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.

Highlights

  • This research paper explores the distinct form of transnationalism experienced by Chinese adoptees in Canada by examining the intercountry adoption process in China, Canadian immigration policy, international conventions, and the role of adoptive parents in cultural maintenance

  • Participants expressed a desire to pursue bi-cultural socialization mechanisms because of a general concern that their daughters would be caught in between two conflicting cultural identities if they did not provide them with sufficient exposure to their Chinese heritage

  • The researcher has attempted to present a link between parents’ efforts to foster Chinese cultural knowledge and a form of transnationalism that is common among other immigrant groups

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Summary

Introduction

This research paper explores the distinct form of transnationalism experienced by Chinese adoptees in Canada by examining the intercountry adoption process in China, Canadian immigration policy, international conventions, and the role of adoptive parents in cultural maintenance. The migration of children for the purpose of adoption is rarely examined through the lens of Canadian family class immigration or diasporic studies, some research (Dorow, 2006; Miller-Loessi and Kilic, 2001; Quiroz, 2008; Selmen, 2002, 2006; Tan and Nakkula, 2008; Volkman, 2003) has revealed that international adoptees tend to display many aspects of transnationalism common to other immigrant groups. This is exemplified by the large community of Chinese adoptees in Canada who have migrated in significant numbers since the Chinese government began its intercountry adoption program in 1992. This distinctive characteristic makes Chinese adoptees an exceptional diasporic group; differentiated from the traditional understanding of immigrant-initiated transnationalism, while retaining similarities in their maintenance of connections to the homeland

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