Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington

Mission Statement:

Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington (AAAW) strives to enable adoptees to connect, share their stories, and perspectives with each other, empower adoptees to explore their adoptee identity, serve as a resource for adoptees, and support adoptees wherever they are in their journey.

Description:

Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington was founded in December 1996. In 2026, AAAW will celebrate an incredible milestone - its 30th anniversary as an organization! This community provides a welcoming and safe space for all adoptees, plans events and programs that brings adoptees together, as well as offers a Cultural Enrichment Grant for Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander adoptees to further explore their identity or assist them in attending adoptee conferences. In addition, AAAW distributes a monthly newsletter with the latest updates from AAAW and beyond, and allyship/collaboration with other like-minded adoptee organizations, communities, and individuals.

Some examples of events and programs AAAW plans include:

• Annual Spring Potluck, Summer BBQ, and Holiday Party
• Adoptee Artist Showcase to give adoptees the opportunity to share their talent
• Dialogue Series to bring adoptees together for discussion on adoptee-related topics
• Monthly dinners that rotate between North, East, Central, and South of the Seattle area

Throughout the program year, we also organize Community Check-ins, Get-Togethers to explore events happening around the Seattle area, and ad hoc events like Paint the Town, Lunar New Year Celebration, movie night, and outdoor activities. These events bring adoptees together to build connections and share their journey, perspectives, and experiences with each other.

As mentioned earlier, to celebrate its 30th anniversary, AAAW will host a weekend-long event! We are planning a variety of discussion sessions for adoptees, an Adoptee Artist Showcase, social activities, and end the celebration with food and activities to observe the Mid-Autumn, ChuSeok, Onam, and Tết Trung Thu holiday.

Asian Adult Adoptees of Washington is an adoptee-led, all-volunteer federal 501(c)(3) status nonprofit organization. Our volunteers serve on the Board of Directors and Event Planning Committee.