korean_adoptees (original) (raw)

Research invite

at December 13th, 2011 (01:44 pm)

Hi friends,

Being a Korean adoptee has not had a big impact on my life until recently. I am 26 years old, and never gave much thought to my Korean heritage or adoption status. I was raised in a White environment and pretty much just wanted to fit in. It feels like "all of a sudden," being adopted from Korea has started to affect me. I am a grad student now, and last semester I took a class about adoption. Reading research articles about adoptees evoked so many latent emotions. I have also been reading memoirs of other Korean adoptees and I feel like I completely connect with things other people write about, even though I never knew I had these feelings until now.

Anyway, I have decided to write my M.A. thesis about experiences of Korean adoptees. Since I know what it is like to look one way, but sometimes feel another way, I want to explore how we navigate between feelings of similarity and difference. I hope to discover factors that facilitate positive interpretations of difference.

I would be grateful if anyone wanted to help me with my research by taking an online survey that takes about 30 minutes to complete. I am looking for people who were adopted from Korea, by a White parent or parents. To compensate you for your time, at the end of the survey, you will have the option to be entered into three raffles for $50 each. If you are interested, you can take the survey at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QC2KXZ2

Thank you very much for you consideration.
Danielle

Would like some comfort?

at December 15th, 2010 (05:25 pm)

Hi, I stumbled across this website by acciently when I was looking for more information of where I was adopted from. I didn't know such a community existed. Well, here is my story. I was adopted in 1985 and now my biological father is looking for me. I really don't know what to do. I am happy but yet sad at the idea that my family gave me away to begin with. I was emailed by the adoption agency with his name and where is lives. I guess I just need come help with this subject. If anyone in this community has gone through this or something similar to this, please email me. Thank you so very much

article

by the devil's sooty brother (ghostwire)

at December 31st, 2009 (12:07 am)

Here's a link from The New York Times about Korean Adoptees.

Call for Papers from KADs

at August 16th, 2009 (04:14 am)

I know this is last minute, but I honestly forgot this community existed, and that I was a part of it until the post about tags showed up on my friends page! Sorry!

Has everyone seen the Angry Asian Man post about the call for essay submissions from Korean Adoptees about being Korean adoptees? I don't know if I can get things together quick enough myself since the due date is Sept. 1st, but I wanted to throw it out there in case any of you have papers lying around or are motivated to do this!

Korean E-2 Visa: Background Check

at May 6th, 2008 (09:51 pm)

I spent this past year as an English teacher in Gimpo, South Korea. I'm planning to go back to a different school in Yongin (I've signed the contract, done the health check, and my start date is supposed to be June 2nd). I miss Korea a lot, and I can't wait to go back!

However, I'm having trouble getting my background check. When I was in Korea I heard you could get fingerprinted at a police station and they would send it to your state for the background check. I went to a police station in Hyehwa (near Dongdaemun, light blue line), and they said that they couldn't fingerprint me without permission from the Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade (something like that).

Last week, I came back to the US (Maryland, specifically). I went to a local police station and they said they can only fingerprint me on cards provided by the one who requested the background check. I called the Korean embassy to ask them, but they didn't know anything about it. I called another police station, and they said they don't do background checks and said the same thing, that the one who requested the check provides the cards.

So now I'm confused. What are these cards? How do I get them? I've done everything else for my new visa, aside from get the background check. I feel like I'm up against a brick wall. Does anyone have any advice? Does anyone know something I missed? Please help!

I'm posting this in a few different places, so if you see this more than once, I apologize.

Introduction

at April 2nd, 2008 (12:20 am)

Obviously, I'm not Korean by my userpic haha. If it's not cool for me to be here... just tell me and I'll leave.

Anyways, I decided to join and poke around to see maybe some of the stuff my brothers and sister will go through once they are older.
I'm one of five kids in my family. There's my older half brother, myself, my younger brothers Karson and Kullen, and my baby sister Kellis. I generally don't go annoucing "oh, I have adopted brothers and sisters from Korea!" just because I don't think of it that way but in this case I felt it was important so you know what I'm actually doing here. My younger brothers and sister are such an important part of my lives and I hardly ever think about them being "different" from myself unless it's brought up by other people.

So ummm, yeah just wanted to introduce myself and say hi. :)

KAD support groups in northern Illinois?

at March 30th, 2008 (01:51 pm)

Hi folks,

I'm a fellow KAD and hope to write a journalistic piece on KADs for a magazine feature writing class. I'm wondering if any of yall know of any adoptee-specific support groups, Korean "cultural" organizations, or any other group that deals with Korean adoptees in any fashion in the northern Illinois-southern Wisconsin-eastern Iowa area. I'm looking specifically for groups near Janesville-Rockford, but groups in Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, or Dubuque would work as well.

Cheers!
-scott

My other Family

at March 13th, 2007 (11:11 pm)

received a call the other day that just blew my mind. My birth mother called from Korea. I couldn't understand anything she was saying so she got an interpreter to translate for us. We exchanged emails and this is what I got in my email today.

Myung Ok is my older sister(older by 2 years). I went to Korea back in April of 2000 for her wedding and I am so happy to hear that she has had kids. I am now an Aunt to two nephews and 2 nieces:) I would love to see pictures of them. I wonder if they can email me some? Maybe with the internet being so readily available, I'll be able to keep in touch with them easier.

From the sound of this letter, I believe my birth mother's husband left her and she had to move in with my sister and her husband. It's just sad to hear that. My birth mother has had so much to deal with in her lifetime. She deserves a little happiness.

I would love to go visit again. I just don't know if I'll ever be able to afford it. Well that and being able to find the time. Maybe in a few years, but before then I need to learn how to speak Korean. I keep telling myself that I'll look into hiring a tutor but I forget or get distracted. Now I'm gonna have to staple a note to my forehead.

at February 27th, 2007 (07:35 pm)

A few weeks ago a friend of mine brought me to an asian market. I felt completely lost. Everything was in Japanese and the packaging was very foreign to me. Well after much thought I decided to go back and purchase some sushi dishes. I love the place! Everyone was friendly and helpful to me. They didn't look at me as if I should automatically understand their language and they didn't treat me like I was a stupid American. I actually felt at home there.

Irony

at February 22nd, 2007 (09:08 pm)

I came across this interesting artcile in the New York Times, similiar to one I read in the Korea Times. Appreantly men 20 and up in Korea are having a hard time finding wives, so they need to look elsewhere. The Times article cites women going into the workforce and selective births as some primary reasons. Another one? All of us girls whose parents made adoption plans in the 1970s and 1980s are in the U. S.

I just found that interesting to say the least.