Boston Korean Adoptees, Inc. is a non-profit, 501c(3) organization focused on building a community of adult adoptees with a connection to Korea in the greater Boston and New England area. Boston Korean Adoptees, Inc. also works to educate those in the larger community about the issues surrounding international adoption and transracial adoption.
Members at the #BKA14 conference
About
BKA is a community of adult adoptees with a social and educational focus. We organize panels, workshops and other events to teach others about transracial adoption and to give voice to the adoptee experience. We conduct events that allow adoptees, their families and others in our communities to explore culture — Korean, Korean American and adoptee — and their relation to it. We also support the art, writing, music and other creations of those in our community who have the will and spirit to create it.
We believe in social justice and the power of the individual to effect change, both in that individual’s own life and in their larger communities.
We like to get together — to learn, to exchange ideas, to break bread together and to participate in our community as a whole.
History
In 1998, as a result of an internet posting, about a dozen Boston-area Korean-born adoptees met at a local Italian restaurant to meet other adoptees and socialize. As a result of that first meeting and its subsequent conversations, the soon-to-become first BKA membership decided to meet regularly and form an organization. By the late 90s, BKA was not only hosting dinners and meet and greets, but were also forming and speaking on panels at adoption conferences, culture camps and other events.
In 2003, BKA incorporated into a 501(c)3 organization, based out of Massachusetts... a very exciting time! Boston Korean Adoptees, Inc. committed to holding quarterly events and continuing to support its educational programming. It also began to co-sponsor events, such as film screenings and poetry readings.
A few years later, BKA began to look to expand out its programming once again. In addition to the ongoing (and much-anticipated) quarterly events, it also looked to having other regular programming (book club, volunteer events) as well as larger events. In 2009, it held its first-ever film festival in conjunction with University of Massachusetts Boston and in 2011-2012 it offered a Korean cooking series with Instructor Anne Choi, both of which had strong turnouts and good feedback.
BKA celebrated its 10 years as a nonprofit in August 2014 at its Anniversary Conference #BKA14, held at the OMNI Parker House Hotel and surrounding Boston area.