Post Cards: Spotlight on China
By V. Galiatsatos, PhD
The world's fourth largest country, China is the nation most people turn to when they decide international adoption is the best way to build their family. From 1983 to 2002, Americans adopted 33,637 children from China. In 2003, 6,859 children were adopted from China.
China is a nation possessing a long and fascinating history — from being home to the most advanced bronze working civilization of the ancient world, to the invention of gunpowder and fireworks, to the famous (and infamous) such as Confucius, Kublai Khan, and Marco Polo, to the formation of the People's Republic — the history of China is indeed impressive. However, the part of this history that is most important to parents investigating international adoption is the One Child Policy, which has resulted in high numbers of children available for adoption.
What's involved in adopting a child from China? According to www.chineseadoptions.org, the government office responsible for adoptions in China is the Ministry of Civil Affairs, specifically the CCAA. Your adoption agency must submit adoption applications, along with dossiers, directly to the CCAA. Once the application is approved, the CCAA will match the application with a child whose paperwork has been forwarded to the CCAA by a provincial Civil Affairs Bureau. Once a child is identified, the CCAA will send a letter of introduction about the child, photographs and a health record through the U.S. adoption agency to the prospective adoptive parent(s). To finalize the adoption, the prospective adoptive parent(s) need to travel to China. Children available include healthy girls, infants through age 6. Older children and special needs children (both boys and girls) are also available.
Cultural Facts About China
Eating
Generally, there is not a great variety of food available throughout the country, except where private enterprise is well established. What people eat depends largely on what is produced in their region. Dishes with potatoes, tofu, maize meal, rice, and other grains are staple meals. Noodles are also common and man tou (steamed bread) is a staple in northern China. Dishes made with meat are popular but expensive. Fruits and vegetables are eaten in season.
Socializing
The Chinese nod politely or bow slightly when greeting another person. A handshake is also acceptable, especially in formal situations or to show respect. Ni hao ma? (How are you?) is a frequently used greeting. A common informal greeting is Chi le ma? (Have you eaten?) The response is either Chi le (Yes) or Mei you (Not yet). People often reply "Chi le" even if they have not eaten, in order to be polite.
Recreation
Theaters, ballets, films and cultural monuments all provide recreation in cities. Imported films are popular; the average Chinese attends more than 10 each year. Traveling cultural groups perform in rural areas. Sports are popular, and facilities are found in most cities. Parks and courtyards are often filled in the morning by those practicing t'ai chi ch'uan, a traditional form of shadowboxing that provides exercise and meditation.
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year celebration (also called Spring Festival) is held in January or February. As the most important holiday, the Spring Festival is marked by several days of banquets, family gatherings, carnivals and dragon dances. Other traditional festivals are celebrated in China during different times of the year.
