Today I heard a fascinating radio interview on PRI about the Karen/Anyeli adoption case, which included comments by Erin Siegal McIntyre and the lawyer for the Missouri couple who adopted Karen/Anyeli, Jared Genser. The piece is titled “One girl’s controversial adoption, and what it says about Guatemala’s broken adoption system.” If you haven’t read McIntyre’s original article in Guernica, click on the link in the PRI story to do so. I also urge you to click on the link to Jared Genser’s comprehensive response to McIntyre’s article. Reading Genser’s complete response filled in some blanks, for me, about the saga.
ShareThisTags: Erin Siegal McIntyre, Jared Genser, Karen/Anyeli case, Missouri adoption case
I realize this is an old post, but I want to thank you so much for reporting both sides and providing a link to Mr. Genser’s response. I’ve been perplexed by several aspects of this case, including contradictory reports as to how the alleged kidnapping occurred. I am passionate about Central America and adoption in general, and deeply concerned for Guatemala and Guatemalan children in particular. But all of my recent googling failed to find such succinct summations of both sides as you provided here with your links. All I could find were rehashed reports of the Guernica article by other media and bloggers. So, thank you! Your desire to fully communicate the entire story was extremely helpful to me.
Thank you, too, for your articles, book (I downloaded the excerpt yesterday and am looking forward to the full book!), and especially your continued blog posts about what it means to be a mother to Guatemalan children. Your candor and long-term perspective are extraordinary helpful in evaluating the choices ahead for my family and me. I was particularly aided by your insight and links to other reports about both why Guatemala shut down American adoptions and what that means for the vulnerable children who still need families. I know first-hand how frustratingly slow Central American governments work, even with the best of intentions. However, I was naïve in understanding how utterly broken and dangerous the previous system was.
¡Gracias!
Gioia, thank you. I so appreciate your taking the time to write to tell me this. Reading your note made my day. Thank you again.
Jessica