Yannie's Farewell Letter - Page 4

Another issue I hope to address while I am in China, is the fact that many of our adopted children do not have access to their Chinese relatives, or even their own identities.
 
After contacting the Consul of Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, at the Chicago Chinese Consulate General, I became confused and upset. How should we define the children adopted by American families?  Overseas Chinese? Chinese-Americans?  There is no specific explanation from the officials in that consulate.  I have contacted some of the offices of the State Council in Beijing, to see if I can visit there and discuss this issue with some of their officials.
 
I would also like to make some suggestions while visiting with the orphanage directors.  I would like to see them name the children with real family names.  I met some adopted children whose last names are not official Chinese surnames, based on the "Hundred Family Name Handbook."  These adopted children could feel ambivalent at a grown-up age, when they find out that one of the few Chinese identities they have is fake.
 
By the end of last year, (1999), Immigration and Naturalization Services had issued 18,952 visas to Chinese adopted children.  Among these 18,952 visas, 4206 children were adopted in 1998, 4101 were adopted through the end of November 1999.  With the effect of the Amendment of Adoption Law, in April 1998, even more children are expected.  All of these children deserve, not only family life, parental love and a good education… but their cultural identity as well.
 
Good bye parents and children.  Thank you from bottom of my heart for your trust, encouragement and good wishes for my trip.  Hopefully, I will be able to share with you, (some day in August), the pictures, videos and other information of your children's home; where they lived before they became family members of yours.
 
Love,
 
Yannie

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