THIS MONTH IN THE KOREAN ADOPTEE COMMUNITY - Mar 2026
By Jon Oaks
It continues to be a real honor to be part of the KCCNYC community and to have the opportunity to write this column each month. I’m grateful for the chance to reflect on adoptee experiences and share stories and resources that help strengthen connections within our community.
February was especially meaningful because I had the opportunity to attend the KCCNYC Gala and meet many members of the community in person. If you were there, you may remember that I was given a few minutes to speak. I decided to begin my remarks with a few lines in Korean. It was the first time I had ever addressed a group publicly in Korean, and the moment felt incredibly meaningful to me as an adoptee.
Many adoptees grow up with a complicated relationship with language and culture. Korean can feel both deeply personal and strangely distant at the same time. Speaking even a few sentences in Korean in a room filled with people connected to that culture wasn’t about fluency or perfection. It was simply about showing up and acknowledging a part of my identity that has taken years to feel comfortable claiming.
Women’s History Month and Korean Adoptee Voices
March also brings Women’s History Month, which offers an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of women throughout history. Within the Korean adoptee community, this recognition carries particular significance. Korean adoptee women have played important roles in shaping conversations around identity, belonging, and advocacy, while also building many of the spaces where adoptees gather, connect, and share their stories.
Through leadership, creative work, and community organizing, adoptee women have helped expand how adoption is understood and discussed. Their voices continue to shape the adoptee community and create opportunities for connection across generations.
Two recent creative works highlight how powerful these perspectives can be.
Poetry and Identity: Bo Hee Moon
Poet Bo Hee Moon, a Korean adoptee raised in the United States, recently released Birthstones in the Province of Mercy, a prize-winning poetry collection that explores identity, memory, and the emotional spaces created by separation and distance. Her work reflects on the experience of growing up without direct access to personal origins while still feeling their presence in subtle ways.
Through reflective and intimate poems, Moon examines themes familiar to many adoptees: questions about belonging, the imagined presence of birth family, and the search for language capable of expressing complicated emotional realities. The collection explores how adoptees often reconstruct pieces of identity through fragments of history, memory, and imagination.
Music and Self-Expression: Betsey XO
Music offers another powerful form of storytelling. Korean American adoptee Betsey XO is gaining momentum as a pop artist whose work blends personal experience with accessible pop music.
Her album Stripped of Identity reflects on her experiences navigating life as a Korean-American adoptee while addressing themes such as self-acceptance, mental health, and the process of building healthy personal boundaries. By transforming personal struggles into music that resonates with a broad audience, artists like Betsey XO demonstrate how adoptee perspectives continue to influence contemporary culture.
Community Connections
Several upcoming events provide opportunities to learn more, connect with others in the community, and stay informed about important initiatives.
Also-Known-As at 30: Pre-Anniversary Community Briefing
March 18, 2026 | 6:30–8:00 PM | Welcome to Chinatown Hub, 115 Bowery, New York
Also-Known-As will host a community conversation ahead of its upcoming 30th anniversary celebration. The event will reflect on the organization’s history, highlight the contributions of past leaders, and explore how the community continues to evolve. Free event (suggested $5 donation). RSVP required.So You’re Thinking About KAAN?
March 16, 2026 | 8:00 PM ET | Online (Adoptee-only event)
Curious about the KAAN conference? This informal virtual session offers an opportunity to learn what the conference is like, why it means so much to many adoptees and families, and whether it might be something you’d like to attend in the future. ASL interpretation will be provided. Virtual Zoom Link is here.Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Application Update
Applications will open February 26, 2026, and remain open until February 25, 2028. Once a submission is received, the commission may take up to 90 days to determine eligibility for investigation and will notify applicants of the decision within 7 days. Individuals may submit applications through their local Korean consulates, which will issue a receipt of submission. Application forms are currently being translated into English, and birth families may also apply and request assistance in Korean. Read more here.
Looking Ahead
Each month when I write this column, I’m reminded of how diverse and dynamic the Korean adoptee community continues to be. From literature and music to advocacy and community organizing, adoptees are contributing to conversations that extend far beyond adoption itself.
Moments such as speaking a few words of Korean at the Gala, reading poetry that captures the adoptee experience, or discovering music created by another adoptee are reminders that identity can be explored and expressed in many different ways. These shared experiences help create a sense of connection that continues to grow across communities and generations.
I’m grateful to be part of this community, and I look forward to continuing to share these stories and updates in the months ahead.
