Chongqing, China
Hi, I’m Sofia! I was adopted at 11 months old from Chongqing in 2005. My Chinese name is Yang Fuming. I love photography, art and doing things outside. I had a great childhood with my older adopted sister too.
In school, sometimes people would ask me questions about being adopted, and I never minded answering them, since I thought it was really cool to be from China. My family was very open to talking about adoption, so I’ve always known I was adopted. But I never really thought about being adopted.
When I was about 10, I realized I make assumptions about people who don’t “look” like they’re from around where I live: a pretty non diverse small town in Canada. I also realized people must do the same about me as well. As I got older, I started getting more of those assumptions made. That made me more aware of how others see me differently, compared to the way I see myself. It used to irritate me a bit, but I now find it something to embrace. I’m now more curious to know more about my culture and biological family.
"I still don’t think about adoption very often; it’s more like a thought I think about at random times."
I still don’t think about adoption very often; it’s more like a thought I think about at random times. When that does happen though, I’m re-amazed at everything I don’t know and will then want to connect more to my culture more intensely than usual during that moment.
One misconception I’d like to clarify is that not all adoptees are sad or uncomfortable talking about being adopted. But also, being adopted affects every adoptee differently, no matter if you were adopted younger or older there is still trauma.