Helping Adopted Koreans in the Los Angeles Area Find Community and Connect to their Korean Heritage, Culture, and Birth Land.

AKA began at the end of June 1994 as an informal gathering of adoptees and their associates organized by Jo Rankin, SoYun Roe and Basil Zanda. Eight people (four adoptees and four non-adoptees) were present for the first meeting. For the second meeting, a group went down and met in San Diego for Grandma Holt's 90th birthday party. At the third meeting, in October 1994, the name "Association of Korean Adoptees" was suggested by Marisa Kim. AKA's first guest speaker was Margaret Pyo, a longtime Holt social worker and 2nd-generation Korean-American. In December 1994, AKA held its first holiday party with its first traditional gift exchange. 

For its first year, AKA met bimonthly. Starting June 1995, AKA began meeting monthly. That month, AKA also received its first media coverage with a Korean- language article interview of Co-Founder Jo Rankin in the Korea Times. In July 1995, AKA received its first English-language media coverage in a KoreAm Journal article about AKA's 1st year anniversary. From there, AKA continued to grow mainly by word of mouth. Over the years the group has branched off and expanded. Now several California cities have active Korean adoptee groups. Though all the organizations operate separately, they enjoy collaborating together and building friendships. 

In May 2023, a new official Board was selected to help welcome Los Angeles Korean adoptees. Their focus has been to offer consistent gatherings, create and host events focused on community and Korean heritage, and to move the group into the future of adoptee advocacy. Within the first six months the Board hosted monthly events including a movie screening, Korean Heritage Night at the Los Angeles Dodgers, a Chuseok celebration, Chimaek night, and a Holiday Party. Check out our blog for past event highlights. 

During their time they also created an official website and social media presence, allowing them reach more of the Korean adoptee community and begin to partner with other Korean and adoptee organizations. The Board is looking forward to the longevity of the group through a strong sense of community and many successful events in 2024 and beyond.