow belonging to both? This episode of The Anna Jinja Show explores this profound experience through a conversation with Dr. S...
The Prior Family & Christofer Smith
The Unexpected Path to Family: A Story of Patience, Faith & Perseverance In a world that often moves too fast, Kreig and Jillian Prior's story is a powerful reminder that some of life's greatest blessings arrive on their ...
Rebecca Del Pozo Follow-up Conversation: From Struggling to Thriving
From Struggling to Thriving: The Power of Choice in Your Adoption Story "Single mom struggle. I'm just going to struggle. This is going to be my story." Until one day, Rebecca Del Pozo said: "N...
Jade Amez, Caitlin Kraus, & Brad Swiniarski
"Where Am I From?" A Conversation About Belonging, Identity, and Home "Where are you from?" It's one of the most common questions we ask when meeting someone new. But for adoptees, for those in mixed-race fam...
David Butcher & Paisha Thomas
"I Am Here": A Conversation on Adoption, Heritage, and Cultural Identity How do we honor stories that some would prefer to erase? What does it take to raise children across racial lines in America? And how can art pr...
Ell Pyle & Basket Case Band
The Anna Jinja Show brings together adoptees across generations for a powerful discussion on surviving—and thriving through—life's most difficult transitionsThere's a moment in every young person's life when the world feels like i...
Saily Bah & Neva Alden
When an 11-Year-Old's Courage Inspires a Country Song This episode will restore your faith in the next generation! Her story begins with heartbreak. When Saily was just 11, she experienced two consecutive days o...
Dan Smith & Milly Raccoon
You know those conversations that start in one place and end up somewhere completely unexpected—somewhere even more profound than you imagined? That's exactly what happened when the host, Anna Jinja, brought together Dan Smith (Cleveland Adopti...
