International Adoption 101: Why China?

Very simply, because that is where our daughter is. I wish I had a logical explanation for how we came to that conclusion but I don't. Adoption has been in our plan since before we married but the specifics were open for debate until about four years ago. Once I finished the book entitled The Lost Daughters of China by Karin Evans, I was immediately drawn to the situation. All I can tell you is we both knew China was right for us. For some strange reason, both of us felt a connection to a culture we knew very little about. You can call it whatever you want to call it but we choose to call it God. We believe it was Him placing a call on our hearts to adopt specifically from China.

The following is an excerpt from the website of America World Adoption Association. It briefly explains the complex situation in China...

China is a country whose culture dates back to the earliest records known to man. At first glance, some of China's beliefs may seem quite different than those we hold in the western world. One example of this is the cultural preference for a male child. There are several reasons why Chinese families might prefer a boy over a girl. In rural provinces, a family's livelihood depends directly on the output of its family members. Because of this, a family with sons would be at a considerable advantage than one with daughters. Historically, it is also the son's honored responsibility to take care of his parents in their old age. A daughter, however, would be expected to care for her husband's parents rather than her own. In this regard, the Chinese believe that having a son is crucial to their livelihood, as well as a form of social security for the parents when they grow older. Although in recent years, China has done much to change these belief systems, many families, especially in rural areas, still strongly favor the birth of a male child. This situation is further complicated by China's One-Child Policy, which prohibits families from having more than one child. As a result of this policy, there are thousands of abandoned children throughout China, with the vast majority of them being healthy girls.

Basically, if you are a girl in rural China you do not carry the same value as a boy. With only one child allowed, Chinese families view boys as their US version of social security. If you have a girl and anonymously abandon her then you can try again for a boy. There is much more to this situation but with that information alone, do you understand "Why China"?