When the protests started at the end of May I, like many people wanted to do something. I wanted justice and pulling up just wasn’t enough. Looking to communities where I intersect I found little to no action outside of zoom calls to talk or worse no conversation at all. Feeling frustrated that those in my demographic were not taking direct action I reached out to some Korean Adoptee friends. We formed a collective called Yeondae (연대) to educate each other and learn how best to mobilize as allies and advocates. . . As Korean American adoptees (KADs) we are in a unique situation, our proximity to whiteness has granted us power and privilege. We feel that it is our responsibility to use this access to combat white supremacy and anti-black racism. . . One of our organizers' daughters has been out protesting with RCJ and is now part of the Portland Black Youth Movement (PBYM). Formerly known as the “rosebuds,” PBYM is a Gen Z group of teen activist leaders, who split from the RCJ activist group. These brave teens have been a critical part of the Portland protest movement, as rally speakers, march call and response leaders, and overall organizers. . . We have been communicating with the leaders of (PBYM) and want to use collective donation to help mobilize our broader KAD community, to support the next generation of Black leaders, to raise awareness about Korean adoptees, and to amplify our voices here in Portland. . . Your donation will support two groups: Black Portlanders and Korean Adoptees. 100% of the donations received will go to the (PBYM). As the fundraising body our collective will gain recognition and help us with our social justice activism around BLM, immigration, and Adoptee rights. You can send money directly to the treasurer, Beth Haworth-Kaufka whose daughter is part of (PBYM) and is coordinating with their leadership: . . Venmo (@Beth-Haworth-Kaufka) Cashapp ($pdxbhk) PayPal (paypal.me/bethhk . . Beth will track all incoming money in a budget sheet, which will be made available for all Yeondae members to review for transparency. Link to the donation page is in my bio. #koreanadoptees #koreans4blacklives #asians4blacklives #portlandoregon #portland https://www.instagram.com/p/CCdUkf5jDXz/?igshid=1nnutmnpr4f50
