The Hidden Reward of Life
Understanding Adoption : Zoe McClure
China's One-child Policy
In 1980, the Chinese government decided to implement a one-child policy to try and help the country regulate the population due to the shortage of food. “Ultimately, China ended its one-child policy realizing that too many Chinese were heading into retirement, and the nation's population had too few young people entering the labor force to provide for the older population's retirement, healthcare, and continued economic growth.” (Hayes, Adam) Then, in 2015, China changed the one-child policy to two children per couple, which was put into place because the government saw how the population had become unbalanced. The one-child policy had caused an overpopulation of men compared to women.
Identity
While not all adoptees go through life with the same struggles, it is common that many of them will share similar subconscious feelings of not knowing who they are. “With this, it is important to recognize that no two children are the same. This journey can look very different for each child, even those with similar stories. It is important to remain open and let the child navigate these feelings in his or her own time.” (Jordan, Lita) Talking with profesionals and even other adoptees can make a difference in how one feels about themselves.
Zoe's Story
My whole life I always knew that I was different than my adoptive family, but the reality of it never processed until I got older. My adoptive mom always made sure that I knew about my past and the hardships that would come with it. After working with professionals my whole life, I'm now able to use my story to help others process their emotions and give back to those in need.
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