My journey began when I was only a few months old. I was found in the Hubei province (near the north of China), immediatley then moved to the Guizhou Province (near the middle) and stayed there till my adoption. Before my 1st birthday I was adopted by my current parents and was presented with my first passport. I arrived in New York and applied for citizenship at a year old. Initially, this passport looks like any other passport. However, when taking a closer look I am reminded of my past, and how it has my chinese name on it. This is the one given to me by the people working at the Foster care. Although this passport has long since expired, it contains my chinese name that I no longer use. To help me assimilate into American society, my parents changed my name. When I look at this passport, it symbolizes my journey coming to America, never once feeling as though I bore any signs of an immigrant. This passport is significant because without it, I would have never been able to come to America with my new family. The passport is one of the few things that connects me to the foster care back in China. This little booklet holds dear to my heart and reminds me of my past, and my journey here to America.

– Lian Mui

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child