One Child Recommendation
June 2024
I have been inhaling various medias as I learn more about my biological heritage and adoption journey.
For example, the book One Child by Mei Fong.
Ive been learning a lot about the one child policy of China. For those who don’t know its a policy that was in place from 1979-2015 where each family was only aloud 1 child because of the countries rising population. Punishment for breaking the policy varied from heavy fines, forced abortions, forced sterilisation, removal of children and more outrageous acts.
In China the male of the family caries the name, makes money, is allocated resources by the government, cares for the elderly parents and a lot more. While girls bring no prestige to the family and cost a dowry to be married. Girls join their husband’s family leaving her own family elders without a caregiver.
These beliefs caused a lot of baby girls to be abandoned, aborted, murdered and more for the sake of a son.
In the past I was aware of the policy but not of the nuances or how it pertained to myself. Now, I realise that I am likely one of these baby girls because I was born in 1997. I likely have (biological) brother(s) and possibly (biological) sister(s).
This is not to say I blame my family for not keeping me. Anything is possible, but I prefer to think that they chose to give me the best chance they could. That I was not forcibly removed or kidnapped by an older family member or a neighbour. This is a broken system and my family only wanted the best for their child.
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.
