KAAN 2024 Conference: Full Schedule

Join KAAN from June 21 – 23 for three days of keynotes, films, presentations, roundtables, performers, exhibits, support forums, and life-changing community. KAAN offers an Adoptee-Only track, as well as sessions for a general audience that are open to all. There are programs for adults aged 18+ and youth aged 8-17. Everyone is welcome, including adoptees, birth families, family members (adoptive parents, spouses/partners, siblings, and children of adoptees), service providers, and Korean Americans. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at tech@wearekaan.org.

Register now at tfec.org/kaan2024

Donate to KAAN
KAAN is a Project of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, fiscal sponsor. This permits KAAN to operate as a nonprofit under TFEC’s 501(c)(3) designation. The official registration and financial information of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, at 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. The Foundation for Enhancing Communities is registered in each state requiring such registration for charitable solicitation. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. Thank you!

12:00am CDT

Note: Schedule, Presenters, and Information are Subject to Change

Friday June 21, 2024 12:00am - Sunday June 23, 2024 11:30pm CDT

KAAN

8:30am CDT

Leadership Summit (Invite-Only)

This is a invite-only pre-KAAN session. You must receive an invitation to attend. Reach out to tech@wearekaan.org if you have any questions.

Speakers

Dr. Katie Bozek

Executive Director, KAAN

Katie Bozek, PhD is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has worked in the mental health field for the past 20 years providing services that are aimed at helping people be able to be and show their authentic selves. She currently serves as the Executive Director of KAAN... Read More →

Amanda Cho

Amanda (Assalone) Cho, PhD, is a Korean American transracial and transnational adoptee in Atlanta who is actively involved in civil rights and advocacy organizations that support communities of color, particularly Asian Americans and Asian American adoptees. She is the Policy Manager... Read More →

Hollee McGinnis

Hollee A. McGinnis, MSW, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. In addition to being adopted from South Korea, she has almost 30 years of community organizing, practice, policy, and research experience on adoption, child welfare, and systems of alternative care (adoption, foster care, orphanages) in the U.S. and South Korea. Prior to her doctorate... Read More →

Nathan Nowack

Co-Host, The Janchi Show

I am a transnational, transracial Korean Adoptee living in Denver, Colorado. I am a dad of 3, avid lego collector, golfer, and co-host on a podcast called The Janchi Show. I am in reunion with my 6 biological siblings. I serve on the KAAN advisory council as well as the engagement... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 8:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Leadership

10:00am CDT

KAAN 2024 Check-In

Friday June 21, 2024 10:00am - 4:00pm CDT
Lobby Level Foyer

Check-In

10:00am CDT

KAAN 2024 Exhibitors

Friday June 21, 2024 10:00am - 4:00pm CDT
Lobby Level Foyer

Exhibitors & Sponsors

12:45pm CDT

First-Time Attendee Welcome: Ages 26+ (Adoptee-Only Session)

This session is geared for adoptees aged 26+. If you are an adoptee under 26, please see First-Time Attendee Welcome: Young Adult Adoptees (Adoptee-Only).

Whether you're new to the KAAN Conference or just want a refresher on the details of this year's gathering, please join us for an informational session about navigating the conference and experiencing any “firsts." There will also be time for Q&A.

Speakers

Mimi Short

KAAN Tech

I’m relatively new to the KAAN community, but over the past few years I have learned that this was the community that I craved all my life, even though I hadn’t known that til I found it. I went back to Korea in 2017 and apparently took a while to process the whole trip/experience... Read More →

Michael Thielmann

Adoptee-Only Dinner Lead

Michael Thielmann is a Korean American Canadian currently residing in Toronto, Canada, and living in a multi-generational Korean home with his spouse and her family. With a B.S. in Christian Counseling and Masters in Human Services, he has been focusing his efforts on behaviour change... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 12:45pm - 2:00pm CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

12:45pm CDT

First-Time Attendee Welcome: LGBTQIA+ (Adoptee-Only)

Speakers

Anna Inazu

Anna (she/they) is a Korean adoptee who grew up on the east coast in a racially mixed family, and currently resides in Denver, CO. Anna’s navigation of adoption hasn’t followed a particular trajectory, but gaining clarity of this experience and identity, is currently in the foreground... Read More →

Carly Zuckweiler (they/them)

aka 최은선 (Choi Eun Sun)

Friday June 21, 2024 12:45pm - 2:00pm CDT
Rosemont 3: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

12:45pm CDT

First-Time Attendee Welcome: Young Adult Adoptees Ages 18 – 25 (Adoptee-Only)

Speakers

Ali Koehl

Ali Koehl (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of Hope College who has a bachelors in psychology and Chinese studies. She is a Chinese transracial adoptee from Fuling, China and grew up in Otsego, Michigan. She has been involved in spaces that engage with DEI, social justice, and higher... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 12:45pm - 2:00pm CDT
Rosemont 4: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

12:45pm CDT

First-Time Attendee Welcome: General Session Open To All Attendees

Speakers

Kala Sharp

Kala Sharp is an adoptive parent. Kala is a past KAAN Advisory Council member and current KAAN Finance Committee member. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband, Gary, and two awesome sons, Jae and Sam.

Debra Yoo

Debra Yoo is a non-adopted partner to Nick Ramsey, a Korean American Adoptee. She is a 2nd generation Korean American from the suburbs of Chicago. She is passionate about Asian American advocacy and volunteers as communications co-chair for AAPI New Jersey, a non-profit whose mission... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 12:45pm - 2:00pm CDT
Lakeshore A: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

12:45pm CDT

General Meet-Up: Regions and Academia (General Session)

Speakers

Amanda Cho

Friday June 21, 2024 12:45pm - 2:00pm CDT
Lakeshore B: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

12:45pm CDT

Youth Program: Meet & Greet

Moderators

Wes Liu

Wes is a Chinese adoptee who grew up in Dallas, TX, and currently lives in Denver, CO. He has spent the past few years directing his energy towards community building within adoptee spaces as well as outside of them. He enjoys cooking, working with children, the outdoors, and nurturing... Read More →

Ben Oser

Friday June 21, 2024 12:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
Division: Lobby Level

Youth Program

2:30pm CDT

Belonging in the In-Between

The dichotomies of being “enough” or “authentic” push and pull Adoptees to define the parameters of their authenticity. In a framework of either/or, there often is no home for Adoptees to exist in. However, exploring the in-between, infinite possibilities emerge. This space allows for the Adoptee to exist as a complex whole. In this workshop, participants will learn skills in navigating the either/or binary and exploring the possibilities of self in the in-between.

Speakers

Kalyn Bonn

Kalyn received her B.S. in Human Development & Family Studies and M.A. in Ethnic Studies from Colorado State University. She attended KAAN in 2019 and appreciated the community and it brought her during her graduate studies. In 2023 she joined Chinese Adoptee Alliance (CAA) as a board... Read More →

Anna Ningjing Cohen

Vice President, Chinese Adoptee Alliance

Hi! I'm Anna and I was adopted from Nanjing, China and raised in Brooklyn. I'm currently serving as President of Chinese Adoptee Alliance (formerly known as Families with Children from China - Greater NY). I'm passionate about building the adoptee community, amplifying adoptee stories... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm CDT
Rosemont 3: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

2:30pm CDT

Elephant in the Room: Mental Health

Mental health struggles are often the invisible elephant in the adoption community. Nicole and Stephen, both Korean adoptees, will facilitate an open, honest discussion about the emotional vulnerabilities of adoptees throughout our various life stages. Specifically, we will speak to the issues of anxiety, depression, grief/loss, and suicidality; and why adoptees are at higher risk and what we can do to help ourselves and each other.

Speakers

Nicole Sheppard

Nicole Sheppard, MA, LPCC, is a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor based in Minneapolis, MN. She works at Mental Health Systems (MHS), specializing in mindfulness and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). With the Korean Adoptees Ministry (KAM) Center she was a project manager... Read More →

Stephen Johnson

Stephen Johnson is a reunited Korean adoptee and former member of the KAAN Advisory Council. He studied social work at Baylor University and international development at Eastern University's School of Leadership and Development. He and his partner currently live in Austin, Texas... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

2:30pm CDT

Learn the Unique Korean Fiberart ... Bojagi

LIMITED AVAILABILITY FOR THE FIRST 25 REGISTRANTS: PRE-REGISTER FOR THE BOJAGI SESSION HERE.

This is a classless art that was once passed on through the generations of Korean artist and has no longer been passed on … especially to Korean Adoptees. It has now become an elite-est art and very much unknown artform even among the Korean nationals. This is an artform that is very unique to Korea and it needs to be rejuvenated among any Korean who loves to learn about Korean culture and has a pride in learning and doing something that is very uniquely Korean. With the completion of your project you can proudly display Korean heritage.

Speakers

Sara Salansky

Freelance Cultural Educator

I am one of the second wave of Korean Adoptees to arrive to the United States. I never grew up learning or experiencing anything Korean. And, now in my retirement years, I have been truly drawn to the arts aspect of the Korean culture. Arts is very exclusive and elite-ess in Korea... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm CDT
Rosemont 4: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

2:30pm CDT

Adoptive Parents & Critical Thinking About Adoption

Adoptive parents, especially those who adopted decades ago, should be critical thinkers on adoption: that can be complicated. Why is so much talk about adoption these days so negative? Isn’t adoption a good thing? How has adoption changed? What do you mean, child trafficking? Adoption industrial complex? What? We’ll discuss the history of adoption, developmental stages of adoptive parents, and how social media has promoted varied voices of adoptees. We will talk about racism, search, reunion, money, and more: what’s their intersection with adoption today in our families with adult children? We encourage adoptees and adoptive parents to attend.

Speakers

Maureen McCauley

Maureen’s professional background is in child welfare advocacy, as former executive director of 3 adoption-related nonprofits. She’s presented workshops on adoption (i.e., transracial, international, older children, racism) across the US and in Canada. She is currently a consultant... Read More →

Astrid Castro

Founder & CEO, Adoption Mosaic

Astrid Castro, founder/CEO of Adoption Mosaic. For over three decades, Astrid has served the adoption constellation through a variety of innovative programing designed to highlight the adoptee experience. Prior to creating Adoption Mosaic, Astrid worked in both the private and public... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm CDT
Lakeshore B: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

2:30pm CDT

Art and Adoptee Solidarity: Intersectional Storytelling

The graphic novel In My Heart: The Adoption Story Project was developed in collaboration with 200+ people in the adoption community, from adoptees to social workers, adoptive parents, to birth parents, and many more. Contributors age from 14 to 80 and include voices from the African American, Native American, and Korean American communities. This book explores adoption and its complexities--examining concepts of family and intersecting with issues in society related to law, class, race, and identity. Join us for a presentation of scenes from the graphic novel, followed by a facilitated discussion with two adoptee artists involved in the process.

Speakers

Leah Cooper

Co-Artistic Director, Wonderlust Productions

Hi, I'm a transracial adoptee from Los Angeles, CA now based in St. Paul, MN. I was placed in a closed adoption in 1968 at the age of 10 weeks. I've never had access to any of my birth records or family, and I was told that my mother was white and my father was not white, that I was... Read More →

Alan Berks

Alan Berks is a theater-maker whose work has been seen in all over the country. As a founding member of Minnesota’s innovative Workhaus Collective, he wrote and produced The Great Divide, Feast of Wolves, and Music Lovers. Awards include: Minnesota State Arts Board (Ringtone... Read More →

Megan Kim

Megan Kim is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy-Los Angeles. She spent 9 years acting and singing in LA performing at various venues such as the Ford Amphitheatre and Fullerton Civic Light Opera, before returning to the Twin Cities. She is a company member with... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm CDT
Renewal A: 2nd Floor

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

2:30pm CDT

Crafting Conversations About Heritage and Culture

For many intercountry adoptees, the responsibility of learning about their culture, heritage, and race falls upon the adoptee themself. Taking on this journey is challenging enough, but communicating their discoveries and challenges can lead to difficult conversations about identity and belonging with their family and friends. This session—designed for all KAAN attendees—involves two parts. First, you will hear from recent narrative research featuring stories from Korean adoptees about heritage learning. Then, you will get hands-on to create a personalized booklet meant to support future compassionate conversations about heritage, culture, race, and identity.

Speakers

Margaret Jeong

Margaret Jeong (정인아, they/them) is a Korean adoptee and doctoral student at the University of Illinois Chicago where they research multilingualism and heritage culture education for adoptees. Their passion for learning pungmul (traditional Korean percussion) led them on a journey... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm CDT
Lakeshore A: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

4:00pm CDT

Conference Opening: KAAN Announcements

Speakers

Dr. Katie Bozek

Executive Director, KAAN

Friday June 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Mainstage Event

5:00pm CDT

Signers Dinner (Offsite)

This dinner is for anyone (Deaf, hearing, adopted, not adopted, etc.) who can hold a conversation in ASL on their own. No interpreters will be present and you must be comfortable in an all signing environment. This is an opportunity for the signing community within KAAN to have their own time and space together, without linguistic barriers. Dinner will be split and paid out of pocket by those who attend at the end of the meal.

Meet at 5:00 PM near the KAAN check-in table (outside Grand Ballroom A and B). We will carpool and Uber/Lyft to the restaurant. Please email scottie@wearekaan.org to RSVP.

Friday June 21, 2024 5:00pm - 7:30pm CDT
TBD

Meals

5:30pm CDT

Adoptee-Only Dinner (Offsite) (Separate Ticket Purchase)

Friday's adoptee-only dinner will occur offsite and feature a selection of Korean and Chinese dishes. Food options will accommodate diets for omnivores, vegans, vegetarians, as well as those who are gluten-free or lactose-free.

This dinner is for adult (18+) adoptees only.

Purchase your ticket for the adoptee-only dinner by Sunday, June 2 at tfec.org/kaan2024

Location
Dam No. 4 Woods - East Picnic Grove (The Forest of Cook County)
Free Parking, Accessible Picnic Grove
Seating is limited and will be first-come, first-served. There are grassy areas to sit and gather.

Transportation
Walking is not advised due to the absence of sidewalks and safe pathways. Please arrange for transportation.

Check the Discord Channel share-rides to arrange a carpool option
Schedule a rideshare with Uber, Lyft, Taxi

If you require assistance with specialized transportation, please email michael.thielmann@gmail.com.

Moderators

Michael Thielmann

Adoptee-Only Dinner Lead

Friday June 21, 2024 5:30pm - 7:30pm CDT
Dam No. 4 Woods - East Picnic Grove

Adoptee-Only Dinner

5:30pm CDT

Community Dinner (Offsite): RSVP in Advance

Please email Jon Oaks to RSVP for this community dinner: jonnyoaks@gmail.com

The dinner is open to all and will be hosted by Jon Oaks and Matt Lull at an offsite restaurant TBD. Please plan to pay for yourself.

Speakers

Jon Oaks (he/him)

KAAN Tech Team/Website

Friday June 21, 2024 5:30pm - 7:30pm CDT
TBD

Meals

5:30pm CDT

Dinner On Your Own

Friday June 21, 2024 5:30pm - 7:30pm CDT
NA

Meals

7:00pm CDT

KAAN 2024 Check-In

Friday June 21, 2024 7:00pm - 8:00pm CDT
Lobby Level Foyer

Check-In

7:30pm CDT

Carve Your Dojang ... Stamp Your Heritage

LIMITED AVAILABILITY FOR THE FIRST 25 REGISTRANTS: PRE-REGISTER FOR CARVE YOUR DOJANG HERE.

Dojangs, in Korean culture, was a carving of the family surname which was stamped (with red ink) on official documents. Even if we don't know what our true surnames are we can still create this dojang to represent ourselves and use it as a stamp that represents us and is a visible symbol of our existence as individuals, not as Adoptees, but continue a cultural heritage through this dojang.

Speakers

Sara Salansky

Freelance Cultural Educator

Friday June 21, 2024 7:30pm - 9:00pm CDT
Rosemont 4: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

7:30pm CDT

Lost Lit Adoptee Writing Workshop

The very act of creative writing writes us into existence. By following the Amherst Writers & Artists method, we adoptees will untangle issues of abandonment, rejection, home, belonging, grief and loss of identity, family, culture and race —that are trapped inside our bodies. In the Lost Lit Adoptee Writing Workshop, a prompt will be given. We’ll write, then voluntarily read our story aloud (or skip). All feedback is positive, craft-oriented and treats the writing like fiction. This process allows our voices to be heard, our trauma to be released, and our authentic selves to be fully seen and acknowledged.

Speakers

Lynne Connor

Owner/ Writer, Lost Lit

As a lost Korean adoptee, Lynne Connor writes on themes of identity, grief, race, home, and belonging in an effort to be found. She received her M.F.A. in Creative Non-Fiction from Mills College and has been published in the Artist Book ROOTS: Korean Diaspora, Adoptee Voices Zine... Read More →

Friday June 21, 2024 7:30pm - 9:00pm CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

8:00pm CDT

Games and Youth Activities

Friday June 21, 2024 8:00pm - 9:30pm CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Activities

8:00pm CDT

Noraebang

Friday June 21, 2024 8:00pm - 9:30pm CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Activities

6:30am CDT

Wellness Activity: Jog with Katie Bozek (Meet in Hotel Lobby)

Speakers

Dr. Katie Bozek

Executive Director, KAAN

Saturday June 22, 2024 6:30am - 7:00am CDT
Lobby Level Foyer

Activities

7:00am CDT

Wellness Activity: Midnite Townsend

Speakers

Midnite Townsend

Midnite Townsend (she/they) is a movement enthusiast and recent recipient of a masters in somatic social justice counseling. With 20+ years of performing and teaching everything from circus arts to pilates to burlesque/drag, Midnite believes in building community, healing trauma... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 7:00am - 7:30am CDT
Lakeshore A: Lobby Level

Activities

7:15am CDT

Warm Breakfast

Saturday June 22, 2024 7:15am - 8:45am CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Meals

7:15am CDT

KAAN 2024 Check-In

Saturday June 22, 2024 7:15am - 12:00pm CDT
Lobby Level Foyer

Check-In

7:30am CDT

KAAN 2024 Exhibitors

Saturday June 22, 2024 7:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Lobby Level Foyer

Exhibitors & Sponsors

7:30am CDT

KAAN 2024 Marketplace

Saturday June 22, 2024 7:30am - 12:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom C

Exhibitors & Sponsors

8:00am CDT

Mainstage: Adoptee Representation & Visibility in Research

Moving from community organizing in the 1990s, Drs. JaeRan Kim and Hollee McGinnis share their experiences conducting adoptee-centric research and the importance of adoptee representation in knowledge production and creation.

Moderators

Grace Newton

Speakers

JaeRan Kim

JaeRan Kim, Ph.D., MSW, (she/hers) is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and Criminal Justice at the University of Washington at Tacoma. JaeRan’s research is focused on facets of adoptees including race, parenthood, identity, and adoption displacement. JaeRan has... Read More →

Hollee McGinnis

Saturday June 22, 2024 8:00am - 8:45am CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Mainstage Event

8:00am CDT

Youth Program: Field Trip (Departs 8:45AM)

Departs at 8:45 AM. Meet in Division: Lobby Level

Activities include: H-Mart for pool party snacks and bowling at Kings (Parkway Bank Entertainment)

Moderators

Wes Liu

Ben Oser

Saturday June 22, 2024 8:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Division: Lobby Level

Youth Program

9:00am CDT

Adoptees as Caregivers

Have you found yourself caring for a family member, loved one, or friend, and/or wondered how being an adopted person may affect or complicate the situation? Do expectations differ amongst non-adopted family members? How does society see us when we’re the caregiver? How does gender influence the dynamic? Hear from adoptees who have lived through this experience while we explore the potentially unique challenges faced in such circumstances. We hope to create a supportive environment for all and plan to stay connected throughout the year via Zoom meetings and/or email/social media.

Speakers

Kerry Bondy

Kerry was born in South Korea and adopted to a Midwestern suburb in the US. Her involvement in the Korean adoptee community began in 2002 after her first trip back to Korea on a Motherland tour. In addition to volunteering and co-facilitating sessions at KAAN and IKAA, she has participated... Read More →

Mimi Short

KAAN Tech

Chris Wodicka (he/him)

Chris Wodicka (he/him) lives in Philadelphia, PA, where he is working toward a PhD in social welfare, with a research focus on tax and social policy. Chris was born in Korea and identifies as a transracial and transnational Korean adoptee. He grew up on Long Island, NY.

Saturday June 22, 2024 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
Rosemont 3: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

9:00am CDT

Marrying Into the Motherland: Culture Clash?

At adoption, we were separated from our country of birth and its culture. What happens when you marry back into it? A panel of adoptees share their experience of marrying someone from their motherland – and the questions, answers, and in-laws that come with that. Is it healing and affirming to be with a spouse and family directly tied to your personal origin, or does it raise problems related to identity and expectations? Does it provide a shared culture or an imposed one that might clash? Explore these issues with us, and bring your own stories!

Speakers

Michael Mullen

Michael Mullen was orphaned at 2 years old and adopted at 2.5 from Korea, after which he did not meet another Asian person for 14 years. Seeing Koreans in college led him to drop out and become one of the first adoptees to return to and live in Korea. Michael later was president of... Read More →

A.J. Bryant

A.J., is a transracial adoptee from Kerala, India, and the eldest of three adopted Indian children. Raised in Wisconsin and New Jersey, he has called Washington, D.C. home since 2005. AJ is an adoption writer and speaker, bringing a unique perspective on identity, culture, and family... Read More →

Melissa Guida Richards

Melissa Guida-Richards, is a international and transracial adoptee, an adoption educator, and the author of "What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption." She founded the Adoptee Thoughts Instagram and Podcast to help elevate adoptee voices and educate adoptive parents... Read More →

Amanda Cho

Saturday June 22, 2024 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

9:00am CDT

Speaking With(Out) Words: Adoptees & Creative Expression

We can’t advocate for more representation in media if we don’t know how to describe the type of representation we want to see. This session is about empowering adoptees to use their voice, understand that their voice matters, and how to give language back to our community. Featuring a live demonstration by Jon & KJ on guitar, this practical, hands-on roundtable session gives adoptees a safe space to play and experiment and collaborate with each other.

Speakers

KJ Roelke

K.J. is a Korean adoptee and creative raised in Dallas, Texas. With an undergraduate degree in Worship Arts, he has spent the majority of his life exploring how technology and the arts can help build bridges and bring people together with a sense of awe and fun. He is a multi-medium... Read More →

Jon Hurley

head of production, 3rd Power Amplification

Jonathan Hurley is a Nashville based, successful professional touring & session guitarist, and part-owner of legendary boutique guitar amplifier company- 3rd Power Amplification. Jonathan has shared the stage with industry greats like Brett Carslile (Great White), Tony Harnell (TNT... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
Renewal A: 2nd Floor

Fishbowl Session (Adoptee-Centered But Non-Adoptees May Attend To Listen)

9:00am CDT

Adoption (Mis)Representation in Entertainment

Orphan and adoptee protagonists historically make up a large part of storytelling, and adoption representation in entertainment only continues to grow. Yet, the adoptee community still has to fight for inclusion in sharing our lived experiences. In this session, a survey of depictions of adoptees in film, TV, and other media will be shown, contextualized, and then discussed in breakout groups. Join Kira Omans, an actor and Chinese adoptee, and Nicholas Ramsey, a video producer, editor, and Korean adoptee, for a critical conversation on the good, the bad, and the potential future of adoptee representation in entertainment.

Speakers

Kira Omans

Kira Omans (she/her) is a transracial Chinese adoptee and SAG-AFTRA actor and martial artist. She appears in CSI: Vegas, The Gods II, Power Rangers: Rise of the Ninja, and What Happened to Suzy. Her voiceover credits include Girl From Nowhere (Netflix), Real Sports with Brian Gumbel... Read More →

Nicholas Ramsey (he/him)

KAAN AC, KAAN Speaker Coordinator, KAAN Tech

Nicholas Ramsey (he/him) has professionally produced and edited videos and podcasts for over 15 years. In terms of adoptee media, he is the producer-editor of Angela Tucker's podcasts. Born in Busan, South Korea, he was adopted in the 1980s, during the peak of international adoption... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
Lakeshore A: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

9:00am CDT

Estrangement in Adoption: Preventing, Accepting, Healing

As adults, many adoptees are at a loss with their adoptive parents when talking about adoption, and at the same time educating parents should never be an adoptee’s burden. Adoptees often are dealing with relationships, racism, search, reunion, creating their own families. Some adoptees become estranged from their parents, briefly or for decades. How does this happen? Can it be prevented? Can healing happen, whether estrangement becomes the norm or there is reconciliation? What does reconciliation look like for the different constellation family members: adoptees, parents, siblings... Healing can take different forms. Adoptees deserve support, whatever path they take.

Speakers

Liz Kwon

Liz Kwon was born in Seoul, South Korea and was adopted to a family in Wisconsin. During the day she is a front end developer and at night, runs KAD Collective, a data-focused website whose goal is to help Korean adoptees find connection through shared experiences, locations or stories... Read More →

Astrid Castro

Founder & CEO, Adoption Mosaic

Maureen McCauley

Saturday June 22, 2024 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
Lakeshore B: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

10:30am CDT

Embrace Intersectional Adversity: Own Your Story

We all have experienced adoption adversity but do you have other adversities that are part of your identity? Learn from two adoptees with disabilities how to let your intersectional identity become an asset to your self image. Adverse experiences are often challenging and isolating. Change the script, learn how to own your stories and turn them into powerful self advocacy tools. Come build community through writing, and discussion, as you share your stories with peers.

Speakers

Maddy Ullman

Adopted from Hong Kong to America, Maddy is a writer, photographer, and storyteller based in Dallas TX. Her experience as a Chinese adoptee with cerebral palsy propels her storytelling working in Hollywood. With her deep love of story and collaborative spirit, Maddy is dedicated to... Read More →

Ava Busto Schiff

Ava is a 28 year old, Chinese adoptee with cerebral palsy living independently working full time. She is an ambulatory wheelchair user and service dog handler. Ava grew up in NYC surrounded by other Chinese adoptees, exploring her birth culture through language and culture classes... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

10:30am CDT

Finding Identity Within the Adoptee Narrative

How do you show up in your adoptee identity and its intersections throughout areas of your life? Our ever-changing adoptee perspective brings nuance through joys and challenges. Attendees will be able to define and share what it means to center their adoptee identity (and other identities) in everyday life. This space will facilitate opportunities to discuss community building as it is a key part of support and navigating one’s multifaceted identity. Facilitators will provide prompts for reflection and discussion. This space will be accessible to folks that may or may not have discussed these topics.

Speakers

Lindsay Pluger

Network of Politicized Adoptees

Lindsay Pluger (they/she) is an Indian Adoptees who moved to the Twin Cities after undergrad and has been loving it every since! They are a nonprofit professional with a great deal of experience with youth leadership, community engagement, college access support and educational equity... Read More →

Katherine Wald

Katherine (she/hers) is a dimsum and boba loving Chinese adoptee. She is also a licensed graduate social worker in the state of Minnesota and works with teenagers and relative/kin families to find permanency within the child welfare system. Katherine values belonging, connection... Read More →

Mari Arneson

Network of Politicized Adoptees

Mari Arneson (she/her) is a Chinese adoptee who lives in Minnesota with her partner and 36 plants. She hopes to one day have a dog as well, but has unfortunately given up on a snake. She can eat her weight in dumplings and pickles, but she's not a huge fan of english muffins or black... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am CDT
Rosemont 3: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

10:30am CDT

Reimagining Intimacy in Adoptee Centered Relationships

Relationships play a major role in shaping our realities and sense of self throughout life. For adoptees who were relinquished during childhood, attachment-related trauma can influence many adult relationships. When we layer on options for non-monogamous relationships with friends, family, and partners, it can raise conflicts in self worth, identity values, and question how we embody belonging. Intersectionality provides a framework to better understand our needs as adoptees when navigating all types of relationships. In this adoptee-led and adoptee-only session, speakers will share personal experiences in non-monogamous relationships and invite attendees to engage with their own reflections on relationship identity.

Speakers

Eugene Rush

Gene is a transracial Chinese adoptee, and in the past year or two has experienced an interwoven journey involving coming into his adoptee consciousness, beginning his adoptee healing journey, and deconstructing the mono-centric paradigm he was raised with. He enjoys rock climbing... Read More →

Anna Inazu

Laura X. Williams

Laura X. Williams is a transracial Chinese American Adoptee who grew up in Northern NJ and currently practices psychotherapy in Denver, CO. Ask her about her 3 cats! Relationship counseling, sex therapy, addiction counseling, and cultural sustainability are Laura’s main topics of... Read More →

Mikaela Smith

Mikaela Smith (they/them) is a transracial Chinese American Adoptee who grew up In Missouri. After moving across the country and graduating twice in a pandemic, Mikaela has used past challenges and individual experiences to navigate adoption topics through one-on-one conversations... Read More →

Mai Li O'Keefe

Mai Li O’Keefe (they/them) is a transracial Korean adoptee. They are currently based in Portland, OR where they balance their time between their work-for-a-living job, community organizing, and playing outside with their pals. They actively organize for VOICES, a BIPOC Adoptee Community... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am CDT
Rosemont 4: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

10:30am CDT

Recovering People Pleasers – Reclaiming Nervous Systems

Please note: this session will repeat as an Adoptee-Only session at 9:30 AM on Sunday, June 23.

Back by popular demand! Did you learn to appease others growing up? Do you still feel trapped in a cycle of people-pleasing and blame yourself for not breaking the cycle? We’ll explore the intricate web of people-pleasing by exploring how it's propagated through media and mainstream adoption narratives and learn how it's connected to trauma. We’ll then share ways to reclaim our voices and shift our nervous system. We hope to build community through sharing personal stories, understand the roots of people-pleasing behaviors, and equip participants with tools and resources to break free from these patterns.

Speakers

Midnite Townsend

Grace Clark

Grace Clark is a Korean transracial adoptee living in Denver, Colorado. Grace is currently in graduate school at Naropa University, where she is studying Somatic Body Psychotherapy. Eventually, she plans to get her P.hD in clinical sexology, specifically examining paraphilia. Grace... Read More →

Jamie Barnett

Hello! My name is Jamie, she/her/hers. This is my third year attending KAAN. I am a Chinese Adoptee living in Boulder, Colorado. I am currently in my third year of Graduate School to obtain my Masters in Mental Health Counseling with a focus on Somatic Dance/Movement Therapy!

Saturday June 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am CDT
Renewal A: 2nd Floor

Fishbowl Session (Adoptee-Centered But Non-Adoptees May Attend To Listen)

10:30am CDT

Family, Culture, Identity: Generational Adoption Impacts

The session aims to explore the cross-generational perspectives on the impact of trans-cultural adoption. We'll present insights from various generations, including adoptees and their children.

Discussion points:

Personal anecdotes illustrating perspectives.
Tackling challenges and controversies of transracial/transnational adoption.
Exploring identity, cultural preservation, and discrimination.
Changing issues across generations and efforts to address them.
Highlighting positive aspects and benefits of transracial/transnational adoption.
Discussing the potential for increased cultural awareness and acceptance.
Sharing success stories where cross-generational perspectives have led to positive outcomes.

Q&A:

Audience encouraged to ask questions and engage in discussion.

Speakers

Claire Magenheimer

Claire is a certified Jay Shetty Empowerment Coach and Somatic Breathwork Practitioner with a mission deeply rooted in empowering individuals who have experienced adoption, especially in the context of transracial and transnational adoption. As an adoptee herself, Claire possesses... Read More →

Jolie Magenheimer

As a bi-racial daughter of a Korean adoptee, Jolie has always been passionate about exploring identity and promoting inclusivity. This passion was further nurtured during her time at the University of Virginia, where she moderated multiple retreats and delved deep into the complexities... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am CDT
Lakeshore A: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

10:30am CDT

Stories Adoptees Rarely Tell

How much do you think you know about the adopted child or adult in your life, including their most challenging experiences and difficult feelings—aspects of their lives that are hard for them to acknowledge to themselves, let alone to others? Glenn Morey, adoptee and creator of the Side by Side documentary film project, and Melinda McCulloch, adoptee and clinical therapist will explore the feelings that are often unexpressed and unknown to parents, partners, and even best friends—fear, shame, anger, alienation— examining the raw and unfiltered adoptee stories of Side by Side, and the role of clinical therapy.

Speakers

Glenn Morey

Side by Side Project

Glenn Morey is co-director of the documentary film project, Side by Side, presenting the stories of 100 adult Korean adoptees—filmed in 7 countries, 16 cities, and 6 languages. “Side by Side: Out of a South Korean Orphanage and Into the World” won the Gold Jury Award for Best... Read More →

Melinda McCulloch

Melinda McCulloch is a clinical social worker and Korean adoptee whose psychotherapy practice specializes in working with adoptees and their families, and others who are navigating issues of identity, attachment/intimacy, or grief and loss. Over the past 15 years, she has volunteered... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am CDT
Lakeshore B: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

12:00pm CDT

Buffet Lunch

Saturday June 22, 2024 12:00pm - 1:30pm CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Meals

12:45pm CDT

Mainstage: Critical Conversations About Adoption Media Representation

This panel will discuss the past, present, and future of adoption visibility and representation. Moderated by SunAh Laybourn, Patrick Armstrong, Kira Omans, and Nicholas Ramsey (all transracial adoptees of differing media career backgrounds), will examine current themes, trends, and stereotypes in adoptee portrayals, as well as discuss what changes we would like to see in upcoming work. Attendees will leave with actionable steps that we can take as a community to create the narratives we want to see.

Moderators

Dr. SunAh Laybourn

SunAh M Laybourn, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Memphis, an Affiliate Faculty Member for the Center for Workplace Diversity & Inclusion, Affiliate Faculty Member in the International and Global Studies Department, and a former Academic Research... Read More →

Speakers

Kira Omans

Patrick Armstrong

Patrick Armstrong (he/him) is a transracial Asian American adoptee, born in South Korea and adopted to a white family in rural Indiana in 1990. He is the host of the award-winning podcasts The Janchi Show, a show about the Korean + Asian adoptee experience, and Conversation Piece... Read More →

Nicholas Ramsey (he/him)

KAAN AC, KAAN Speaker Coordinator, KAAN Tech

Saturday June 22, 2024 12:45pm - 1:30pm CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Mainstage Event

1:30pm CDT

Author Booksigning & Marketplace

Saturday June 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:00pm CDT
Grand Ballroom C

Exhibitors & Sponsors

2:00pm CDT

Creating & Losing Family – BIPOC Adult Adoptees

In Creating & Losing Family as BIPOC Adult Adoptees, a group of Black, Native, and POC adoptees will share a story about losing, defining, or creating family as adults. Adoptee community members will get a window into five adoptees’ experience of family as they navigate marriage, divorce, queerness, parenting, reunion, and more. There will be a group discussion following storytelling. This session intends to continue building BIPOC adoptee community and expanding our intersectional exposure and understanding within it. We believe storytelling is a powerful tool for healing, self-expression, and understanding. We want folks to feel safe, seen, and heard.

Speakers

Liana Soifer

Transracial Adoptee born in South Korea and raised in Oregon, Founder of BIPOC Adoptees, and mother to three. She earned her BA in Human Services. Liana has worked as a Project Manager supervising online software programs and web applications to improve the lives of people. In 2020... Read More →

Mai Li O'Keefe

Alisha Bennett

Alisha Bennett (she|her) aka 션영 is a South Korean Adoptee with citizenship. Alisha lives in love in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and 3 year old daughter. She works in NYC as a social worker, therapist and small business owner. Becoming a mother as an adoptee is what inspired... Read More →

Danni Mar

I am a Colombian-born adoptee from Bogotá who was domestically adopted and then immigrated to the United States at the age of four to be closer to my adopted American father's family. Over the past six years, I have been in reunion with my biological family, and within the last five... Read More →

Lisa MacLellan

Lisa MacLellan is a transracial domestic adoptee that was born and raised in Wyoming, USA. She was relinquished at birth, due to her race - she is biracial - and was adopted out of foster care just before she turned a year old. Lisa currently reside in the Pacific Northwest with her... Read More →

Maze Felix

Hi there, I'm Maze Felix and my pronouns are they/them. I am a polyamorous queer trans nonbinary AAPI Chinese transracial adoptee. I am a full time actor based in Los Angeles, CA and I also carry a degree in American Sign Language Interpreting. As an actor, my intersectional identities... Read More →

Matthew Fetzer

Matt is an adopted Korean. He was born in 1975 in Gongju, South Korea. He is active in the BIPOC adoptee community, and has volunteered for several domestic adoptee organizations. Matt is passionate about many issues facing the adoptee community, including race, sexuality, and mental... Read More →

Stef Henning

Stef Henning AKA 배양숙 (Bae Yang Sook) was taken to America at 3 months to a white family in Iowa in 1983. The erasure of Korean culture and heritage wasn't apparent until much later in life when she moved to Portland, OR, and realized her identity was no longer tied to her white... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm CDT
Rosemont 4: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

2:00pm CDT

Managing Birth Family Reunion and Relationships

The presenters will share their unique birth family reunion stories and how they manage the relationships with members of their birth family. Whereas the birth family reunion can be an incredible experience, there are often many challenges that adoptees in reunion must navigate due to cultural differences, language barriers, distance, lack of shared knowledge, conflicts with adoptive family, and overall emotional stress.

Speakers

Sara Engelhardt (she/her)

Sara Engelhardt is a Korean adoptee who was adopted as an infant. She has a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Accounting. She currently works as an Accounting Admin at Ascent Global Logistics. Sara has attended several KAAN Conferences and has been back... Read More →

Amanda Cho

Saturday June 22, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm CDT
Rosemont 3: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

2:00pm CDT

No One Who Looks Like Me

Adoptees who are childfree and have no connection to our original families will never know anyone who looks like us. What does it mean to never have a biological connection and how do adopted people thrive without this? Is it a loss we grieve or are there other means to resolve this both individually and collectively? Speakers will share about their personal journeys in being childfree, followed by time for dialogue. This adoptee only roundtable discussion will center childfree adoptees who have no connection to their biological families to build community and empowerment.

Speakers

Julayne Lee

Poet

Julayne Lee is an overseas adopted Korean (OAK) and has facilitated discussions on being childfree by choice or by circumstance since 2019, focusing on adoptees/adopted people and women of color. She believes legacy is more than biology and through ongoing dialogue both private and... Read More →

Kerry Bondy

Saturday June 22, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

2:00pm CDT

Beyond Assimilation: Ghost Kingdoms & Korean Adoption

In Betty Jean Lifton’s “Ghosts in the Adopted Family,” she states, “[t]he story of adoption is a ghost story”. I will consider the ghost kingdom in Jane Jeong Trenka’s The Language of Blood, and how hauntings from Korea constitute a form of resistance – against the white saviorist narrative of adoption. My reading will recognize the ghost kingdom as a (non)memory that counters the cultural, biological, and identity erasure in transnational/-racial adoption. In honoring the tradition of hauntology, queer of color critique, and Eng & Han's racial melancholia, I argue the ghost kingdom is a radical (re)connection and remembrance.

Speakers

Eryn Mei Fēng

Eryn Mei Fēng (they/them) is a Mellon Mays Research Fellow at Bryn Mawr College and a Chinese adoptee born in Fengcheng, Jiangxi. They are invested in exploring the innate interconnectedness between transness, queerness, race, gender, and citizenship - all concepts that the study... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm CDT
Lakeshore A: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

2:00pm CDT

Cutoffs, Estrangements, and Complex Adoptive Families

Transracial adoptions connect children with “forever families,” however narratives from adopted individuals reveal that adoptive families are not always for forever. Relationships among adoptees and their adoptive parents shift as adoptees move from childhood through adulthood. Those shifts can result in altered perspectives and changes in family dynamics. As members of the adult adoptee community, researchers, and clinicians, we will present our study on estrangement in adoptive families. We asked: 1) how do adopted individuals experience estrangement? and (2) what are the precursors to, and implications of, estrangement? We will present preliminary findings and gather input and insights from attendees.

Speakers

Amanda Baden

Amanda was born in Hong Kong and was adopted by white parents in the U.S. Amanda has been a practicing licensed psychologist since 2001 and her practice is based in New York City. Amanda is also a Professor the Doctoral Program Director of the Ph.D. In Counseling Program at Montclair... Read More →

Rebecca Randall

Rebecca Randall, Ph.D, LPC is a counselor in private practice and adjunct faculty member in clinical mental health counseling programs at several universities in New York and New Jersey. Dr. Randall is an adoptee who is a member of Dr. Amanda Baden's adoption research team, which... Read More →

Meggin Nam Holtz

Meggin (Nam 남) Holtz, LMSW, is a Korean transracial, transnational adoptee and has been involved in adoption awareness, adoptee advocacy, and support for over a decade. Her award-winning documentary film, "Found in Korea," about birth search, country of origin travel, identity... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm CDT
Lakeshore B: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

2:00pm CDT

Youth Program: Bowling

Moderators

Wes Liu

Ben Oser

Saturday June 22, 2024 2:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Renewal A: 2nd Floor

Youth Program

2:00pm CDT

KAAN 2024 Exhibitors

Saturday June 22, 2024 2:00pm - 5:30pm CDT
Lobby Level Foyer

Exhibitors & Sponsors

3:45pm CDT

Complexities in Post-Reunion Relationships

To search or not to search is one of the biggest questions adoptees contemplate. Once the decision is made to proceed with a birth family search, the outcomes vary with only a minority of adoptees reuniting with birth families. But what comes after the reunion is just as varied from “the fairy tale ending” to the decision to cease contact, or something in between. Three Korean adoptees will share their post-reunion experiences and provide perspectives on how they have navigated the challenges of building relationships with their birth families beyond the initial reunion.

Speakers

Nicole Sheppard

Chris Shepard

Hey there, I’m Chris. I’m a Korean adoptee, entrepreneur, and web designer from Cambridge, MA. My first KAAN was back in 2017 (Pittsburgh) and was a life-changing experience for me. Since then, I’ve discovered more about my Korean roots, reconnected with my birth family, and... Read More →

Colleen Ziph

Colleen Ziph is a Korean American adoptee, mother and wife, and calls Kansas City home. She was reunited with her first mother in Korea in October 2022 and had the opportunity to meet again in July 2023. She attended her first KAAN Conference in 2022 and is excited to be attending... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

3:45pm CDT

Decentralizing Adoptee Grief, Reclaiming Ourselves

This session is a continuation and response to the need exhibited at KAAN in 2022. The immersive experience of grief comes from a white, western mindset/framework which describes grief as linear, conclusive, and monolithic. Adoptees experience grief in different ways than what is traditionally assumed. What support is needed for sustainability? How do we stay in touch with the grieving process throughout our lifetimes? We’ll use sun-print paper, 3-D objects, and writing utensils as artistic tools for the grief process. Adoptees will be able to take home their projects and continue to process grief within their own unique adoptee experience.

Speakers

Jas Strong

Jasmine Strong is a Baltimore based Chinese adoptee with a background in print making, sculpture, and computer science. She's been passionately engaged with the adoptee community for over several years and continues to facilitate workshops that will help transracial adoptee foster... Read More →

Laura X. Williams

Saturday June 22, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm CDT
Rosemont 4: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

3:45pm CDT

Stories We Tell Ourselves & Others

For many adoptees, our journey requires processing and talking about those parts of our stories that are hard to acknowledge even to ourselves, let alone to others. Glenn Morey, adoptee and creator of the Side by Side documentary film project, and Melinda McCulloch, adoptee and clinical therapist, will explore the fraught terrain of our most closely held and rarely revealed feelings—fear, shame, anger, alienation, and more—through the lenses of clinical work with adoptees and the raw and unfiltered adoptee stories of Side by Side.

Speakers

Glenn Morey

Side by Side Project

Melinda McCulloch

Saturday June 22, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm CDT
Rosemont 3: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

3:45pm CDT

Contextualizing KAD Identity in IBPOC Communities

Please note: this session will repeat at 9:30 AM on Sunday, June 23.

IBPOC communities, like any community, are partially defined by their membership; while KADs may seem like a goup that would naturally be part of the larger group, this is not a perspective shared by all members of either community. This session invites attendees to critically consider the experiences (including opportunities and challenges) of KADs navigating IBPOC communities and spaces. Through a combination of large and small group conversations, individual reflections, presentations, and interactive activities, participants will be able to explore multiple perspectives related to identity development as well as increase their awareness of self, others, and relationships.

Speakers

DeLa Dos

DeLa Dos currently lives in Washington, DC where they serve as the senior director, Learning + Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Association of Research Libraries—a nonprofit membership organization of research libraries and archives in major public and private universities... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm CDT
Lakeshore A: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

3:45pm CDT

The Wrath of K(H)AAN

What does it mean to be represented? What is “good representation”? Adoption and its themes are prevalent in all genres of media but in this session we’ll be explicitly focusing on science fiction. From Star Trek to Star Wars you’ll come to find the themes of adoption are pervasive throughout many stories. We’ll look at the good, bad, and even in-between to discuss the themes, nuance, and what it means reclaim our own narratives. This session is adoptee focused and centered but all are welcome. It will be a mix of discussion and presentation.

Speakers

Jean Gou

"Jean" (pronounced ‘John’) Gou is a passionate advocate for marginalized communities and someone who values community work. Jean is a Chinese, culturally “American” individual who is growing in his involvement within adoptee spaces. He works with several communities, including... Read More →

Saturday June 22, 2024 3:45pm - 5:00pm CDT
Lakeshore B: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

6:30pm CDT

Community Dinner

Saturday June 22, 2024 6:30pm - 8:00pm CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Meals

8:00pm CDT

Mainstage: Community Dinner Entertainment

Grace Clark is a musician with experience in opera, bluegrass, and folk music. Jamie Barnett is a trained dancer with experience in classical ballet and contemporary dance. The two met while in graduate school at Naropa University, where they studied somatic body psychotherapy and dance movement therapy. The two have bonded over their shared experience of adoption as well as their passion to express themselves through art.

Speakers

Jamie Barnett

Grace Clark

Saturday June 22, 2024 8:00pm - 9:30pm CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Mainstage Event

8:00am CDT

Continental Breakfast

Sunday June 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:30am CDT
Grand Ballrooms A and B

Meals

8:15am CDT

KAAN 2024 Exhibitors

Sunday June 23, 2024 8:15am - 12:15pm CDT
Grand Ballroom C

Exhibitors & Sponsors

8:45am CDT

Adoptee-Only Debrief

Sunday June 23, 2024 8:45am - 9:15am CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

8:45am CDT

General Debrief

Sunday June 23, 2024 8:45am - 9:15am CDT
Lakeshore A: Lobby Level

General Session (open to all attendees)

9:30am CDT

Community: A Conversation About Community

A discussion focused on how we as adoptees find, build, and maintain community spaces and what it means to be a multi hyphenate person at once. Discussing the importance of having solidarity among ourselves and other groups and how we can show up for each other. Ways to find community regardless of location.

Speakers

Daniel Price

My Name is Daniel N Price I am currently 29 years old and live in the Seattle/Tacoma area. I was adopted from Hangzhou China at the age of 3. I was diagnosed with a rare disease called TSC (tuberous sclerosis complex). I have other siblings adopted from China and South Korea. I am... Read More →

Maddy Ullman

Jean Gou

Sunday June 23, 2024 9:30am - 10:45am CDT
Rosemont 3: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

9:30am CDT

Let Me See the Little Potsticker

Confronting Race in Asian Adoptee Stories: In this hands-on writing workshop, we will examine our experiences as Korean adoptees operating in a world of whiteness. How did the recent rise in anti-Asian hate affect your understanding of being Asian in America? In what ways do you mask your racial identity? What has mainstream media missed in telling transnational adoptee stories? We will study adoptee portrayals in media and discuss their authenticity. By investigating our complicated feelings about race in community with other adoptees, we harness the power of storytelling to make visible our central role in the adoption dialogue.

Speakers

Amy Lee Scott

Amy Lee Scott is an award-winning essayist who has an MFA from the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program. Her work can be found in a variety of literary magazines, and illustrated essays are forthcoming in The Iowa Review and Fourth Genre. Past work received notable mentions... Read More →

Sunday June 23, 2024 9:30am - 10:45am CDT
Rosemont 2: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

9:30am CDT

Recovering People Pleasers – Reclaiming Nervous Systems

Please note: this session will repeat as a Fishbowl session at 10:30 AM on Saturday, June 22.

Back by popular demand! Did you learn to appease others growing up? Do you still feel trapped in a cycle of people-pleasing and blame yourself for not breaking the cycle? We’ll explore the intricate web of people-pleasing by exploring how it's propagated through media and mainstream adoption narratives and learn how it's connected to trauma. We’ll then share ways to reclaim our voices and shift our nervous system. We hope to build community through sharing personal stories, understand the roots of people-pleasing behaviors, and equip participants with tools and resources to break free from these patterns.

Speakers

Midnite Townsend

Grace Clark

Jamie Barnett

Sunday June 23, 2024 9:30am - 10:45am CDT
Rosemont 4: 3rd Floor

Adoptee-Only Session

9:30am CDT

Love Cannot Be Color(Blind): Part II

Building from last year’s discussion about how colorblindness shows up in how non-adoptees relate to adoptees, this session will focus on adoptees’ responses. How do we think about and represent ourselves as adoptees, as immigrants, and/or as people of color in relationships with ourselves and others, particularly when colorblindness is present? This is a fishbowl session where non-adoptees are invited to observe and listen to the conversation, but not respond.

Speakers

Dr. Katie Bozek

Executive Director, KAAN

Dr. SunAh Laybourn

Sunday June 23, 2024 9:30am - 10:45am CDT
Lakeshore A: Lobby Level

Fishbowl Session (Adoptee-Centered But Non-Adoptees May Attend To Listen)

9:30am CDT

Contextualizing KAD Identity in IBPOC Communities

Please note: this session will repeat at 3:45 PM on Saturday, June 22.

IBPOC communities, like any community, are partially defined by their membership; while KADs may seem like a goup that would naturally be part of the larger group, this is not a perspective shared by all members of either community. This session invites attendees to critically consider the experiences (including opportunities and challenges) of KADs navigating IBPOC communities and spaces. Through a combination of large and small group conversations, individual reflections, presentations, and interactive activities, participants will be able to explore multiple perspectives related to identity development as well as increase their awareness of self, others, and relationships.

Speakers

DeLa Dos

Sunday June 23, 2024 9:30am - 10:45am CDT
Lakeshore B: Lobby Level

General Session (Open To All Attendees)

9:30am CDT

Youth Program: Bojagi activity

Bojagi is a classless art that was once passed on through the generations of Korean artist and has no longer been passed on … especially to Korean Adoptees. It has now become an elite-est art and very much unknown artform even among the Korean nationals. This is an artform that is very unique to Korea and it needs to be rejuvenated among any Korean who loves to learn about Korean culture and has a pride in learning and doing something that is very uniquely Korean. With the completion of your project you can proudly display Korean culture.

Moderators