An Adoptee Is Returning to China

By Olivia Wolf
AsAmNews Intern

From today until September 16^th my dad and I will be travelling around China, the country where I was adopted from when I was four months old.

This will be my second time in China and my first time back to Shaoyang, Hunan, my birth city.

I came into this world on February 24^th to the best of my knowledge. Soon after, I was found on the doorsteps of a police station with no information about about my family or where I came from.

Today I am 22-years-old, a recent college graduate living in Portland, Oregon. My adoptive American family raised me here as well as in New York, where I have lived a comfortable life with plenty of opportunities to pursue my interests in fitness, writing, and travel.

I am lucky in just about every way.

However, there is one part of my life that has been missing that most non-adoptees take for granted. I have never seen my birth mother’s face. I don’t know if I have blood siblings walking around somewhere. I don’t know if I look more like my father or my mother, or if I look like neither.

The last time I was in China, I was studying Mandarin in Shanghai. My Chinese friend asked me why I would want to find my birth parents. What if they were poor? What if they didn’t meet my expectations?

Part of my reason for wanting to search for my birth family is selfish—it’s to satisfy my own curiosity. I want to know what my real birthday is. I want to know why I went from being Chinese to American.

I would also like to let my birth parents know that I am alive and OK.

I don’t expect to find my family (I already have one anyway). I am even aware of the possibility that they may not have a desire to reach out to me.

However, I know that I need to try to find my birth family at least once before I can make peace with my situation.

I will begin my journey with my dad in Shanghai. We will then take a train to Changsha, Hunan, where we will stay for one night. After that, we will board another train to Shaoyang.

Once in Shaoyang, we will work with an interpreter, visit my orphanage, possibly try to find my foster mother. From there, we’ll see where it goes.

An important issue to consider is that the Shaoyang Welfare Institute was previously accused of baby trafficking. Although it was not convicted, it is something that I need to keep in mind.

I am looking forward to this adventure. While it is a personal trip, I am also excited to explore the cities, see the Great Wall when we leave from Beijing, and have a fun time.

Stay updated to hear more!

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