About AKASF
The Association of Korean Adoptees San Francisco (AKASF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves the San Francisco Bay Area Korean Adoptee community.
Our mission is to support, educate, and foster community, inspiring adoptees on their life journeys.
〰️
🌊
🌁
〰️ 🌊 🌁
Our History
In 1997, AKASF began helping adopted Koreans find one another and connect to their Korean heritage, culture, and birthland. Early activities included sharing our experiences by speaking on panels, “Playshops” with adopted children, dragon-boating, and co-sponsoring screenings of groundbreaking films, including those by local filmmaker Deann Borshay Liem.
In 2017, AKASF became a member of the International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) and in the fall of that year hosted AKASF's 20th Anniversary Celebration & IKAA Annual Convention, bringing together over 230 participants from around the globe.
Today, we continue to help welcome and connect adoptees to the community and through meaningful services/events and continued leadership to the local and broader Korean adoptee community.
What we do
1) Monthly meet up events, which have included:
Korean Culture: Cooking classes, Film Screenings, SF Giants Korean Heritage Night
Socials: Happy hours (Soju Talks) and dinners
Workshops: Korean Citizenship and Writing Workshops
Discussion Groups: Focused conversations on topics in the adoptee community (adoptees only)
2) Collaborate and participate with local organizations who support the adoptee and/or the Korean American community. Examples include:
Korea Center’s Bay Area Chuseok Festival
CAAMFest (Asian American Film Festival)
It doesn’t matter whether you are new to the community or have been involved for many years—we hope to see you at a future event soon!
2024 AKASF BOARD MEMBERS
Christy Zaragoza
Christy Zaragoza joined the Board in 2021. She joined the board to be able to contribute to the community and create a space for adoptees to have for themselves. She is interested in hanging out with her dog, doing ceramics, trying new foods, seeing new places and going for long walks at GGP. She hopes to see AKASF continue to be a vibrant and safe community for KADS in the greater Bay Area.
Co-President (she/her)
Emily Shewmaker
Emily Shewmaker joined the AKASF Board in 2022. Growing up in rural East Texas, she didn’t have many opportunities to engage with or be part of adoptee communities/conversations. When moving to the greater San Francisco Bay Area, the warmth of the AKASF community offered her the solace, space, and connections to dive deeper into her identity and Korean heritage. She hopes to address issues around diversity, equity, and inclusion while also creating meaningful spaces where others who may feel a sense of isolation can feel that they belong.
Co-President (she/her)
Ryan Overton
(he/him)
Ryan joined the Board in 2018 to help grow the community and help with and create events. Ryan’s passions are traveling, trying new whiskies and wine, collecting sneakers, sports, and spending time with family. He hopes to see AKASF continue to grow and evolve and be a resource for the Korean Adoptee community in the greater SF/Bay Area and beyond.
Ashley Hegge
Ashley Hegge joined AKASF Board in 2019 and is excited to be a part of the KAD community at a local level. She wanted to learn more about who she was while helping and connecting with others. She hopes to see AKASF become a resource to those wanting to connect more with their culture, learn more about their Korean roots, and other issues that surround adoptees.
(she/her)
Mia Krolikoski
(she/her)
Mia Krolikoski joined the AKASF Board in 2023. She joined AKASF after the pandemic to find a place to belong and after only one year, this community became her second family. She joined the AKASF Board to form genuine connections with other adoptees, to learn more about fellow adoptee experiences, and to determine how being an adoptee fits into her overall identity. She hopes to see AKASF continue to be a positive, inclusive safe space for adoptees in the Bay Area.
Kim Langworthy
(she/her)
Joining the Board in 2022, Kim Langworthy started her adoptee journey just two years prior when she began actively thinking about and taking control of her narrative and how it shaped her identity. As part of the “first wave” of international Korean adoptees, Kim doesn’t want anyone else feeling alone as she did for many years. She deeply understands the positive impact that the adoptee community has made on her and she hopes to promote a community with meaningful connections that are compassionate, inclusive, and fun. She admires the common experiences that link us and also celebrates the differences and uniqueness that each person brings to the table. She loves offering support to those navigating what it means to be a Korean American Adoptee – whatever that may look like for each individual.
Song Lee
(she/her)
Song Lee joined the Board of AKASF in 2024. A passionate artist and advocate, she began her journey into exploring her identity as a Korean adoptee earlier that year. Discovering a sense of community for the first time, she was inspired by the Association of Korean Adoptees San Francisco (AKASF) and felt a deep desire to contribute to the organization. Her goal is to help others feel the belonging and connection that she has found. Committed to fostering bonding, positivity, and raising awareness of the Korean adoptee experience, Song is eager to use her passion for painting and the arts to empower others along their journey.
Lauren Cox
(she/her)
Lauren joined the Board in 2024. Being relatively new to the adoptee community, Lauren found a sense of belonging within AKASF that she wants to share with other adoptees. Lauren hopes to help the team create opportunities for adoptees to come together and make meaningful connections through fun events and gatherings. She hopes that these opportunities will allow adoptees to explore their identities as adoptees and inspire others along the way.
Seonah Iverson
(she/her)
Seonah joined the Board of AKASF in 2024. She began dabbling in the Asian adoptee community during the pandemic and the spike of anti-Asian hate, which led her to AKASF. From attending her first event early 2024, Seonah recalls experiencing an immediate sense of belonging. This experience fueled the processing of her identity and of being in reunion with birth family - her "coming out of the fog". The AKASF community has made an everlasting impression and has gifted invaluable lessons. She is devoted to creating safe space for other Korean adoptees to learn - from embracing Korean culture in the Korean adoptee way to sharing her own learnings and reflections.