In Quebec, a growing community of Chinese adoptees is coming together to share their stories, reclaim their heritage, and build a supportive space for those navigating the complexities of identity. Founded in November 2021, Soft Gong 软双恭 is the first French-speaking organization by and for adoptees from China, offering a platform for critical reflection, cultural reconnection, and artistic expression. Co-founder Dédé Chen understands firsthand the challenges of bridging two worlds—born in China and raised in Quebec, she felt the weight of isolation and the rise of anti-Asian racism during the pandemic.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
First French-speaking organization by and for adoptees from China.
We are artists and researchers with a common identity: being adopted from China in Quebec (Canada). Through this collective, we want to build a sociocultural bridge between our adopted land, Quebec, and our country of origin, China.
Since 1990, we have counted 7,000 Chinese adoptees in Quebec and more than 110,000 scattered across 14 Western countries, which is why we decided to come together to meet the needs of this community.
What problem does it aim to solve?
1) Amplify the voices of adoptees
2) Offer a space for critical, inclusive and safe reflection (race, ethnicity, class, gender, body and mental differences, sexual and spiritual orientations, etc.)
3) Put forward the resources necessary to allow adoptees to reconnect with their origins
4) Weave a community for adoptees and their allies
5) Nourish a feeling of kindness towards our multiple identities
When did you start/join it?
At the end of Adoptees Month (November 2021) and in response to the rise of anti-Asian racism that has increased during the pandemic, we wanted to join forces by creating the Soft Gong 软双恭 Collective.
What made you want to get involved?
I felt isolated in my identity quest, my town in Quebec from my Chinese birth culture. I also felt endangered during the pandemic with the rise of anti-Asian racism. I decided to join adoptees, Asian, and arts communities to break the isolation and be stronger.
What was the situation like when you started?
There were no resources about travelling, language courses, heritage tours, or mental health for Chinese adoptees, especially due to the political context in China. Asian communities also didn’t connect.
How has it changed since?
Together, we can empower ourselves by sharing marginalized narratives and finding tools to amplify our voices. We build bridges between communities, deconstruct stereotypes about adoption in general and our bodies in the diaspora (race, gender, social class, culture, language).
What more needs to be done?
We need to decide on our board of directors and find more stable financial resources to be sustainable and allies for administration tasks. We welcome any projects or ideas that align with our values.
How can our readers help?
Donate to our wonderful collective, come to our events, and refer an adoptee to our social media. Deconstruct the white saviour complex in international adoption. Don’t ask adoptees if they found their biological parents after 1 minute of conversation, don’t compliment them saying they are lucky to be adopted in Canada…
Do you have any events coming up?
We welcome everyone to our annual pique-nique in May for Asian Heritage Month. We also preparing an art workshop this summer! Stay tuned for more details our our social media. You can read our Guide de retour aux Origins online for free PDF.
Where can we follow you?
Website | Facebook | Instagram
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
Super Boat People | Fondation Jia | Pan Asian Collective | Sticky Rize Magazine | Jeunesse Quartier chinois | @mychinatownmtl | @ousontlesasiatiques
