While evidence suggests that adoptees do not differ from non-adoptees in their ability to achieve a stable sense of identity, much is still unknown about how specifically the fact of being adopted affects one's identity. The purpose of this research is to take a deeper look at the significance and meaning of being adopted to one's sense of identity through qualitative analyses of in depth interviews with adoptees. Participants were recruited from Psychology classes via the SONA system. The participants (N = 16) took part in an in-depth structured interview and completed a survey battery which included a demographic questionnaire, the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire, the Identity Distress Survey, and the Brief Symptom Index-18. Interviews were transcribed, analyzed, and coded for emerging themes using thematic analysis. The themes and their effect on adopted individuals' identity is discussed with multiple case examples.