Start
here.
There is no correct order and nothing you have to read first. Pick whichever of these sounds most like you today.
you can also just poke around. that’s allowed.
Section 00. One word, up front
You will see the term DoKAD across this site. It is shorthand, not a club. Nobody is going to ask you to prove anything, and nobody is going to mind if you never use the word about yourself.
- Never heard the word DoKAD before? You are not alone.
- Still figuring out whether this describes you? That is okay.
- You do not need to know your full family history to take part.
- There is no single DoKAD experience.
- Your parent’s story and your story can be connected without being identical.
What is a DoKAD?
DoKAD / DOH-kad /
noun
A descendant of a Korean adoptee. Most often the child of someone adopted from Korea — sometimes the grandchild, sometimes further down.
If your parent or grandparent was adopted from Korea, that is you. There is no test to pass and no box you have to tick.
Section 01. Six ways in
I have never heard the word DoKAD
Start with the definition and the family diagram. Five minutes, no commitment, nothing to fill in.
I want to understand the history
The background on Korean adoption that most of us were never given — plus the specific reasons descendants experience it differently.
I want to meet people like me
Coffee meetups, online gatherings, and guided conversations. Small, free, and mostly informal.
I want to read other people’s stories
Essays, interviews, poems, and photo stories from descendants. Anonymous and pseudonymous contributions welcome.
My parent was adopted and I want to talk to them about it
One of the most common reasons people arrive here. There is a topic queue on exactly this, and a guided discussion in the works.
I am a parent, an adoptee, or an ally
You are welcome. Read how we think about who leads DoKAD programming, and what support looks like.
Your parent’s story and your story can be connected without being identical.
Ready when you are.
Joining takes about a minute and tells us what to actually build. Most of it is optional.