QUESTIONS AND REFLECTIONS ARE THE FIRST STEPS TOWARDS EXPLORING
Chinese
Adoptee Narratives
ABOUT US
This website aims to start a conversation around critical adoption studies and how it intersects with Asian American studies. The four of us, under the guidance of Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, undertook this Independent Study during the Spring of 2019 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. As female Chinese adoptees ourselves, all of us were eager to learn about and discuss the history of transnational adoption, critical race theory, and transnational adoptee identity. Our work together this semester has enhanced all of our abilities to speak about our pasts with confidence, and has given us the academic backing to support our individual experiences. We hope this digital archive will serve as a resource for a variety of different audiences, promoting scholarly community and adoption advocacy. Note: Our experiences are uniquely our own, and do not speak for all transnational/transracial identities.
Jennifer Kwon Dobbs is an Associate Professor of English and the Director of the Race and Ethnic Studies program at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. She has taught courses on poetry, creative nonfiction, Asian American literature, critical ethnic studies, and journalism. For more information, please see https://www.stolaf.edu/profile/dobbs/
Bios
Meet the Creators
Grace Fogland
2018 Alumni, Sociology & Anthropology Major
Ling O'Donoghue
Rising Senior, Asian Studies & Chinese Major
Erica Rempert
2019 Alumni, Nursing Major
Nina Rickett-Green
2019 Alumni, Social Change: Activism & Agency Major
Grace Fogland
Grace was adopted from Changde, Hunan when she was 2 years old, and calls Omaha, Nebraska her home. During her time at St. Olaf, she studied Sociology/Anthropology, Film, and Media Studies. Her hobbies include reading, photography, and creating short films. She’s really excited to share this website with other adoptees, as well as their friends and family. She hopes it will serve as a strong resource for those who might struggle with similar identity issues, and help guide others in learning more about the complexities of adoption.
Ling O'Donoghue
Ling is a a rising senior at St. Olaf College. She was adopted when she was 18 months old in Nanping, Fujian. In sixth grade, she began to learn Chinese which has evolved into her double major in Chinese and Asian Studies. She hopes to pursue a future job using Mandarin skills travelling the world. Her interests include reading, ice skating, sleeping, and studying abroad. Her hometown is both in Indiana and Maryland. Currently, her hobbies range from knitting while watching Grimm T.V. show reruns to attempts to ice skating in the frigid north. She hopes her participation as one of the creators of this resource will aid those who are adopted and those who want to learn more.
Erica Rempert
At her time at St. Olaf, Erica was a nursing student. She was adopted from Anhui Province in China when she was 11 months old. She calls Edina, MN her home and she spends her time playing the string bass in orchestra, singing in choir, and swing dancing in the cities. Erica is looking forward to being able to share this kind of resource with adoptees as a simple starting place to take the first few steps into exploring the adoptee identity.
Nina Rickett-Green
​At her time at St. Olaf, Nina studied Social Change through Activism, Family Studies, and Race and Ethnic Studies. She spends her time singing in choir, listening to podcasts, learning about various personality typing systems, and missing her two dogs. She calls Skokie, Illinois her home and avidly believes that Chicago is the best city in America. She was adopted from Nanjing, China when she was 10 months old, and has a younger sister who was adopted from Hunan. She has continued to explore her identity as a Chinese adoptee throughout her years in college, and she is grateful for this opportunity to create a resource that she wishes she had at the start of her self-discovery process. She also hopes that this website can someday serve as a space for collaborative healing and learning for fellow adoptees.