Hi! I’m Patrick Samuel Yung Armstrong (he/him). I am a Korean American Adoptee, which means I was born in a country (Korea), then adopted by a family of a different race (white) in another country (the United States).

Here’s my elevator story: for the first 30 years of my life I lived in a state of rejection, of my Asian and Korean identities, of my worthiness. At 30, I woke from the great sleep that is the dominant narrative of adoption and entered into a state of reclamation, of my identities, of my humanity, of myself. Then, 32, I moved beyond just reclaiming the pieces of me I was missing and reached the phase I am currently in: acceptance - specifically, accepting who I was, who I will be, who I am right now.

I am passionate about building, facilitating, and supporting community, especially within the Adoptee and Asian American spaces. To do so, I help people learn how to claim their identity by sharing through the lens of my lived experience. While my lived experience seems niche, the journey of identity is one we all have to navigate.

Whether it’s podcasting (The Janchi Show, Conversation Piece), speaking, or working with organizations to build more mindful, inclusive cultures, my goal is to help folks approach our hidden identities and communities from a place of empathy, whether that’s within our own diasporas or in solidarity with others.