📍 Zhejiang Province, China → Atlanta, Georgia
📸 Instagram: @lacye.1

Meet Lacey

Hi, I’m Xiaowen—most people know me as Lacey. I was born in the Zhejiang Province of China and given the name Xiao Qian Wen by the orphanage. After I was adopted, it was changed to Xiaowen. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where I live now and work as an afterschool teacher. Outside of work, I spend a lot of time at the gym, dancing and working out. I really try to push myself and improve every day.

On Being an Adoptee in the AANHPI Community

Being an adoptee in the AANHPI community gives me this opportunity to be able to share a voice from an adoptee’s point of view. As a Chinese adoptee, I’d never been around people like me before—adopted, let alone Chinese too. But here, I finally have a community with people who have very similar backgrounds. Meeting other Chinese adoptees really made me feel like I’m not alone anymore.

Rediscovering Identity

I never grew up with people that looked like me or had a similar background to me. That really did mess up how I saw/see myself. On top of that, growing up around racism made me want to hide parts of who I was. I didn’t even see myself as Asian. I always just covered up any type of ‘Asianness’ I had to fit in.

It wasn’t until COVID that I began getting more involved with my culture. I was still pretty insecure about my background and embarrassed about people finding out I was also adopted. But the more I saw other Asian voices being celebrated, especially on social media, the more those insecurities started to lift.

Last summer, I traveled to China with The Ties Program. The trip really shaped my identity. It was like a self-discovery. Seeing where I came from helped shift my perspective.

A Core Memory: Returning to My Province

One of my most meaningful moments was going back to my province. It was the day I visited my foster family and met the police officer who found me. That same day, I went exploring with other adoptees in the night markets. We had so much fun running around the night markets and stores. That day will always remain such a core memory for me.

Finding Belonging with Other Adoptees

Traveling with other adoptees gave me a sense of closure. Being around people just like me really did make the experience greater. Having talks I never had before and conversations we could all relate to gave me comfort.

Since then, I’ve been staying connected—taking Chinese classes and staying in touch with people I met in China. The program also has events I’ve been attending. I never thought about celebrating adoption day until I met the other adoptees.

What I Wish People Knew

Being an adoptee within the AANHPI community is living with a unique kind of apartness. It’s a different feeling—always carrying questions that don’t have answers. Feeling like you don’t belong anywhere. Being born into one life but raised in another. It’s a different kind of loneliness.

My Message to Other Adoptees

To other adoptees: Don’t feel like you’re alone in this. You have a gift and a story—so embrace it.

AANHPI Heritage Month Spotlight: Lacey Jeffrey