The Beginning
How do you define your beginning? When your family decided to add a child to the unit? Your birthday? The day you came home from the hospital?
Often transracial adoptees (TRA) don’t have the common beginnings or choose to consider different dates significant in their early lives. This can be further complicated if we question the validity and accuracy of our documentation Dates may include
Birthday - often an estimated date assigned by an agency for legal purposes
Found day - when a ‘lost’ child is ‘found’ at a given location and determined an orphan soon after
Got you day - the day they are adopted or brought home
Something entirely different
My self for example, I don’t know my birth day other than the estimated one I was given at the orphanage. I also don’t remember being in the orphanage but of course it is still part of my story. I consider my self to have an ‘educated guess’ beginning and a known beginning. I differentiate these dates because the first is one I cant remember or be told about first hand. Up until my ‘known beginning’ I can only assume and make educated guesses of what my life was like.
I was supposedly found at a train station and was taken to Bengbu’s social welfare institute (orphanage). The orphanage thought I was 2 months when found in 1997.
In 1996-7 my parents decided to adopt a child from China. As the adoption process progressed my family was sent the first picture of their baby girl.
In October 1998 my mom and dad traveled to china and the dream became a reality, a family of 3.
When my parents first picked me up I was estimated to be 14 months old. They gave me a plastic key set toy that was quickly a favorite. The agency was completing paperwork and needed my hand prints. The keys were taken, my hand was inked and pressed on paper. Before anyone realized it I had grabbed back the keys and inked them too, which I proceeded to put in my mouth. To this day the keys still have ink marks.
I went to the hotel with my parents where we began bonding. I took my first bathtub bath where I could not sit up independently.
Shortly after my family returned to the USA and we embarked on a lifetime of love, adventure and laughter.
My educated guess beginning is August 1, 1997. The date the orphanage gave me as a birthday.
My known beginning is the day I was adopted, October 12, 1998. The day I was adopted.
Adoption day - October 12 1998
1st photo from sent from orphanage - 1997
I am speaking from my own life experiences and opinions as a transracial adoptee. Please recognize everyone is entitled to their own views and may have different experiences.
