Culture

When I was a baby, strangers assumed that my mother was my nanny or babysitter. When walking down the street, there was a high chance that people passing by would assume that I was both born and raised in China. In fact, just last week, a customer at work asked me how long I had been in Canada because my accent was so good. As an intercountry adoptee from China, I came to Canada and became a Canadian citizen when I was 11 months old. I didn’t consider myself Chinese for a long time, and I wasn’t interested in exploring that aspect of my heritage until very recently.

The purpose of the Harambee Cultural Society is to celebrate the value of transracial families and mitigate the challenges faced by transracially adopted children. In 2020 Harambee will celebrate their 25th anniversary, so we touched base with them to find out how Harambee has grown and changed over the last quarter-century. All photos courtesy the Harambee Cultural Society, by jenniferarmstrongphotography.com

In ongoing this series, we interview experts about your key questions about adoption.

Are you an expert wanting to lend your knowledge to our families? Email us at editor@bcadoption.com.

In this article, originally shared on the Lost Daughters website, Lynn Grubb shares some of the key lessons and outlooks on life she discovered as an adopted person.

Families with Children from China BC supports families throughout British Columbia who have adopted from China. In this article, FCCBC co-chair Sheila shares more about their story and how you can get involved.

Tell us a little bit about FCCBC

FCCBC was founded more than 20 years ago by David Robinson and John Bowen, two parents who had adopted from China. They were pioneers in international adoptions, before the standardized paperwork, detailed checklists, and predictable timelines that were the norm by the time we entered the system in 2005.

Q&A: Shawn Duthie

Shawn lives in Revelstoke with his wife, Leah. He’s been a foster dad for over a decade, and his adopted kids range in age from 4 to 33.

National Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated throughout Canada on June 21. It’s a day to celebrate the heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. For the adoption community, it’s also an opportunity to reflect on how adoption has been used to harm Indigenous people, and to get involved in making things better for Indigenous kids, their families, and their communities.

The Asian Adult Adoptees of British Columbia (AAABC) is a volunteer organization that serves the Asian adult adoptee community in BC. Originally formed in 2009 as Triple ABC, the group relaunched with its new name in 2016, after a hiatus of several years. In this article, AAABC president Myla Choi shares what the organization is all about.

In this series Marion Crook, author and adoptive mom, takes us on a journey through changes in adoption in BC. Part two looks at international adoption, and part three focuses on adoption from foster care.

Founded in 1998, AKOMA is a monthly get-together for adopted children of African heritage and their parents. In this interview, organizers Catherine Marshall and Harriet Fancott (who also happens to be a former Focus on Adoption editor!) explain what it’s all about.

Tell us a little bit about AKOMA.