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Since we’re without a Korean Adoption blogger at the moment, I thought I’d pass on this news about the Smithsonian Museum’s launching of its Korea Gallery.
Officially open since Friday, the 8th of June, the gallery is in the new Hall of Asian Cultures on the second floor of the museum displaying over 4,000 artifacts representing Korean history and culture.
The idea for this took root in 2003, when Korea’s First Lady, Kwon Yank-sook came to Washington DC for the Korean American Centennial celebrations. When a $1.25 million grant from the Korea Foundation followed and help from the National Folk Museum of Korea came along, the 1,800 square-foot space became a reality.
Anyone with Korean connection should certainly add a visit to the gallery if the DC area. If your kids are from Korea, the Smithsonian’s newest addition could be a real gift. Check out the site on how to make the most of a visit for your kids.
Coming up in the New York area later this month, the film “Children on the Other Shore” will be showing at the Tribeca Film Center on the 26th of June.
Dr. Jane Aronson founder of the Worldwide Orphans Foundation and well-known and widely-respected pediatrician whose work in adoption medicine has made such a difference for the positive in individual lives and the world as a whole, will be the special guest at the event.
The question “Should children be adopted abroad?” has been at the center of public debate in many countries, especially in Russia. There are 700,000 children in Russian orphanages growing up without parental care, guidance or love. The film shows that the welfare of innocent, unfortunate children must transcend all forms of opposing politics, ideologies and any lingering cold war mentality. Children On The Other Shore clearly demonstrates that it doesn’t matter where an orphan child would find a family, in their motherland or on another shore.
The AP has a moving story about adoptees from from Viet Nam, now adults, who are returning to their birth country to adopt children of their own.
One woman, now 33-years-old, called adopting a child from her homeland “a given”, and out of seven families traveling for their children on her adoption trip, four had one parent who’d been born in Viet Nam.
For some, the adoption trip is their first return visit to their country of birth, and I can only imagine the mass of conflicting, converging and competing emotions that must accompany such a momentous journey.
The idea of Vietnam adoptees adopting from Vietnam makes me smile for some reason.
I got to read that story when I get home and not while i am at work…
and not on break techically