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Mission
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.
History
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, KAHI has grown into an 'ohana of more than 40, and we aim to expand our reach, programs and membership as our family further establishes itself.
Vision

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.

Future opportunities KAHI hopes to explore include:

  • programs to help enable members to return to Korea to learn about our heritage and birth culture through travel, study, volunteerism and/or work
  • programs to help enable members to engage in Korean language and cultural/arts study locally in Hawai'i
  • a mentorship program to build friendships with and serve as role models for young adoptees
  • hosting national and/or international events in Hawai'i to support and nurture the global adoptee community
... and much more.