WHAT: Group discussion about the recent emergencies that happened to two Korean adoptees in Seoul (see below for more information), opportunity to give a donation to help these adoptees, and a group dinner.
WHEN: Sunday, October 23, 2011. 3:00-4:30pm (discussion & donations); 5:00-7:00pm (dinner)
WHERE: Discussion - Latitude Condos’ cabana house, 33020 10th Ave SW, Federal Way, WA 98023
Dinner – Kokiri Korean Restaurant, 32703 Pacific Highway South, Federal Way, WA 98003
WHY: There is a fundraiser taking place in Seoul at KoRoot as well as an online fundraiser (graciously organized by local AAAW members) to benefit these adoptees (see below for full information about Matthew & Tim). Although anyone can participate at any time by donating online via the instructions posted on these event sites, we at AAAW would like to gather our local adoptee community together to have a face-to-face discussion about what happened to these adoptees & the issues that are raised, including:
- Neglect of adoptive parents to naturalize/obtain adoptive country citizenship for adoptees
- Challenges facing Korean adoptees who return to live in Korea
- What constitutes post-adoption services, and who is/is not providing them
At our Oct. 23rd event hosted by AAAW, we will provide a laptop where you can make donations directly to benefit these adoptees. If you would like to do so beforehand, please see the instructions posted here (click “see more” under “More Info” to expand).
The following is taken from Jane Jeong Trenka’s community fundraiser Facebook event page:
Recently there have been two emergencies in our adoptee community. Matthew, who was adopted to the U.S., was brutally attacked and thrown in front of a car by a white American male in Itaewon on Oct. 1. He sustained two fractures in his jaw and is not able to eat solid food, much less work. In addition, his parents did not get him naturalized in the U.S. so he is living as a Korean citizen who cannot speak Korean, which makes finding work for him difficult.
Tim was found by another adoptee, Michael Moon, on the streets in Itaewon around mid-August. Tim, whose parents also did not get him U.S. citizenship, was deported from the U.S. more than half a year ago. He became homeless while in Korea because he had no one to care for him; he lives with a mental illness for which he received social security benefits in the U.S. which was left untreated when he came to Korea. He has been in the care of Pastor Kim, Jane, and Michael for about one month now. Because of his disability it is hard for him to live at KoRoot, so he is living in a gosiwon in Itaewon now. It is our understanding that he will need to be supported by the community for one year for his living costs. After one year, he will be able to classified as handicapped and receive benefits from the Korean government. (Michael and Jane have called his parents, and they want absolutely nothing to do with him and will not give a penny toward his living expenses, and they do not want him to come back to the U.S.)
