COMING HOME—The Chinese Government Offers Exclusive Intercultural Exchange Tour To BAAS Youth Adopted from China

Since the early 90’s, over 50,000 orphaned girls and boys have been adopted from China by American parents. Among the earliest adoption agencies to assist these children in finding homes in the U.S. was Bay Area Adoption Services! Now this initial group of young adults from China was the first to be invited back by the government of the People’s Republic of China for an intercultural exchange visit.

This summer of 2006 was the first time that the government of China (under the auspices of the State Department of China), sponsored an exclusive homeland tour to encourage adolescent girls and boys visit their homeland.

This unique cultural exchange visit has been granted exclusively to the adopted Chinese youth of Bay Area Adoption Services!

Forty two young adults and their families embarked on this fabulous journey on July 25th for a two-week visit to such sites as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Hutongs of Beijing, the city of Chengdu, as well as venues that are generally closed to the public (the People’s Great Hall, the Diao Yu Tai State Guesthouse and some orphanages.) There were also visits and exchange with Chinese students.
Among the cultural tour participants was Norma Quintana--a professional photographer who is in the process of adopting a daughter from China. Quintana assisted these bay area youth in the use of cameras that allowed them to connect with their experience of returning to the country of their birth. While traveing through China, Quintana conducted photography workshops for these young students that facilitated their exploration of self, identity and community. Upon their return, Quintana also organized a travelling exhibit selection of their photo portfolios from China entitled: “Returning Swallows”.

The idea of this homeland tour was first developed by local businessman Kenneth Yeung, in coordination with Bay Area Adoption Services. Mr. Yeung, an adoptive father of a girl from China, is the founder of the Prince of Peace Foundation—a non-profit organization established to educate and support prospective adoptive families and orphaned children of China.

Web Links for more information on:
Norma Quintana, photographer, visit: www.normaquintana.com
POPS Foundation: www.popus.com