IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsoctx/v12y2022i4p117-d886175.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Norwegian Soul in a Chinese Body? Ethnic Identity and Chinese Adoptees in Norway

Author

Listed:
  • Guowen Shang

    (Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway)

  • Julia Christine Marinaccio

    (Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway)

  • Tuathla Lai Honne

    (Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway)

Abstract

The ethnic identity of international adoptees has been a transdisciplinary field of inquiry over the past decades. Taking China-born adopted Norwegian citizens as research subjects, this study uses a mixed-method approach to explore how they perceive their ethnic identity and origin in the host society of Norway. We find that Chinese adoptees mainly identify as racially Chinese but culturally Norwegian, and their Chineseness lies primarily in their appearance. They generally feel secure about their ethnic background despite the challenges and paradoxes caused by their Chinese looks. Most adoptees have no attachment to their birth country, and their interests in China and Chinese culture are usually instrumental and individual-based. Three main socio-cultural factors shape the ethnic identity of China-born adopted children: (1) the negligible impact of their pre-adoptive history upon them, (2) a supportive family environment acknowledging their differences, and (3) an inclusive socio-cultural environment that respects ethnic diversities. No clear tendency towards constructing or enacting double identities among the adoptees was found. Finally, our respondents reported fewer racist experiences than suggested by recent literature on migrants and international adoptees in current literature. This aspect needs further research, also in reference to other cohorts of adoptees.

Suggested Citation

  • Guowen Shang & Julia Christine Marinaccio & Tuathla Lai Honne, 2022. "A Norwegian Soul in a Chinese Body? Ethnic Identity and Chinese Adoptees in Norway," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-16, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:117-:d:886175
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/4/117/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/4/117/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sharma, Anu R. & McGue, Matthew K. & Benson, Peter L., 1996. "The emotional and behavioral adjustment of United States adopted adolescents: Part I. An overview," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(1-2), pages 83-100.
    2. Sharma, Anu R. & McGue, Matthew K. & Benson, Peter L., 1996. "The emotional and behavioral adjustment of United states adopted adolescents: Part II. Age at adoption," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(1-2), pages 101-114.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Santos-Nunes, Marta & Narciso, Isabel & Vieira-Santos, Salomé & Roberto, Magda Sofia, 2017. "Parenting and emotional well-being of adoptive school-aged children: The mediating role of attachment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 390-399.
    2. Hussey, David L. & Falletta, Lynn & Eng, Abbey, 2012. "Risk factors for mental health diagnoses among children adopted from the public child welfare system," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 2072-2080.
    3. Susana Mariscal, E. & Akin, Becci A. & Lieberman, Alice A. & Washington, DaKie, 2015. "Exploring the path from foster care to stable and lasting adoption: Perceptions of foster care alumni," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 111-120.
    4. Jiaming Soh & Kegon T. K. Tan, 2020. "The Nurture Effects of Multidimensional Parental Skills on College Attainment," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 14(1), pages 1-42.
    5. Groze, Victor, 1996. "Introduction: Advances in research and theory in adoption," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(1-2), pages 1-4.
    6. Finet, Chloë & Vermeer, Harriet J. & Juffer, Femmie & Bosmans, Guy, 2018. "Behavioral adjustment of Chinese adoptees: The role of pre-adoption experiences," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 226-235.
    7. Gleitman, Ilana & Savaya, Riki, 2011. "Adjustment of adolescent adoptees: The role of age of adoption and exposure to pre-adoption stressors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 758-766, May.
    8. Reinoso, M. & Forns, M., 2010. "Stress, coping and personal strengths and difficulties in internationally adopted children in Spain," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(12), pages 1807-1813, December.
    9. Merritt, Darcey H. & Festinger, Trudy, 2013. "Post-adoption service need and access: Differences between international, kinship and non-kinship foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 1913-1922.
    10. Schoenmaker, Christie & Juffer, Femmie & van IJzendoorn, Marinus H. & van den Dries, Linda & Linting, Mariëlle & van der Voort, Anja & Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J., 2015. "Cognitive and health-related outcomes after exposure to early malnutrition: The Leiden longitudinal study of international adoptees," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 80-86.
    11. Frost, Reihonna L. & Goldberg, Abbie E., 2020. "“People said we were nuts … I understand what they were saying now”: An exploration of the transition to parenthood in sibling group adoption," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    12. Sharma, Anu R. & McGue, Matthew K. & Benson, Peter L., 1996. "The emotional and behavioral adjustment of United States adopted adolescents: Part I. An overview," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(1-2), pages 83-100.
    13. Anyon, Yolanda, 2011. "Reducing racial disparities and disproportionalities in the child welfare system: Policy perspectives about how to serve the best interests of African American youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 242-253, February.
    14. Blake, Austin J. & Tung, Irene & Langley, Audra K. & Waterman, Jill M., 2018. "Substance use in youth adopted from foster care: Developmental mechanisms of risk," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 264-272.
    15. Wilson, Samantha L., 2004. "A current review of adoption research: exploring individual differences in adjustment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(8), pages 687-696, August.
    16. Sharma, Anu R. & McGue, Matthew K. & Benson, Peter L., 1996. "The emotional and behavioral adjustment of United states adopted adolescents: Part II. Age at adoption," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(1-2), pages 101-114.
    17. Raleigh, Elizabeth & Kao, Grace, 2013. "Is there a (transracial) adoption achievement gap?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 142-150.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:117-:d:886175. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.