Hi everyone! My name is Grace, and my Chinese name is 江美琼. I was adopted just before my second birthday in Fuzhou, Fujian province in China. I grew up in York, Pennsylvania — a pretty rural town in south central Pennsylvania. Growing up, I was lucky to have a small community of other Chinese adoptees who I knew, which I think helped me come to terms with being adopted. Still, I did face bullying at school for being Asian and had to face intrusive questions about my adoption. During elementary school, I also attended some Chinese classes with a few other adoptees, though at the time, I admit, I did not appreciate it.

In high school, I became more fully aware of being Asian American and Chinese American. I had the privilege to take Chinese for my high school foreign language, which I am continuing to take in college. Though I had some other friends who were adopted, I still felt sort of isolated in understanding adoption, as it felt like a taboo topic to discuss outside my family.

Now I attend Bryn Mawr College, where we started an Asian adoptees club. I have gotten to know many more adoptees from Bryn Mawr and Haverford College, who I am grateful to have found. I also learned to reconcile with my Asian American identity and what it means to be both Asian American and adopted. I have made other Asian friends who have helped me figure out my identity as well. At Bryn Mawr I am a psychology major hoping to have a thesis surrounding adoption and identity development.