We each have a story of who we are and where we came from. For thirty-something Mattea Dibble it’s been more of a choose-your-own-adventure. Mattea was adopted from a South Korean orphanage at around 6 months of age and grew up in a small town in Washington State that was the next best thing to Mayberry. A recent trip to South Korea helped Mattea in coming to terms with her ethnicity and “her people”, but it’s also cemented her identity as Korean American.

Show Notes:

Korean American Adoptees (KAD) – Very active closed group for Korean American Adoptees 18+:

Main topics: social/culture experiences, DNA testing, birth family Searches, Korea reunion trips/tours, travel buddy spreadsheet, adoptee-related legislation in Korea/America, local chapters of groups.
NOTE: Adoptees are not "automatically" U.S. citizens. Some adoptees have been deported, so naturalization paperwork must be submitted.

Koreans Reunited and Empowered Speak (KORES) - Closed group for KADs who have met biological family (or are going to shortly)

Discussion for DNA tested Korean Adoptees, Korean War Veterans and their children

Local KAD groups

International Korean Adoptee Association (IKAA)

Korean Adoption Services (KAS)

Global Overseas Adoptees Link (GOAL)

International Korean Adoptee Service (inKAS)

Park in South Korea dedicated to adoptees (scheduled to open in September 2018)

Contact info if searching for birth family (The major Korean adoptee agencies sometimes have their own services and events)  

Twinsters (Netflix documentary about Identical twins adopted from Korea to different families)