Emily's Journey: Identity, Language Learning, and Adoption Realities

Emily's Journey: Identity, Language Learning, and Adoption RealitiesEpisode Summary: After 9 months of living with monks, Emily Harris was adopted from China. She was left behind by her bio family due to the One Child Policy. To process her loss of identity, she has started to learn Chinese with a community of adoptees.  In this episode, she talks about how language learning helps, why she wishes she was white, and the hardships of being a Chinese adoptee in the US.In this episode, we cover:(00:24) Getting adopted from China(07:18) Pandemic racism (09:29) Processing identity loss through language learning(11:24) Not wanting to share the language with non-adoptees(15:10) Belonging nowhere (20:58) One child policy(23:43) Distance created by religion (27:02) Reckoning with being chinese OR “I want to be white”(31:40) The note her birth family left her(35:22) For adoptees learning their bio language…(38:23) Connect with EmilyCall To Action:Subscribe to Adoptees Crossing Lines wherever you listen to podcasts, follow us on social media, and subscribe to our Substack for more content and community:Website: adopteescrossinglines.comInstagram: @adopteescrossinglinesBlueSky: adopteecrossing.bsky.socialTikTok: @adopteescrossinglines_Substack: Adoptees Crossing Lines SubstackConnect with Emily Harris:Instagram TwitterResources:Language Travel Adoptee on YouTubeLanguage Wellness and Identity PodcastWork With Me:Email [email protected] for brand partnerships and business inquiries.Editing by Samuel Oyedele (Editor)Special thanks to Samuel Oyedele for editing our podcast, support his work on Instagram or email him at [email protected]