Bring your children to KAAN? Yes or No???

A question came up on my Facebook wall recently about whether or not we were bringing our children to KAAN this year.    While the first year we attended (2007 in Boston) didn't have childcare and we had 2 small children, we wanted to get the most out of KAAN so we didn't bring them and had my parents look after them.    

Our second KAAN conference that we attended was in 2010 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and we dropped off our children at my brother and his girlfriend's home on the way there for the weekend.   We arrived a day early and volunteered with others packing materials into the bags, setting up the signs, and at registration on Friday afternoon.   

Our third KAAN conference was in Atlanta in 2011 and due to me having surgery immediately after this conference in Atlanta, we didn't bring our children to it.   They were taken care of by my in-laws.   I volunteered to  help out with registration again and had fun doing it.   

Our fourth KAAN conference was in Albany, NY just last year and due to it being local and both sets of grandparents attending, we brought our children.   It helped that KAAN last year had a childcare program for those children under 7 who couldn't attend the youth programming events.  Our girls were well taken care of and we checked on them in-between our sessions.   We supplied the snacks while the mentors volunteered to play with the children during the sessions playing games, coloring, and  more.

The children really enjoyed themselves last year and our children have Camp Mujigae friends and KAAN friends.   It is something that they are looking forward to going to this year and are not only counting the months down to Camp Mujigae but to KAAN as well. 

 

A quote from my 8 year old son: “(Camp) Mujigae is fun and KAAN is fun but in a different way….there is fun stuff to do at both but there is different fun stuff at KAAN and I like that.”  

From my now 6 year old daughter:  “I like going to KAAN and playing fun games with the counselors (mentors)”.   She was in the childcare program along with her 7 year old sister who also had fun playing in the room with the mentors as well.   Our 7 year old says she “loved the pool and hanging around Eli"  (one child who also attends KAAN with his sister).  

 

Camp Mujigae is special and KAAN is special to my children and for myself as well just in a different way.   Having your child go to Korean cultural camp is a wonderful experience to learn more about their culture and hanging with other Korean children around their age.   KAAN helps them learn about themselves as well but in a different way.    I look at KAAN this way:  it’s an extension of the cultural camp not a continuation of it.  

KAAN’s youth program has cultural things but also sometimes it’s just fun hanging with other Korean children and doing things as a big group too which includes playing in the pool, going on the field trips that they have for the children on Saturday, and more. 

Looking down the road aways, I hope that my children continue to attend the KAAN conference just like they attend Camp Mujigae and develop their KAAN friendships even more.    It’s one of the many reasons why I love going and volunteering at it as well.

To anybody reading this and debating if they should bring their children to the KAAN conference:   Bring your children to KAAN.  They will have fun, learn and develop friendships.   We are so glad that we did. 

~From Our Mommy

Please Support this!!!!

I'm a proud member of KAAN's Advisory Council. KAAN makes a difference in so many people's lives, including my own. Please consider helping us raise $20,000 so that we can both support our speakers and mentors and keep our conference fees affordable for attendees. Fundraiser info and a new video each week at KAAN Conference Fundraiser.  Thanks!

The KAAN Conference is something that is important to not only myself but also to my entire family (my parents, my in-laws, my husband, and our 3 children (5, 7, and 8).   Nearly all of them attended the conference this year when it was in Albany, NY and gained so much from it.   My mom spoke at it about her experiences being a grandparent and attended for the first time.   My in-laws gained immeasurably information not only from the conference itself but also from talking to other attendees.   My husband met our friends that we made at KAAN starting with our first conference in 2007 when it was in Boston.   Our children were nervous but loved being in their programs.   Our son made a "KAAN friend" and he just loves that his friend is like himself.   Our two daughters were in the younger child care program and loved  playing with the mentors that came in to play and have fun with the younger children.   My daughters loved seeing and playing with all of them but recognized a few from Camp Mujigae and one of their mentors.  

KAAN is for any generation who wants to learn more about Korean adoption.   Any generation.     I'm sure my mom and my in-laws would agree to that.   

Any amount that you can give would be appreciated!  Thank you from all of our hearts!!

Oh no!!! Not the Subject of Racism!!!

Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines RACISM as:

1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

2: racial prejudice or discrimination

Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines the prefix Anti-as:

1a : of the same kind but situated opposite, exerting energy in the opposite direction, or pursuing an opposite policy <anticlinal>
b : one that is opposite in kind to <anticlimax>

2a : opposing or hostile to in opinion, sympathy, or practice <anti-Semite> b : opposing in effect or activity <antacid>

3: serving to prevent, cure, or alleviate <antianxiety>

4: combating or defending against <antiaircraft> <antimissile>

So anti-racism would be anything that is combating racism.

We live in a predominantly Caucasian area here in New York. One of our local radio stations, 810 WGY, posted on their facebook page earlier this afternoon about a mayor in Duluth, Georgia who is endorsing the "Un-Fair Campaign". The poster from WGY commented on their facebook page was this "Wow! Thoughts?". Apparently there is also some controversy with this campaign as well.

The term White Privilege was something that I learned about at session from KAAN's Conference in Boston in July 2007. I learned that when I walk down a street, I don't need to worry about being stopped by a police officer and questioned as to why I'm in that neighborhood like other races might experience. I learned that my children would experience white privilege when they are with me...something that I hadn't even thought about before. When they are away from me it is a totally different story and they wouldn't have this privilege.

I'd like to know your thoughts about the Un-Fair Campaign. Right now, I'm glad it is being brought to light and starting up the discussion on racism and more discussion on White Privilege. If you would like to talk more about this subject or other thought provoking ones, please attend the KAAN Conference in Albany, New York July 27 - 29th. I will be attending and hope to see you there!!

~Jen

A Recent LGA Interview

Hi,

A friend of mine who also adopted from Korea was interviewed recently on the Land of Gazillon Adoptees. I'm hoping that you read it and decide to attend the KAAN conferences even if you haven't adopted from Korea but adopted transracially, are a grandparent to a transracial child, or from the Korean American community. And if you support what KAAN does, please consider donating your money and/or time...it's a worthwhile community!!! And besides I've met many friends there and Martha is just one of them!!

~Jen

KAAN Conference 2011

Facebook friends, did you read my prior posting about KAAN? If not read this one:

Do you know about KAAN and its wonderful annual conference? Do you know about the conference’s sessions that are wonderful not only to the adoption triad but also to the extended family and social workers as well? Do you know that the sessions are wonderful for those of us who have adopted transracially years ago but also for those of us who have adopted transracially recently?

My husband and I are going to our 3rd conference this year. We attended in 2007 in Boston (our children were just 3 and 2 years old with our youngest still in Korea), 2010 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and now 2011 in ATLANTA!!!! We have made KAAN friends from all over the US and in Korea and I cannot wait for KAAN this year to see them again.

For me, I am highly interested in the session Making Culture Camps Relevant for Children Adopted from Korea. My children attend Camp Mujigae (my oldest two have attended since 2006) and I have been volunteering at camp since 2007. It’s the only Korean cultural camp that I know of in the Northeast if not in the country that has a program for children under age 5 just like KAAN is the only Korean adoption organization that I know of that has an annual conference that is all over the country (once in Seoul Korea as well J) that you get to hear from all sides of the adoption (the good and the bad from adoptees, adoptive parents, social workers, birthparents from the US and Korea, screen movies like In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee, Adopted, and many others and discussing those movies with the producer(s) of those movies, has workers from the Korean adoption agencies, and many more).

KAAN has something for everyone…even children can attend KAAN and I look at it as an extension of Camp Mujigae for them. Next year I think you’ll see my husband and I with our children there and maybe some extended family members!! KAAN can be so emotional at times but also uplifting. I find that I learn something new from KAAN each time that we have gone and it’s wonderful in seeing my KAAN friends. I always take something away from the conference that I hadn't heard of before, or learning something more about myself in my role as a mother to 3 children from Korea.

The early registration for the 13th Annual Conference has been extended to May 31st and if you are attending for the first time, please mention my name when registering and both of our names will be put into a drawing for next year’s KAAN conference so if the name is drawn that person can attend for FREE!!! Go to KAAN Conference Sessions to check out the sessions, KAAN Registration to register and for more information send an email off to

• info@kaanet.com ... for general or program questions

• kaanregistration@aol.com ... for registration questions

Remember: Register now for the early registration rate and for those first timers, remember to add my name so that both of our names can be entered into the drawing to win registration to next year's KAAN conference!!

KAAN Conference 2008

안녕하세요 or Annyong Haseyo to those of you who can't read the hangul!!

This post for those of you who have either adopted from Korea or are Korean adoptees or are touched by one way or another to Korean adoption.

I wanted to tell you about a wonderful conference for Korean adoptees, adoptive parents, social workers and more. It’s called the KAAN (Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network) Conference and their 10th annual conference is being held in Chicago at the Wyndham O’Hare starting July 18th and going to July 20th for more information about the conference go to KAAN Conference Home Page.

They have various sessions going on for the adult adoptees (see KAAN Conference Adult Adoptee Sessions for the young adult adoptees aged 18 to 21 and the adult adoptees over age 21). The kids and teens have their own program while you attend your sessions (see KAAN Conference Kids and Teens Program). It doesn’t matter if you have young kids like I have (4 year old, 2 3/4 year old, and a 15 month old) or older ones or just starting out in the process with a referral since you still will find something to take away from the conference. For me, I loved the sessions on the First Mother and the Q&A with the adult adoptees. This year’s conference looks spectacular again…just check out the schedule for it at KAAN Conference Main Session Schedule. My husband, Jeff, went to the sessions that interested him. It’s a great way for adoptees or parents to network as well I found. You don’t need to sign up for which sessions you want to attend ahead of time which I found to be really nice.

BUT in order to go to this wonderful conference and get it at the reduced registration rate, you need to get your registration in by May 31st. So head to KAAN Conference Registration Form and follow their simple directions. Jeff and I registered for the full conference last year and I’m so glad that we did since we both got something out of it. Please don’t be late, register and attend this conference…you’ll get something out of it. We certainly did. Do you want to know why we went?? Just look at the kids at the top of my blog page...that's why!!

~Jen

KAAN Conference 2008

Geesh when did the kids get on here????

Anyway I wanted to post to you all that have adopted kids from Korea that the KAAN Conference 2008 looks like it will be wonderful this year. I know...I'm doing another shameless plug for another excellent organization!! I would advise anybody reading this that was thinking of attending to sign up and attend. You will not regret it!!!

Jeff and I went last year to the one in Boston. It was our first conference and I know it won't be our last. We were able to chat with adult adoptees, social workers, parents to adult adoptees, parents to young adoptees, and if I remember right even grandparents. We learned SO much from this conference.

This year's conference is in Chicago. KAAN 2008 Conference Schedule looks like it's a good one. For those of you attending, I would recommend the More Than Just Love - A Dad's Transcultural Adoption Story and An Interactive Discussion Among Adult Adoptees and Parents. Both of these were very good last year and I learned alot from them. I also attended every session I could on First Moms and learned so much from Claud who spoke at last year's KAAN conference.

From this year's conference, I would recommend the session on Adoption Ethics and Social Justice - The Need to Mobilize our Community into Action (goes along with the posting from Third Mom) and the session on Meeting a Korean Birthmother. Both look to be excellent sessions.

So please consider attending the conference. It is a life changing experience.

~Jen