LEE COUNTY NEIGHBORS: Return to China

9/12/2007 11:15:21 AM
Daily Journal





SALTILLO - Daniel Clark has lived the life of an American youth since coming here 13 years ago as an adopted toddler from China.

Daniel has been an honor roll student involved in school activities. He's participated in 4-H and park-and-rec soccer, plus he's active in church. And in his recreation time at home, he enjoys playing video games against his two younger siblings.

At the same time, Daniel remains close to his Chinese heritage. This summer, his native country beckoned Daniel and others like him to visit their homeland and learn about its culture, history and art.

Daniel knew he had to go.

The Saltillo High School freshman was one of 30 teens - all of whom were born in China and adopted by American families - to attend the "Embracing China and Experiencing Beijing" camp Aug. 14-23. He was the lone Mississippian making the trip.

"The trip meant more to me than I could have ever imagined," said Daniel, who was 19 months old when he was adopted on June 23, 1994. He turns 15 on Oct. 28. "This was a dream come true for me. Now I desire to return again for another trip in the future."

Cultural experience
The camp, organized by the China Center of Adoption Affairs and the National Council for Adoption, was formed to give the teens a better understanding of Chinese culture. Daniel and his adoptive mother, Kathy Clark, were informed by letter June 25 about the camp.

Kathy, a media specialist at Saltillo Primary School, has adopted three children from China: Daniel, daughter Kristin, 10, and son Seth, 6. She admits she was apprehensive at first for Daniel to go.

The Clarks faxed in the application the day they received it. Daniel found out the next day he had been accepted. All of the camp spots were filled in less than a week.

"We had to respond quickly, and Daniel and I just felt like it was the right thing," Kathy Clark said. "I felt better because he went with me three years ago when I adopted Seth. He knew how long that trip was. But he wanted to go back, and that was a big motivating thing to him."

The campers and their chaperones were busy from the day they arrived in Beijing.

There were tours to the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall. The campers attended classes about Chinese history, traditional dance, music and art. The group also attended an acrobatic show and the Peking Opera. Campers were told about the adoption process and they met with orphans and children with disabilities living at a Beijing orphanage.

They also spent a day with Chinese families to experience their daily lives.

"That was my favorite day," Daniel said. "I loved seeing where they lived and how they lived. I enjoyed doing activities with them such as cooking traditional Chinese dumplings and playing with their child. We had fun shopping together. This was truly experiencing Chinese culture."

Daniel also enjoyed meeting Chinese students his age. "They were really interested in us, always asking questions and just wondering what we're like," he said.

Sense of pride
Since returning home Daniel has been busy making up school work from the two weeks he missed. He's still absorbing all that he experienced in China and he hopes someday to share it, especially with his sister and brother.

"It is difficult to express my deep feelings (about the trip)," he said. "I felt secure and happy there. I felt a sense of pride about being Chinese. I enjoyed learning about the vast accomplishments of the Chinese people in past and present. China to me will always be a second home."

Through e-mail Daniel keeps in touch with fellow campers and trip counselors in the United States and in China. Each camper received a poster that included their photos and biographical information such as birth names, date of birth, date of adoption, where they lived at the time of the adoption and where they reside now.

The trip turned out to be a bonding experience for the teens who were born in China and now call America home.

"I observed that all of the campers and their parents felt that it was important for their children to meet other adopted teens from China," said Daniel, whose birth name is Wu Jie. "The American chaperones, Chinese chaperones and Chinese officials formed close bonds with us. I have made close friends for life. I will truly treasure each one of them and every memory of this trip."

Missisipi Daily Journal