Asian group helps to mentor adoptees

By: Laura Woods For The Red & Black

Posted: 3/28/07

Three-year-old John Birchenall is not just any ordinary child. While his name may sound all-American, he is not.

Birchenall was adopted from China by an American couple in 2005, and his original first name is not John - it is Zhi Yong.

Wanting to expose their child to his Asian roots, Birchenall's parents became involved with the Asian Children Mentoring Program, a University student organization that pairs adopted Asian children with Asian mentors.

The primary aim of ACMP is to give these children exposure to a culture they may otherwise never know.

ACMP is the collaborative effort of Athens Area Families of China Adoption and the Asian American Student Association.

AAFCA members Dr. Dorothy Boothe and her husband Mike have two 7-year-olds - a son adopted domestically and a daughter adopted from China.

Boothe approached the University's AASA about creating a mentoring program in early 2006.

"Although my husband and I have learned much about Chinese culture, we want our daughter to have the opportunity to learn from a mentor with personal experience growing up with Chinese heritage," Boothe said. "I want all children, not only adoptees, of Asian heritage in the Athens area to have the opportunity to learn from a mentor about his or her experience growing up and attending a university in the United States."

Past president of AASA Chen Lin worked alongside Boothe to make her vision a reality.

"I hoped that this program would help the kids understand more about their backgrounds, but it was mutual for the students involved as well because I hoped Asian students at UGA would have a chance to become more involved in the Athens community," said Lin.

ACMP began as a series of programs until it became a registered student organization in November 2006.

In addition to providing mentors, the organization sponsors one community-based cultural event for the children each semester. Last semester, the organization sponsored an Autumn Moon Festival including crafts, storytelling and traditional food for the children.

ACMP consists of approximately 20 members and 20 participating families with children of Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese and Korean origin.

The mentor and the child are usually of the same ethnicity, but this is not mandatory.

For example, Taiwanese sophomore Kevin Kao mentors Birchenall, who is Chinese. Although their origins are different, their customs are similar.

"I became involved with ACMP because I enjoy working with children," Kao said. "I am proud of my culture, and I like teaching my culture."

Mentors see their child as often as possible, and the relationship between the mentor and the mentee is largely determined by the parents.

The relationship can be social, language-based or culture-based, depending upon the child's needs.

"My main goal with the program was the language aspect. I really wanted someone who speaks Mandarin," said Birchenall's mother, Patty. "I have been very impressed with the program. We attended the Autumn Moon Festival, and you could tell the students put a lot of work into it."