Giving voice to young adopted women of Chinese origin: Searching for origins and identity

Abstract

The emerging adulthood of women adopted from China is understudied. This study aims to explore the search for origins and the adoptative and cultural identity among these girls, integrating these dimensions. A qualitative study based on grounded theory was conducted. A total of 31 young women (Mage = 21.4) participated in individual interviews. Regarding the search for origins, four categories emerged: no interest in the search for origins, initiation of the search for origins, the search for cultural origins and the search for family origins. Specifically, three-quarters of the sample initiated some form of search for family or cultural origins, with a particular emphasis on bonding with other adopted Asian girls. With respect to identity, the main categories were the preadoptive history, adoptive identity, cultural identity and ethnoracial identity. Some subcategories emerged such as the dichotomy between perceiving adoption as an act of love versus abandonment, and acceptance versus rejection of physical traits. It was more common to find girls with integrated adoptive identity and a Spanish cultural identity. Regarding the relationship between searches for origins and identity, we identified three groups, unexplored, controversial and constructed identity and origins, which ranged from no interest in the search for origins and desire for disengagement from China to the active search for origins, integrated adoptive identity or accepted ethnoracial identity. In conclusion, these results contribute to a comprehensive framework on the processes of origin search and identity construction during emerging adulthood. Significant topics emerge that should be addresses in future studies concerning the well-being of these women, such as the interpretation of adoption as abandonment or the desire for disengage from China.