orphan fact sheet
In orphanages it's Monday Everyday.
Those who believe international or interracial adoption is a form of cultural genocide have never seen inside orphanages; have never shown up unannounced, without an entourage of officials and cameras and bags of crackers and milk. I wonder how orphanages they've seen instill culture, and if that culture has anything to do with the culture of the birth country?
I've learned about special needs, how to feed multiple babies quickly, how to clean it up, diaper them, wipe their faces, lay them down for a nap and begin with the feeding and hygiene rituals all over again in another room. I've learned that coloring is messy and the mobile kids steal crayons, so they can't be left behind for poor Ling to color when I've left. I've learned that gifts disappear when I leave, and so does the holiday celebration. I've learned that the caregivers are too tired to sing traditional songs and teach traditional dances, that no one has a budget for party dresses and hair bows. Culture rarely happens over shift work.
I've learned firsthand from my little orphan, who is one no more, how little she knew about her beautiful land, and rich culture. She knew nothing of Chinese New Year or Dragon Boat Festival or when she should eat dumplings, or our favorite date-filled zongzi 粽子. She had not tasted the most famous dish from her hometown, Yangzhou chao fan 扬州炒饭 (fried rice).
She did know how to queue, and lay still while being tied to a crib, that it was easiest to be fed from a spoon, and not to feed herself, that she shouldn't make messes...
Culture is a part of the family. It is a mother and father who care about the next generation who instill culture, who celebrate achievements and who take a moment out of life to talk about the meaning behind a day. Culture is the collective memory of a group of people celebrating life and hope.
 |
There are amazing foster homes where life is celebrated, like Little Flower, Star Fish Foster Home, New Day Foster Home, Blue Sky Healing Home, and many others...but for so many an orphanage is just like a school. Only the goal is not learning and nurturing minds and molding hearts, but surviving. And survival is all that gets done. Please check out this movie about all those who are still Stuck and how you can work to help. To help give a child culture, whether it is yours or their own. To help make less Mondays for more orphans.
See Current International Policy for insight into policies that are curbing international adoptions around the world
