2018 Chicago (KAtCH) 10th Anniversary & Gathering

KAtCH10 Overview

KAtCH 10th Anniversary & IKAA Annual Convention (#katch10)
Theme: Creating Community, Catalyzing Change

Date: Sep 28 to Sep 30 (Fri to Sun)
Location: Chicago, Illinois (USA)

Korean Adoptees of Chicago (KAtCH) held the KAtCH 10th Anniversary and IKAA Annual Convention in Fall 2018.

175

Attendees

7

Countries Represented

27

US States Represented

9

IKAA Member Organizations

34

First Adoptee Conference

KAtCH10 Schedule

Thursday Pre-Conference Social | Brandos Speakeasy
Friday Welcome Reception | Untitled Supper Club
Saturday Sessions | Hyatt Centric Magnificent Mile
Saturday Lunch | Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
Saturday Dinner | Hyatt Centric Magnificent Mile
Sunday Picnic | Ping Tom Memorial Park

“Very intimate and welcoming. As a new participant, I heard from returning participants that this gathering was particularly engaging and impactful.”
KAtCH10 Attendee

“Bless up to the KAtCH crew. Your efforts definitely reflected the KAtCH10 theme.”
KAtCH10 Attendee

KAtCH10 Workshops and Sessions

Side by Side: 100 Stories of Inter-Country Adoption and Aging Out

Film screening featuring selected stories of aged-out Korean nationals living in 16 cities in 7 countries around the world.

Speaker: Glenn Morey | Filmmaker

(un)DOCUMENTED, a play

Stage reading about three immigrant women's stories, exploring the current climate of deportation and tenuous civil liberties

Featuring: Marissa Lichwick | Playwright, Director

Community Studio - Identity & Ancestry Testing

Facilitated discussion of existing information gaps, how genetic ancestry testing plays into one’s definition of identity, and what resources may still be needed.

Speaker: Kim Jacoby Morris, PhD | Researcher, Educator

Living Authentically, Journeys of LGBTQ+ Adoptees

Panel of LGBTQ+ KADs share challenges and triumphs at the intersections of race, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural norms, followed by facilitated group discussion.

Speakers: Min Matson | Father, Activist

Adoptees & Immigrants: Advancing a Shared Vision of Justice

Panel of organizers and community leaders explore connections between intercountry adoptees and immigrants in the U.S. and implications for building power together.

Panel: Becky Belcore, Esther Jeon, Kristopher Larsen | Organizers, Advocates for Adoptee & Immigrant Rights

Self-Care 101 Workshop

Interactive workshop unpacking the complex interplay of gains and losses accumulated via adoption, offering simple yet powerful tools to recharge, restore, and rejuvenate.

Speaker: Soojin Pate, PhD | Author, Scholar

Viewing Korean Design Symbolism Through a Western Eye

Guided presentation of visual symbolism found in Korean architecture and design motifs, hands-on activity making personalized greeting cards.

Speaker: Dan Whittaker | Architect

Restorative Yoga

Centering mind + body, activewear suggested

Instructor: Yolanda Reinert | Fitness Instructor

Negotiating Names & Identities for Transracial Korean Adoptees

Presentation of research on transracial Korean adoptees who have reclaimed their names, brief wiriting exercise, followed by small and large group discussion.

Speaker: Jason Reynolds, PhD | Psychologist

Parenting as Adoptees

Informal discussion of how adoptee experiences have or may influence parenting, including joys and challenges

Speaker: Deborah Johnson, MSW | Speaker, Consultant

Breakout Sessions

Sharing + building community together

Facilitators: Allen Majors, Pete Stoffels, Kimberly McKee, Ben Nodland, Kate Powers, Joe Meyer

“Thank you, to KAtCH leadership and supporting organizations, for organizing a wonderful opportunity to learn more about myself and the KAD community. As one person expressed, it was something I didn't know I needed until actually experiencing it.”
KAtCH10 Attendee