Not Made In China
Welcome to Not Made In China, the podcast where we talk all things adoption and the beautiful madness that comes with it.
Shaosheen was adopted from China when she was 9 months old and has lived in the UK ever since. On this podcast she chats to people whose lives have been touched by adoption, discussing their experiences as well as sharing a few of her own stories.
Thank you so much for joining us, we hope you enjoy eavesdropping on our conversations!
Follow us on Instagram & TikTok @notmadeinchinapodcast
Episodes
23 episodes
21. Jonathan: A Korean Adoptee on Reconnecting With Identity, One Genre at a Time
Today, Shaosheen is joined by Korean adoptee and writer Jonathan, to talk about growing up as one of the only Asian children in a white Southern New Jersey suburb, and how his writing — from fiction, to poetry, to nonfiction — has mirrored his ...
We're Taking a Break, Back on Tuesday 6th of October!
We're taking a short break and will be back on the 6th of October with new episodes, new guests and new stories.Thank you so much for listening, we can't wait to be back soon!Shaosheen xFollow us on Instagram & TikTok @...
20. Eva: You Are What They See
Today, Shaosheen is joined by Eva, a Chinese adoptee and creator of BBC Sounds' Made In China, to talk identity, assumptions, and growing up as one of the only Asian faces in a predominantly white area.We cover the microaggressi...
19. Addy: Am I Chinese Enough?
Today, Shaosheen is joined by Addy, a fellow Chinese adoptee and friend, raised by her mother in the US. Addy opens up about growing up between cultures, from her early years in Beijing to moving to New York, and what it's really meant to navig...
18. Sophie: If I Could Go Back, I Don't Think I'd Get in Touch With Them
Sophie found her birth family in just a few weeks, and still isn't sure she'd search again.Today, Shaosheen is joined by Sophie, a Chinese adoptee raised in the US, for a raw and honest conversation about birth family reunion. Sophie sha...
17. Stefany: Reuniting With My Birth Mother & Living Together in Taiwan
Today, Shaosheen is joined by Stefany, acclaimed author and Taiwanese kinship adoptee. Stefany shares her extraordinary journey of reuniting with her birth mother and later moving to Taiwan to live with her while learning Mandarin.We tal...
16. Lifang: What I Wish More Adoptees Knew About Searching for Birth Family
Trigger Warning: We briefly mention suicidal thoughts. If you or anyone you know is struggling with something similar, please visit H...
15. Brooke: On Growing Up as a British Adoptee and Staying Connected to Birth Family
Today, Shaosheen is joined by Brooke, a domestic adoptee from the UK. Brooke challenges adoption stereotypes by sharing her journey from a troubled background to a life of purpose. This episode explores her complex relationship with her birth f...
14. Ming: Going Back to China for the First Time
Today, Shaosheen sits down with Ming, a Chinese adoptee who recently returned to China. Together, they discuss what led her to make the decision to go back, how she felt in the lead-up to the trip, and the emotions and reflections she’s carried...
13. Mariane: Being a Chinese Adoptee in Canada and Making Sense of My Identity
Today, Shaosheen is joined by Mariane, a Chinese adoptee raised by Quebecois parents. Mariane shares some of the challenges she faced as one of the only Chinese people in her area including her experiences of microaggressions and subtle racism,...
12. Emma: Thinking Adoption Hadn’t Affected Me—Until It Did
Today, Shaosheen is joined by Emma, a Chinese American adoptee who grew up in Marin County, California. Emma shares what it was like growing up in a predominantly white community, where she largely felt “normal” and didn’t think adoption had a ...
11. Anna: Adoption, Faith & Finding Identity as a Chinese Adoptee
Today Shaosheen is joined by Anna, a Chinese adoptee raised in a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints family in Salt Lake City. They explore what it means to grow up as a transracial adoptee, from early messages about “gratitude” t...
10. Mackenzie: Falling Pregnant at 17: Why I Chose an Adoption Plan for My Daughter
In this episode, Shaosheen is joined by Mackenzie, who became pregnant at 17 and made the decision to make an adoption plan for her daughter.Mackenzie shares the story behind that decision, the challenges she faced as a young birth mothe...
9. Cat: How Listening to Other Adoptees Helped Me Understand My Story
Today, Shaosheen is joined by Cat, a British Chinese adoptee who has just completed her PhD exploring the British Chinese adoptee experience. In this episode, they dive into Cat’s research and her personal journey, discussing what it feels like...
8. Rick: Finding Out at 16 and Navigating Identity as a Black Korean Adoptee
Today, Shaosheen is joined by Rick, a Black, Korean adoptee who grew up in the US. Rick talks about finding out he was adopted — and half Korean — at 16, how that shaped his identity, and what it’s been like reconnecting with his Korean heritag...
7. Sophie: Reflections of a UK Adoptee
In today's episode, Shaosheen sits down with Sophie, a UK adoptee. Sophie discusses the positive experiences she had with her adoptive family and the supportive environment they created. She reflects on the complexities of being adopted, includ...
6. Hannah: On Being Welsh, Chinese and Adopted... and Accidentally Finding Her Birth Parents
In today's episode, Shaosheen reconnects with her old friend and fellow Chinese adoptee, Hannah. They share their stories of growing up in (relatively) white communities and navigating identity, belonging, and family. They talk honestly about e...
5. Cerrita: A Therapist's Work With Adoptees & Their Families
In today's episode, I sit down with Cerrita Smith, a therapist with over a decade of experience supporting adoptees and their families across the NHS, children’s services, and private practice. We explore what she’s learned about identity, atta...
4. Kellan: An Unfiltered Chat Between Two Adoptees from the Same Chinese Orphanage
In this deeply personal episode, Shaosheen talks with Kellan, a queer transracial adoptee and somatic therapist, about their journey of healing, identity, and growing up adopted from China in the UK. Kellan shares how somatic therapy can help a...
3. Shaofan: On being a Chinese adoptee in the UK
In today's episode, Shaosheen catches up with an old friend and fellow Chinese adoptee, Shaofan. They chat about growing up adopted in the UK, navigating identity, and what being British Chinese means to them, with plenty of laughs along the wa...
2. Jodie: Adopting within the UK
In today's episode, Shaosheen chats to Jodie who adopted her son Charlie within the UK. Jodie shares the beautiful story of how she, her husband and Charlie all became a family and navigated the adoption process through COVID.
1. Mother Daughter Chat: Our Adoption Story
In the first episode, Shaosheen talks to her mother about her experience with overseas adoption. They chat about why her parents adopted in the first place, how they found the process and and what challenges they faced along the way.
