Connecting the Uprooted: Parents' use of Bi-Cultural Socialization in Facilitating Transnationalism Among Chinese Adoptees

Abstract

This Major Research Paper explores the distinct form of transnationalism experienced by Chinese adoptees in Canada by examining adoptive parents‟ use of bi-cultural socialization mechanisms. In doing so, this paper addresses the ways in which parents utilize cultural exposure to facilitate internal community ties and transnational connections between their children and China. The researcher attempts to present a link between parents‟ fostering of cultural knowledge and a resulting unique form of transnationalism that is not initially established or maintained through the efforts of the immigrant population (Chinese adoptee community). A qualitative research approach was undertaken through a purposive sampling technique, self-selection and elite interview data. Data was collected through in-depth one-on-one interviews with eight parents of adopted daughters from China. Through analysis of this empirical interview data and a theoretical reliance on the post-colonial paradigm of intercountry adoption, it was determined that Chinese adoptees in Canada experience and are attached to two or more places simultaneously.