When I was first researching adoption I was a little confused by the term “culture camp.” Now that I’ve learned more about them, I’m very interested in going as a family when Ella is old enough to appreciate it. Culture or Heritage camps exist in all parts of the country and are geared towards helping adopted kids connect with their heritage and culture of their birth country. Aside from Viet Nam specific camps, there are plenty of multicultural ones that welcome adoptees from different backgrounds.

Here are the Viet Nam / Southeast Asian Camps for this upcoming 2007 summer:

Catalyst Foundation Viet Nam Culture Camp
August 3-5
Beverly, Massachusetts (Endicott College)
About Catalyst Culture Camp: The Vietnam Culture Camp has two purposes: to enhance self-esteem for children adopted from Vietnam and to establish an appreciation of Vietnamese heritage and culture through interaction. Since 2000, we've had over 450 different families from all across the country (and Canada, Ireland, and England) join us at Culture Camp! We hope you can join in on the fun!

Colorado Heritage Camps-Vietnamese Heritage Camp
August 9-12
Fraser, Colorado
Theme: Stories and Journeys
Mission: Colorado Heritage Camps, Inc. serves as a post adoption resource and advocate for children and families with diverse heritages.
We accomplish this by facilitating annual heritage camps, which provide culturally relevant and family-centered experiences for every member of the family.
These camps provide an opportunity to share in a common experience that fulfills a sense of community and individual identity. It is our hope that every adopted child will leave a heritage camp knowing more about who they are and where they came from, and that every member of the family will have a better awareness of and sense of pride in their adopted child's birth heritage. The camps let children and families relish in being part of a larger group "just like themselves".

Catalyst Foundation Viet Nam Culture Camp
July 12-15
Northfield, Minnesota (St. Olaf College)

Hands Around the World Southeast Asian Culture Camp
July 16-20
Roselle, Illinois (greater Chicago area)
Day camp for children ages 5+ and siblings
About HATW: We are an adoption support group whose focus is ‘culture' for our families who have been touched by cross-cultural adoption, and want the very best for our children in every way possible.
We gather together a couple of times a year for our Family Fun Night or Weekend, to renew our friendships and meet new families as well as our multicultural week long day camp which we run during the month of July.
We also help families on their road to a multicultural adoption by connecting them with families who have already adopted from that specific culture they are thinking about. By making this connection, the ‘new' parents can get more information about the kind of adoption they are working with as well as make a new friend.