Lexie's Story

Hi everyone! My name is Alexis but I go by Lexie, and I was adopted from Shenzhen when I was 14 months old. I am currently 16 but I'll be turning 17 in less than a month (woohoo!). My Chinese name is FuZiJuin; Fu after being found in the Futian district and ZiJuin for lucky baby. When the Futian police found me, I was in pretty good condition and they knew I wasn't a newborn, so based on that, they think my birth mom had taken care of me for about 4 months before giving me up. My mom here never got married, but I have a big extended family which makes up for it. When I was younger, the fact that I was adopted didn't impact me much, but as I become older and more mature I realize it more and has made me want to get involved with the adoptee community more. Like other teenage girls, I have struggled with being myself, issues in my family, self confidence, and school. When I tell people that I am adopted, I get different reactions; some feel bad for me, some think it's weird, but only those who are adopted as well truly understand what it's like. Being adopted is not a bad thing as some people might think. To me, being adopted means my birth parents knew they couldn't raise me with what they had so they wanted me to have a chance of a better life, and I am forever grateful they made that decision.

This summer I went on a heritage travel group with my mom and aunt, which is where we (Harvest, Catherine, Abby, and I) all met. During the trip I experienced things from holding a baby panda and riding a two person bike on top of the old Xian city wall, to staying in a farmers' village and touring the Beijing Olympic Park. The most special part of the whole trip was being able to visit my orphanage Shenzhen. Pulling up to the building, I was nervous but also very excited. The orphanage had done A LOT of renovations and improved everything, thanks to Half the Sky Foundation, since my mom came to get me in 1998. It was humbling to see all of the kids and babies, there was even a guy who was turning 21 and was going to get married in August. The orphanage director, Mrs. Pan, and a translator gave us a lovely tour and then showed us their files they had of me. It was really cool to see the original documents, and there was a letter they had sent to my mom in reply to the christmas/update letter she sent, but we never received it. After the tour, Mrs. Pan, the translator, and two social workers from the orphanage took us out to a hotel for lunch where we were able to talk and enjoy our time together. Aside from the wonderful sites and places we got to see, the overall experience of trip and meeting other girls who share a special bond with me is something I will never forget.

If you are an adoptee and you haven't seen the documentary Somewhere Between, I STRONGLY recommend you watch it with your family! It really made me think about being an adopted girl from China living in America. I think it would be amazing to be able to find my birth family if they are still alive and well. Maybe someday. I am so thankful to have amazing family and friends here, and if it wasn't for everyone in China, who knows where I would be at this point in my life. When I'm older, I really want to go back to China and help orphanages like mine so that every boy and girl has the opportunity I had of a better life.