September 25th, 2024

UPCOMING AK CONNECTION EVENTS Oct. 26: AK Connection Halloween Social  Join us for a night of fun, friends, and fall vibes. We'll have trivia, noraebang (aka karaoke), a costume contest, and prizes, including a special award for the best costume! Korean adoptees and their loved ones ages 21+ welcomed. RSVP now - space is limited!  Date: Saturday, Oct. 26 Time: 6-10 p.m.  Place: The Sewing Room at Eat Street Crossing (2819 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN)   RSVP COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS

Highlighting Korean-American and adoptee news and additional community events Sept. 28: K-Pop Fall Vendor Market Sept. 29: Adoptee Hub’s Kimchi Festival Oct. 2-16: Theater Mu Training Institute - The Foundations of Asian American Theater Course (register by Sept. 25) Oct. 6-28: Seoul Inheritance: Kids in K-Horror (showings of Korean horror films) Oct. 15: Apply to the Chun Kyung-ja Award for Korean-American contemporary artists WHAT'S NEW Associated Press Investigation Finds Evidence of South Korean Adoption Fraud (Note: the news below can be difficult for many in our community to read. It’s normal that this may bring up strong and conflicting thoughts and feelings. If you’re struggling, remember you don’t have to process this alone, and we encourage you to seek support from fellow adoptees, trusted friends and family, or a therapist who specializes in working with adoptees.) An investigation led by The Associated Press in partnership with PBS Frontline has uncovered extensive evidence of fraud in South Korea’s international adoption system. The report found that thousands of adoptees sent abroad between the 1960s and 1980s may have had their records falsified, with some children wrongly labeled as orphans or their family situations misrepresented to expedite adoptions.  The report is based on interviews with more than 80 adoptees in the U.S., Australia and six European countries, along with parents, agency employees, humanitarian workers and government officials. It also drew on more than 100 information requests and thousands of pages of documents — including many never publicly seen before and some The Associated Press got declassified. Part 1: Rampant adoption fraud separated generations of South Korean children from their families, AP finds Part 2: Who Am I, Then? (PBS Frontline Interactive Feature)  Part 3: Western nations were desperate for babies. Now many adoptees believe they were stolen  Part 4: Takeaways from AP’s story on the role of the West in widespread adoption fraud with South Korean adoptions (summary article of all findings)  PBS Frontline documentary: South Korea’s adoption reckoning  Related: South Korean truth commission says it found more evidence of forced adoptions in the 1980s BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOTE In each newsletter, you'll hear from the board members who organized that month's event. Learn more about our all-volunteer board.  추석 잘 보내세요! (Happy Belated Chuseok!) 안녕하세요! (Hello!) Thank you to everyone who made it to our Chuseok event two weeks ago, especially those who donated to support AK Connection! Shoutout to the whole team at Arbeiter Brewing Company for providing their amazing space for us to gather. And a huge round of applause to our friend and past AKC board member, Janessa, for putting together that impressive bibimbap spread! During Chuseok, families gather to celebrate through traditions and offerings honoring their ancestors during the harvest moon. While we may not always celebrate holidays here in a traditional way, it's important to have these opportunities to come together as adoptees. Janessa suggested bibimbap for our event because it reminds her of the Korean adoptee community. Each ingredient shines on its own, but together they create a beautiful harmony. We are stronger together, and we couldn’t do any of this without you. We're grateful your involvement and support. 감사합니다! (Thank you!) RSVP