East-West Lives Summary

At the beginning of 1998, which is also the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar, Kelly attends a party with other Chinese children adorned with plush tiger tails and whiskers painted on their faces. Karin and Mark participate regularly in activities of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Families with Children from China. Most of the little girls have American sounding names and some have even come from the same orphanage.

The meetings are only one attempt to expose Kelly to her own Chinese heritage while being raised as an American child. The organization is also invaluable in providing an outlet for parents to discuss the challenges they face daily not only in the topic of Chinese culture but also the attitudes of people who do not understand or appreciate their family dynamic. Karin feels fortunate to live on...