Forty-six children who were adopted by foreigners and are growing up abroad have come back to their birthplaces in China on a root-seeking trip.
The children have arrived in Beijing on their first stop, accompanied by their adoptive families from the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
Their families hope the trip will help their adopted children better understand their hometowns.* * *
[Dou Yupei, China's Vice Minister of Civil Affairs said,] "International adoption is an undertaking that brings to these children love and a bright future. We warmly welcome these children and their foreign families to come back to China. We want them to remember that no matter where they are, our best wishes are always with them. And I hope that these adoptive children will become messengers of friendship between China and the rest of the world."
I know much of the origins of the program relate to positive images on China's part, but I am glad they are welcoming the children back.
ReplyDeleteAs for "foster" parents, it is used interchangeably with adoption in China as there is no direct translation--so I am told. I don't think anyone should get hung up on a word implication when it is translated. In fact, we are fostering them--their growth, their development, their love of themselves.
That's awesome. Here I thought I was adopting a kid, but really we got a "messengers of friendship between China and the rest of the world". Heh.
ReplyDeleteYou have to give them credit for the ad campaign, she snarks.
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ReplyDeleteI think the "foster" parents in the title is interesting especially given the recent post over on the Research-China.org site.
ReplyDeleteOTOH it probably is, as Wendy says, a translation issue.