my name is ana…
My Chinese name is Jiahuan (佳欢) and I am from Hangzhou, China, in the Zhejiang Province. I was very involved in many activities both in and outside of high school. I played saxophone in my school jazz band, oboe in the wind ensemble, and both instruments in the pit orchestra for school plays. I was the also the captain of the badminton team, a member of the Youth Jazz Band and an active dance performer with the Chinese American Association of MN.
Growing up as a Chinese adoptee in Minnesota has given me a myriad of different experiences, both good and bad. I feel extremely fortunate to have grown up in the Twin Cities surrounded by the Chinese-American community. My interactions with this community have allowed me to better connect with my own heritage, understand my identity, and connect with other Chinese adoptees who share similar experiences as myself. It has also helped me to become proud and confident of my heritage and who I am. But sometimes I still feel an inner conflict within myself because my upbringing does not match my outward appearance. I find it most difficult when people expect me to culturally value and behave like the people of my same skin color and appearance. When I don’t fit their expectations, it suddenly feels like there is this invisible barrier between us, making it harder for us to connect with one another.
These aspects of my adoption have taught me to be more kind and compassionate toward people from all walks of life. I feel that understanding my own inner conflict has helped me to be more aware and to better connect with others, and to be more open-minded and understanding of differences.
This fall, I will be starting college and will double major in music and another undecided subject. Right now I am unsure of what my future career path will be, but wherever I go I hope to make the world a better place for all people of different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, disabilities, and backgrounds.
