The WAI Society and Adoptionpedia, for all (Chinese) adoptees
On WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook and soon also with their own websites, Chinese adoptees find each other. Dutch initiatives that may soon be active worldwide. To help each other in the search for identity and roots, or just for some recognition and fun.
This is the vision of Sien Alting Siberg (25) and Kya Jonker (23). Sien works at Fiom as a specialist care worker and Kya will graduate this year as a social worker. They have set up an international Facebook group for Chinese adoptees: The WAI Society. The World Adoptees Interpersonal Development Society focuses on personal development, root questions and the search for biological family. Because Sien was reunited with her biological family in 2015 and Kya is still busy with her search process, the two ladies can shed light on different phases with their experience.
In addition, Adoptiepedia was founded, initially only available on Instagram. Soon also as a foundation with a website. And indeed, think of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, but then specifically for adoptees from China and with reliable information. "Because we are different from adoptees from other countries. And because we are different from other (read: non-adopted) Chinese in the Netherlands", says Nikwi Hoogland (25), one of the initiators. Together with Simone Hanssen (28) and Hong-Lin Stoffels (20), she created Adoptiepedia. The team has since been expanded with Yennah Schenk (20) and Miu Buenen (19). They hope to have the website up and running within six months. "At the moment it is still specifically focused on China, because of our backgrounds", says Nikwi. "Within a year we want to expand further and also serve other countries. Perhaps worldwide. The website is being worked on hard, that takes time. This is a voluntary initiative of Dutch Chinese adoptees. It has been developed with great care.”
Same history
According to Nikwi, the establishment of a platform and advocacy organization is necessary because Chinese adoptees can identify with their history and culture. “For example, the one-child policy often played a role in our adoption. Propaganda, brainwashing, the desire to have a son: these are all things that were not discussed in the preliminary phase of adoptions from other countries. On our website, we want to provide reliable information about the various Chinese provinces, but also about other matters that may be important to adoptees. We have divided Adoptiepedia into different themes: roots, China, mental health, racism and identity. Each theme highlights certain subjects that Dutch adoptees from China (often) have to deal with.”
Not that they are going to figure all that out for themselves. The intention is to link extensively to reliable existing organizations and sources of information. Nikwi: “We do not necessarily want to create more than is already available for adoptees, we are mainly going to refer to what is already available. Experiences can also be shared, fun things, beautiful, funny, annoying things. Everything from the recipe for fried ginger rice to different ways to get a DNA test done.”
Help with finding family
Nikwi: “We hope that our platform will also contain information that can help in the search for biological family in China. For example, I found my Chinese parents last year. I wasn't even actively looking, but at one point I came across a Chinese poster group on the internet, ICSA. They make posters for adoptees who are searching and I was asked to put my details on them and to set them to 'public'. After that, my father found me within a month. Unbelievable. I didn't know what was happening to me. I got the request in January, I made the poster in March, I was found in April and my adoptive mother passed away in May. For me, my past is now quite complete, but there are still plenty of other themes that I would like to know more about. And I think that others might benefit from me sharing the course of events here.”
“To be honest, this is something I would have liked to have had when I was younger. For us as Chinese adoptees, this platform would probably have been a breath of fresh air during our puberty. But of course, it still has a lot to offer now, for us as young adults.”
Adoptiepedia can initially only be found on Instagram: instagram.com/adoptiepedia.
But you can also send an email to: actiepedia@hotmail.com .
The WAI Society can be found on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/ChineseAdopteesSharingStories
Additional information
In addition to Adoptiepedia and The WAI Society, there are many more interest groups, Facebook groups and associations for adoptees in the Netherlands.
A small selection from the offering:
Lankan Events (Sri Lanka)
Adoption: Superheroes in motion
ZIG (Indoor soccer for international adoptees)
SIG (Foundation for international adoptees)
UAI (United Adoptees International)
Interest group for Indian adoptees in the Netherlands
Adoptees in Colombia
Association Arierang (Korean adoptees)
The Hidden Generation (domestic adoptees)