João Herbert: Adopted and Deported - Book by Wanja Campos da Nóbrega

Sometimes a deeply personal tragedy becomes an international incident.

Did you know that there was a time when babies adopted from foreign countries don’t automatically get their parent’s citizenship? Once they reached adulthood, they were classed as aliens. And they didn’t even know it. Until they broke the law… Every year, adoptees of American families were deported back to countries where they did not know the culture or the language and no one knew them. They were kicked out of the only home they’ve ever known. 

In Joao Herbert: Adopted & Deported, diplomat and author Wanja Campos da Nóbrega shares the human face of diplomacy, as she follows the dramatic cases of Brazilian children, adopted by American couples, who were ultimately deported to Brazil after living their whole lives in the United States. 

Joao Herbert: Adopted & Deported tells the real journey of one such boy. Adopted as a child from an orphanage on the outskirts of São Paulo, Joao Herbert is one of the lucky ones who begins a new life in small-town Ohio. However, getting a new family does not mean new citizenship. In a few short years, he experiences the nightmare of incarceration and finally, deportation. The case of Joao Herbert forever changed American law. His case helped determine who gets to be American.

Inside, you’ll discover: 

• Why it’s important to get your documents and citizenship resolved early
• How do consulates work under extraordinary circumstances
• About the tragic human cost of immigration and deportation policies
• And more...

Get Joao Herbert: Adopted & Deported today!

About the Author
 
Wanja Campos da Nóbrega is a Toronto-based author. As a Brazilian career diplomat, at the ambassadorial level, she has been, since 2020, the Consul General of Brazil in Toronto. She earned her bachelor’s degree in International Relations (University of Brasília), and graduated in Diplomacy from the Rio Branco Institute, the Brazilian diplomatic academy. She has served at the Brazilian embassies in La Paz (Bolivia), Paramaribo (Suriname), Algiers (Algeria), Washington, D.C. (United States of America) and Dhaka (Bangladesh), and at consulates Paris (France), Rome (Italy), Cape Town (South Africa), Toronto (Canada) and Mexico City (Mexico). In 2004, she was appointed the representative of Itamaraty, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to accompany the 22nd Brazilian Expedition to Antarctica. She was awarded Grand Officer of the Order of Rio Branco, the highest decoration granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for her services to Brazil.
 
Joao Herbert: Adopted & Deported - The True Story of How One Tragic Case Changed the American Law is being released in eBook and trade paperback formats in May, 2024. Portuguese and Spanish versions are also available.