Summary
Introduction
In the opening passages of The Lost Daughters of China, Evans lays out a compelling account of the vast number of orphaned infants from China who have found new homes with American families. In 1997, Evans herself embarked on this poignant journey, welcoming her daughter, Kelly Xiao Yu, from an orphanage nestled in southern China.
Chapter 1
Evans vividly recounts the intricate web of bureaucracy she and her husband, Mark, navigated after deciding in January 1996 to adopt a child from China. Childless and in their forties, they sought to embrace parenthood. With many Chinese baby girls left parentless, a path opened for them, though it was fraught with challenges.
Their adoption journey commenced at an international agency in San Francisco, where they learned that the endeavor would demand around fifteen thousand dollars and span roughly a year. Yet, reality unfolded a different story, stretching their patience over nearly two years.
They first had to secure approval from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, a daunting first step in what Evans calls a tempest of paperwork, bewildering regulations, and bureaucratic hurdles. At last, through their U.S.-China liaison, a man she refers to as Max (a pseudonym), they received joyous news—a healthy one-year-old baby awaited them in China.
Chapter 2
Evans details their voyage to China, joining several dozen other American couples, each on a quest to adopt. Their journey led them to Guangzhou, a bustling city on the Pearl River Delta, not far from Hong Kong. Amidst a city teeming with life and twenty McDonalds franchises, Guangzhou was a testament to rapid growth, with construction cranes painting the skyline.
In a poignant moment, Evans and her husband finally embraced their daughter, named Jiang Xiao Yu. Seeing her healthy and well cared for, they bestowed upon her the name Kelly Xiao Yu, in honor of Evans’s father, who had passed just before this pivotal event.
Chapter 3
Here, Evans delves into the harsh realities that lead to the abandonment of countless baby girls in China. All she knew of her new daughter's beginnings was that she had been discovered in a market at a tender age of three months, her origins veiled in mystery. This story mirrors the plight of many Chinese baby girls, born into a society with a deep-seated preference for male heirs, often deemed an economic burden when they come into the world.
Chapter 4
This chapter unravels the origins of China's stringent population control measures that left many baby girls abandoned. The seeds of this policy were sown in the 1970s when China's swelling population reached a staggering billion, prompting leaders to champion population control as a means to fuel economic prosperity and societal stability. By 1980, the policy crystallized into the infamous one-child directive.
The harsh enforcement of this policy, including coerced terminations, coupled with cultural desires for sons, led to many girls being deserted in the hope of birthing a male child. Such measures skewed the demographic balance, and by 1990, some regions in China reported a disproportionate number of boys to girls.
Chapter 5
Evans reflects on the ten serendipitous days spent with Kelly in Guangzhou before their journey back to America. Bonding with their daughter seemed immediate and natural, as though she had always been a part of their lives. They explored the city's vibrant streets, and the babies in their group received a blessing during a serene Buddhist ceremony. Kelly adapted swiftly upon reaching San Francisco, embracing her new world with ease.
Chapter 6
Turning to the somber reality of unadopted Chinese orphans, Evans highlights the plight of approximately one million...
(This entire section contains 946 words.)
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children left in institutional care. She remarks on the slim adoption prospects for disabled or older children. Her attention shifts to the television documentary,The Dying Rooms, which paints a bleak picture of China's orphanages. She scrutinizes debates over the documentary's accuracy, attributing many issues to poverty and resource shortages rather than deliberate neglect.
Chapter 7
Evans explores the challenges American families face in nurturing their adopted Chinese daughters' connection to their heritage. Fortunate to be in San Francisco, where a vibrant Chinese-American community thrives, Evans finds it easier to immerse Kelly in cultural traditions like the Chinese New Year. However, she acknowledges the greater difficulty faced by families in areas with less cultural diversity. She outlines organizations committed to bridging this cultural gap, pondering how these daughters may navigate their dual identities as they grow.
Chapter 8
Evans delves into musings about the identity of Kelly's birth mother and the possible scenarios that compelled her to part with her daughter. Generally speaking, statistics are scarce when it comes to detailing the backgrounds of families who relinquish their newborns. One insightful study revealed that fathers made the decision in half of such cases; in 40 percent, it was a collaborative choice between both parents. Rarely was the decision solely in the hands of the mother. The typical profile of an abandoned child was that of a healthy newborn girl, often with one or more elder sisters, and notably, no brothers.
Chapter 9
Evans explores the intriguing question of whether, in time, adopted daughters from China might uncover specific knowledge about their birth families. The advent of DNA testing holds potential in this realm, yet this possibility hinges on a shift in China's political landscape.
Chapter 10
The author reflects on the consequences of China’s enduring one-child policy, which perpetuates a burgeoning number of orphans, vastly outnumbering those who find homes through adoption. Currently, the adoption process shows little sign of acceleration. Nonetheless, she notes a subtle easing of the policy in particular regions. Moreover, couples formed by two only children, a demographic expected to grow over the coming decade, are permitted by law to have two children.