Korean Adoptees of Hawai'i, Inc. (KAHI), is a nonprofit organization founded upon the experiences of adult Korean adoptees, working to build a supportive community in Hawai'i through public outreach, networking, education and sharing resources. KAHI believes in fostering awareness about adoption and identity, recognizing that we, as a community, can extend our reach beyond what we can accomplish individually.
Korean Adoptees of Hawai'i, Inc. (KAHI), is a nonprofit member organization that serves as a resource and network for adult Korean adoptees living in Hawai'i. KAHI members meet twice monthly for meetings and activities such as discussion forums, informational workshops, film screenings, cultural education, community events, social gatherings and other relevant happenings.
Current members of the KAHI 'ohana represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds including kama'aina as well as newcomers. We have among our membership college students, artists, musicians, parents, teachers and business professionals, among many others.
Officers and members of the board of directors volunteer their time apart from their jobs, families and academic responsibilities to help shape KAHI's goals and direction, in order to best serve the needs of the group.
Members of the Board are selected at the organizations Annual Meeting of Members usually held in September of each year.
As the first organization of its kind in Hawai'i, KAHI aims to offer fellowship, resources and an open, supportive and responsive environment for a varied and growing membership of adult Korean adoptees with a vast range of experiences, needs and perspectives.
KAHI hopes to serve as an information and resource center to support and provide our members with opportunities to connect with fellow Korean adoptees locally, as well as throughout the mainland and internationally. Additionally, we aim to offer a variety of resources and services to KAHI members who wish to explore their Korean heritage and cultural identity.
KAHI envisions itself as a rich resource within the greater Korean-American and Asian-Pacific-American communities, as we strive to raise awareness about Korean adoptees' unique and integral role in the Korean-American and island cultural landscape. In addition, we seek to forge and strengthen ties within this larger framework to provide our members with opportunities to contribute and participate in the community in various ways.
KAHI's inaugural meeting took place in Honolulu in March 2006, with just four members present. By our next meeting in April, our group had doubled in size to eight. Since then, thanks to our members' hard work and grassroots community-building efforts.
Korean Adoptees of Hawai'i, Inc. (KAHI), welcomes new members, whether long-time islanders, new island residents, former residents or those with ties to Hawai'i, who wish to connect with fellow Korean-born adoptees locally and beyond. Although based on O'ahu, KAHI invites adult Korean adoptees on all of the Hawaiian islands to join and participate in group activities. Members must be 18 years or older.
Becoming a member is easy:
KAHI also invites Korean adoptees everywhere to contact us in the event that your Hawai'i travel plans coincide with KAHI group activities.
Korean Adoptees of Hawai'i have been a part of the IKAA network since 2007.
IKAA's Mission
The mission of the IKAA Network is to enrich the global adoption community, promote the sharing of information and resources between adult adoptee associations, strengthen cross-cultural relations, and innovate post-adoption services for the broader international adoptee community.
About Our Member Associations
Common for all the IKAA associations is that they have demonstrated stability, some who have been in existence for nearly 30 years, their organizational structure and membership is comprised overwhelmingly of adult adoptees, they have a long experience working with adoptees, and they organize activities and events for their members on a regular basis. The IKAA network reaches out to thousands of adoptees worldwide.
