Adopting Chinese Babies in Guangzhou, China
Have you been to Shamian Dao (Sand-faced island — not a real island. It is just a little tiny tiny tiny peninsula) in Guangzhou, where most of the US citizen services for the US Consulate in Guangzhou used to be?
On that island, it is (or was) pretty easy to run into a small army of baby adopting foreigners from the States. While I have nothing against people adopting, this is often the first and only time many of these people will set foot in China, and they don’t see much in their short group tour and shuffling between various Chinese bureaus and the US consulate.
I admire them for adopting babies that otherwise would go unwanted in China, but it is a little strange to be honest. I can’t explain why, you would have to go to see for yourself. If you are an adopting parent or considering adopting in China, please don’t be offended. (It seems they recently moved this service to the new US Consulate in downtown Guangzhou next to the train station.)
China – the adoption capital of the world
Why is China the adoption capital of the world for US adopters? (According to an article in The Wall Street Journal today, last year there were 7906 adoptions in China by US people, versus 4639 in Russia, the country with the second highest amount of US-adopted babies) Part of the reason is because there are still quite a few unwanted baby girls in China (which is quite sad, honestly).
Another part of the reason is because Chinese families often cannot bear having an albino child. Seriously. It seemed like the vast majority of the adopting families in China were either adopting a baby girl or an albino child. Which is fine, whatever, except that when you see this en masse it is a little scary.
Forgetting about China
These parents, while I am sure are doing this from the bottom of their hearts, often know very little about China. Which means the adopted baby will know little about China as well. Of course, they stand to have a much better life in America than growing up unwanted in China.
I sat down and talked to one of the families in a coffee shop on Shamian Island, and they were extremely friendly. They were from the Midwest (my father lives in the Midwest and most of my family is originally from there). Makes me miss the States just thinking about it.
Anyone else run into the large numbers of adopting parents in Guangzhou? Or maybe you are one of them or want to be one of them. If so, please remember I think you are doing a great thing. It’s just seeing so many of you together at once with many female and albino babies is a little unnerving.
Here in Nanchang we also get alot of foreingers adopting babies. I was recently in Hong Kong and there was a group of them on the plane back (to NC) and last month I was in a restaurant here and there were about 15 couples all with their babies. I have to agree, no problems re the whole foreigners adopting Chinese babies thing, having visited a couple of orphanages these kids are better out than in. Where things get weird though is hearing some of the comments that some Chinese people make about it all (don’t wanna go into detail cos some of them really are shocking). Then, when i ask if they don’t like it why not adopt one themselves they get all flustered and come out with BS excuses. I do know a few Chinese families who have an adopted daugther and each of these families treat their daughter like a princess, even better than they treat thier son. It’s a shame there are not more people like this. You’d think in a country which has the one child policy that couples would falling over themselves to adopt.
That’s a good point, buggerluggs, maybe it’s because they have to pay the ‘penalty’ tax for having a second child if they adopt? That wouldn’t suprise me but it would be pretty short-sighted on the part of the government.
As an adoptive parent…going back this Thursday for my non-albino son, I find this article somewhat amusing. I never thought people would be freaked out…but yes there are hordes of adoptive families in Guanghzou…almost all staying at the White Swan hotel. Most adoptive parents of Chinese orphans (and I know many) do a lot to learn about the culture and many take their children back for Homeland tours when they are older. Many parents learn mandarin and enroll their children in classes as well. Of course there is no way to give our children a complete sense of their culture since we were raised and still live in America. But, our hope is that these children will have a strong pride in the Chinese and American cultures.
You had also seemed curious as to why so many Americans adopt from China. For me and many others I’ve spoken to it is because the process is well defined and the costs clear (no corruption like other countries). Also, the babies are generally more healthy than places like Russia/Ukraine. Many more parents tell me that they have also had a deep respect for the Chinese culture and just felt “led” to adopt their child from there.
Real Mom to Xiao Mei and Jian Pei,
sasha
One more comment…the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs is doing much work recently to promote intra-country adoption. There is no “over the quota” penalty for adopting a Chinese orphan. From what I’ve read the response was not as postive as they had expected BUT intracountry adoptions are on the rise in China. Good news for all!
Sasha,
Thank you for the comments, they are appreciated. The post above is a bit tongue-in-cheek, as I am not really freaked out by the whole experience.
I guess it’s just after seeing isolated amounts of foreigners (not anymore as I am in Shanghai) for long periods of time, large amounts of them with Chinese babies is a little shocking.
That’s good to hear that the adoption process in China is straightforward and clear. This is interesting, too, as many things in China require stacks of paper if they are done officially. It’s good that they streamlined a process that helps those who need the help – the babies being adopted.
After years of infertility and being unable to carry a child my husband and I turned to adoption. We thought about adopting domestically (as it has been said to us) and internationally. However, after losing several pregnancies, we could not face the possibility of having a domestic adoption ripped from our arms or our hearts. The majority of U.S. adoptions give the biological parents time to change their minds. We know of a few couples who had been through this tragedy already. This we could not bear. We researched many months on adoption from many different countries and like Sasha noted above, Chinese adoption was straight forward cost wise and time wise. Other countries adoptions are extrememly corrupt. I know families who adopted from Russia and the children had mild to severe cases of FAS and attachment disorder. I have a friend who has been trying to adopt from Guatamala for several years. She and her husband have flown there 3 times, they still don’t have their son. There is a lot of leg work and paperwork on the adoptive parents part, that goes into an international and my guess domestic adoption. Not to mention a huge cost. There is not a significant difference in cost of the process when it comes to China vs. U.S. adoption. These children in China are orphans, who were obandoned. Do you know of any orphanages in the U.S.? Also, the children of China receive great medical care (that adoptive parents pay for) can also donate money for foster care, and these children are not guaranteed health, but the majority are heathly. If we could turn the foster care system around in this country (the U.S.) mabye less U.S. citizens would be adopting in China. Maybe this is where your focus should be. I don’t want to be a mayrtar, I just want a family.
buggerlugs you want to know why Chinese families don’t adopt well here it is:
中华人民共和国收养法
第六条 收养人应当同时具备下列条件：
（一）无子女；
（二）有抚养教育被收养人的能力；
（三）未患有在医学上认为不应当收养子女的疾病；
（四）年满三十周岁。
reference: http://www.china.org.cn/chinese/zhuanti/jhsy/457755.htm
Here is a translation:
Adoption law of People’s Republic of China
Condition VI – Adopting parents should possess all of the following characteristics:
(1) No children;
(2) Have the ability to educate and parent the adopted child;
(3) Have not contracted any diseases which medical science believes make one unsuitable for adopting children (my best attempt at translation – someone help);
(4) Are at least 30 years of age.
My girlfriend used to work for part of the government. And she has the following to add (she helped me translate number 2):
According to other China adoption laws, parents with a disabled child can adopt a child.
Also, there are ‘work-arounds’ to adopting a child just like there are with everything in China. They include the following:
Some people without a child will take in a baby and register it as their own.
Others who already have children will first bring an additional child to live with them, while their place of registration (Hukou) remains with another family.
After a couple of years, the “adopting” family is somehow able to move the place of registration (Hukou – if you know what this is you know why I have trouble translating it simply) to their own house without penalty. According to my girlfriend, that is.
We are in the process of bringing home our son (4.5 yrs old) from China. It surprised me that so few realize how many older children are being adopted from China. The Special Needs waiting list has made it easier and quicker for those desiring to adopt. We know many families that are adopting boys with minor special needs and also older healthy children. There is a push right now to adopt children close to aging out. They age out at 14 in China. They have not been forgotten!
Also, many cities and towns are starting foster care programs that put children in homes as opposed to an orphanage. They are truly loved in these homes. It is so sad because the Chinese truly do love children; it is the minority in charge of the majority making the one child policy.
Also, there are fantastic international non-profit groups working with the Chinese government to retrain the nanny’s, get the children in need of therapy what they need, and start nutrition and education programs. Its a collective effort and not just American effort…its many countries.
I am wondering if China will go the way of South Korea in the future. South Korea is ending their international adoptions. They are phasing them out completely as more and more Koreans are adopting from within.
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