Presented By: Nam Center for Korean Studies
Search for My Origins: Dinner and Conversation for Korean Adoptees with Dr. Christopher Bae
Christopher Bae
The University of Michigan Nam Center for Korean Studies warmly invites Korean adoptees in Michigan and surrounding areas to a special dinner event featuring Dr. Christopher Bae—a Korean adoptee and distinguished anthropologist. Dr. Bae will share his personal journey and engage in conversation with attendees over dinner. Please see his invitation message below:
Message from Christopher J. Bae, Ph.D. : Search For My Origins
"As an adoptee from Korea I share a similar “discovery” story as many other adoptees, where I was found with no records, brought to an orphanage, and then adopted by a white American family through one of the large international adoption agencies. Growing up in New York in a white family and neighborhood, I became interested in my Korean roots a little bit from an early age but especially when I got to college and made my first Korean friends and ate my first Korean food. This experience from my undergraduate days led me to go to Korea on an exchange program to learn Korean language and culture firsthand. I eventually earned degrees in anthropology, with a focus on paleoanthropology (human evolutionary studies), particularly in East Asia. I think in part because of my search for my own origins, I was drawn to paleoanthropology where I study human origins on a broader scale. Here I talk a bit about my story, while raising questions that every adoptee faces at some point in their lives."
About Dr. Christopher Bae:
Christopher J. Bae is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Bae specializes in paleoanthropology (human evolutionary studies), with a particular focus in looking at human origins. Bae received a BA degree from SUNY at Stony Brook, an MA from the University of Arizona, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University. He has conducted research widely across Korea, China, and Japan and published extensively about his research findings, including his recent book (The Paleoanthropology of Eastern Asia, University of Hawaii Press, 2024).
Please RSVP by: Nov. 14, 2025
RSVP form: https://forms.gle/tzmAEET9B49exdNs6
This event is open to Korean adoptees only, and free of charge for all registered attendees.
Event program:
6:00 - 6:05 pm: Welcoming remark
6:05 - 6:40 pm : Dr. Bae’s talk - “Search for My Origins” (~30 minutes)
6:40 - 8:00 pm : Conversation with Dr. Bae over catered dinner featuring Korean food
Parking: The nearest paid parking structure is Forest St. City Public Parking (650 S. Forest St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 / rate: $1.65 per hour / approximately a 10-minute walk to the event venue). Street meter parking is free after 6:00 p.m.
Please note: This RSVP form will close once we reach capacity (about 30 attendees), potentially before the deadline.
❓ For questions, please contact Minyoung Song (mysong@umich.edu) at the U-M Nam Center for Korean Studies.
If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us at mysong@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
Message from Christopher J. Bae, Ph.D. : Search For My Origins
"As an adoptee from Korea I share a similar “discovery” story as many other adoptees, where I was found with no records, brought to an orphanage, and then adopted by a white American family through one of the large international adoption agencies. Growing up in New York in a white family and neighborhood, I became interested in my Korean roots a little bit from an early age but especially when I got to college and made my first Korean friends and ate my first Korean food. This experience from my undergraduate days led me to go to Korea on an exchange program to learn Korean language and culture firsthand. I eventually earned degrees in anthropology, with a focus on paleoanthropology (human evolutionary studies), particularly in East Asia. I think in part because of my search for my own origins, I was drawn to paleoanthropology where I study human origins on a broader scale. Here I talk a bit about my story, while raising questions that every adoptee faces at some point in their lives."
About Dr. Christopher Bae:
Christopher J. Bae is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Bae specializes in paleoanthropology (human evolutionary studies), with a particular focus in looking at human origins. Bae received a BA degree from SUNY at Stony Brook, an MA from the University of Arizona, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University. He has conducted research widely across Korea, China, and Japan and published extensively about his research findings, including his recent book (The Paleoanthropology of Eastern Asia, University of Hawaii Press, 2024).
Please RSVP by: Nov. 14, 2025
RSVP form: https://forms.gle/tzmAEET9B49exdNs6
This event is open to Korean adoptees only, and free of charge for all registered attendees.
Event program:
6:00 - 6:05 pm: Welcoming remark
6:05 - 6:40 pm : Dr. Bae’s talk - “Search for My Origins” (~30 minutes)
6:40 - 8:00 pm : Conversation with Dr. Bae over catered dinner featuring Korean food
Parking: The nearest paid parking structure is Forest St. City Public Parking (650 S. Forest St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 / rate: $1.65 per hour / approximately a 10-minute walk to the event venue). Street meter parking is free after 6:00 p.m.
Please note: This RSVP form will close once we reach capacity (about 30 attendees), potentially before the deadline.
❓ For questions, please contact Minyoung Song (mysong@umich.edu) at the U-M Nam Center for Korean Studies.
If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us at mysong@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
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